Have you ever sat down and really contemplated the beer in your glass? Gone beyond your banal routine of look, sniff, taste then swallow, to the point where pontification and partaking blend into one giant smile of contentment? And no, it's not as simple as trading your fizzy-yellow-schwill for a chewy stout, but read on and find out good friend!
At Avery Brewing Company, we believe that this thought process--or to push the boundaries, this "high"-- is the pinnacle of a beer drinker's ascent into the glorious realm of American Craft Beer. Call it Craft Beer Enlightenment.
And oh how glorious it is! So glorious actually, that we are committed to introducing folks across the country to this wonderful experience, one beer at a time. We think it's a shame that there are so many Americans out there that don't have a clue what they are missing out on, and we want to enlist you to fight the good fight and spread the word about craft beer!
Enough waxing poetic over beer. Below are our five steps to Craft Beer Enlightenment. Learn them and teach them to all who will listen!
1. Educate - Take the time to learn about the brewing process. It will tell you a lot about the flavor of the beer you are drinking. Next, learn what process is unique to the beer you are drinking. Is it dry-hopped? Does it contain wild yeast? A chain reaction of thought is sure to follow.
2. Slow Down - We make BIG beers. BIG flavors are present in all. The Reverend is 10% ABV, and 2009 Mephistopheles' Stout is pushing 17% ABV! They're not made to quaff and gulp, or meant as a quick fix to a sober Friday night! Rather, we set out with a flavor profile to achieve, and modify ingredients to get there. So: Sip. Let the flavors work out. Let the beer warm up in your hand. New flavors and aromas will work their way out and you will appreciate the beer.
3. Understand - Think about the whole process. The beer in your hand is the culmination of thousands of hours of work by myriad number of craftsmen. From hop farmers and malting scientists all the way to Brewmasters and the Assistant Brewers who put the beer in bottles, your beer represents a nexus of thought and effort from many people.
4. Revere - Sit back and let everything drop out of your head except for the flavor. Does it remind you of a past place or time? Or does it define a new time or event even? Flavor, just like sounds or smells, can be a mechanism by which old memories are recalled. What will this flavor call forth from your mind 20 years from now?
5. Share with friends - Like anything, beer is better when shared in the good spirit and company of close friends and family. If they don't appreciate good beer, maybe you ought to make it your quest to show them the light?
Share this with less than 10 friends and your next beer will be labeled "XXXX light" and you'll be telling your waiter you ordered a beer not water. Share with more than 10 friends and a case of our duganA IPA will magically appear on your doorstep! (Just KIDDING!)
Onward! (with a beer in hand)
C.V. Howe and the rest of the Avery Crew
