The Beer Attitude

Slugging them down for years, I’d love to know how much beer we have gone through since the first brew. Ever wondered about different statistics like that? Gallons upon gallons have been poured into glass and bottle for centuries. It could easily be argued that beer is the most consumed beverage of all time.

What would be its competitors? Coffee, tea, and soda might top the list. You can’t say water. Water is in everything. Every time you drink a beer you would up the consumption of water as well. So, that cannot be added to beer’s list of competitors. Not if you were going to be fair about it.

So, I said all that to say that beer is so popular that it will literally never go out of style. It will never lose fans. It will never have a drought. People drink more beer during a recession. People drink beer in celebration of a boom. People drink beer to get together and have fun. People drink beer to get together and talk over their issues.

What did Obama do when Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates was arrested at his home for “disorderly conduct” by Cambridge police officer sergeant James Crowley and it was attributed to racial profiling since Gates tried to show evidence that he did indeed live in that house that he was accused of breaking into? That’s right! He held a “beer summit.” Obama, Biden, Gates and Crowley sat down and drank their choice of beer together.

Beer will never go away! This is why it literally shocks me as Anthony Bourdain of No Reservations claims that Big Beer threatened to pull ads from the Discovery Channel if they didn’t pull the new craft beer focused show Beer Masters. Is it possible that small breweries and individual brewers around the world could actually threaten the bottom line of Big Beer?

In capitalism, there is an awful amount of greed. The people who have will fight tooth and nail to keep. They will kick people while their down and the will step on faces to stay on top. Nothing is ever enough. But, there is so much reward that momma and poppa shops can stay in business because of consumer need for variety, consumer choice of personal attention and consumer expectation of individuality. Capitalism is a consumer driven society. There will always be consumers who will flock for the mass appeal and there will always be an equally powerful amount of consumers who will refrain, looking for a more unique product.

Why does Big Beer have to think that a simple show can ruin its bottom line? Of course, small breweries brew because they want to evolve in taste and offer varieties that are unique. Individuals brew because it’s fun and rewarding. But, Big Beer will always have consumers. Big Beer might not be able to reach so far down in their huge pockets, but they will always have a surplus of income to cover their mansion mortgages, personal yachts and vacations gone wild.

I am going to cherish Beer Master’s Sam Calagione’s encouragement, “…to support small, truly-indie breweries! Last night I had Two Prima Pils, and an Aprihop. Today I had cask-conditioned Thyme Pale Ale, Baladin Nora, Birra Del Borgo ReAle, and am enjoying an Indian Brown Ale…” Instead of letting the small stuff get to him, Sam has the perfect beer attitude when he affirms that he is, “Focused on the goodness inside the bottle instead of the weirdness outside the bottle. Cheers.” Cheers to you Sam!

Party Ideas

People have parties for different reasons. My parties are meant to let my friends and family know that I appreciate them, and their company. So, I try to do something new and exciting as often as I can.

Sometimes, the impromptu parties work out the best. I’ll have a few friends over and then, I’ll get a call from more friends. Before long, I have a house full of people and we’re having a party. I’m not single anymore, but you’d think I still act like it. It’s just that I have my moments when I can throw a great party. I also have my family time too and no one interrupts it.

So, impromptu parties do seem to really work out great. But, I love parties that I get to plan as well. Theme parties or activity parties are often more fun than you can imagine. Some people get into them without a problem, while others are a little rebellious because they don’t see why a person can’t just throw a party and that’s it.

Those are the people who seem to have the most fun. Everyone has fun, but they leave the party with a huge smile on their face totally surprised that your theme or activity was actually fun. They become your biggest fan and then, they look forward to the next one.

So, here are a few ideas you can try. Remember that if they fail, tweak them and try them again. It’s not because they were meant to fail. It’s because it takes practice to be the party master everyone expects you to be.

First of all to show my friends and family my appreciation, I always have koozies. But, it’s not your regular koozies. When I’m having a regular party, I try to match the koozie with each person. I know who drinks what and I get a koozie to match so that their beer stays cold all night.

The second part of the koozie experiment is to match the koozie with the party. You don’t always have to drink the same beer. Get different kinds of beers. Get exotic beers and all kinds of imports. Choose a beer flavor for a party and have the koozies to match. I don’t have a problem of ordering forty or fifty koozies for a party. Like I said, I like to show my appreciation. They take the koozies with them when they go home.

Plus, I don’t have parties every week. Some parties are separated by several months. So, it’s not a burden to go all out on the beer and koozies. Plus, it makes me very memorable. I know several of my friends who have started koozie collections from the ones they got from me. Some of my friends have koozie collections that are only made up of the koozies they got from me.

But, you can’t just stop there. Plan something. Have a “Gangsta” night where everyone has to dress up like their favorite movie gansta. Have a “Devils and Angels” night where everyone chooses whether they would like to be a devil or an angel, horns or halo. The food and drinks can be made to match the theme. Hot and Spicy wings versus light and fluffy pasta. You get the idea.

Beer Pong nights are always fun. You get to see some moves from some of your friends that you may not have ever seen before. Plus, you just might get creative and invent some of your own. Beer Pong has a flair to it that can get quite addictive.

One really interesting kind of party is the infamous mystery. You can either purchase a board game with ideas or you can make up your own mystery. You have to have the clues in place before everyone comes over and if you make up your own mystery, make sure that the evidence can’t possibly point to anyone or anywhere else. Letting your guests be confused throughout the mystery is fine. But, the ending has to be rock solid with no other options available.

It wouldn’t have to be a murder mystery, although they are fun. One time, I threw a surprise birthday party for a friend of mine where something was stolen and all the evidence led back to him. The way I made it happen was that I told everyone else what was going to take place. They played along great. They even helped.

We placed my keepsake watch in his glove compartment, courtesy of his wife. Some friends reported that he had been in my room, which he adamantly denied. But, we convinced him as if we were in a court of law that several people corroborated those statements. Then, I pulled out the fingerprint kit. I had his fingerprint from a glass he drank out of that night. I acted as if I pulled it from my nightstand. Then, I fingerprinted him. He started to look around and put the pieces together. The fingerprint kit may have been overkill. But, he played along.

He was not astonished when we found out that they were indeed his fingerprints. Other corroborating stories led us to the car where I found my watch. I looked at him stunned, and everyone yelled, “Surprise!” I do believe he figured it out long before finding my watch in his car.

There are other ways to do a mystery that gets everyone involved. No one knows the outcome and they are all trying to figure out what happened. People love when you take ideas from different forensics shows and put together a mystery that makes everything seem so real.

Parties are awesome to throw together. They are a flavor of life that we should never lose. Some people grow up and grow apart. I’ve managed to keep everyone together and even inspire the party spirit in others. Don’t lose that! Keep it in tact and have as much fun as possible.

How to Build a Home Bar

It’s a part of the beer enthusiast’s life to head out and grab a beer from our favorite drinking hole. We love all kinds of bars. The dive is a relaxing joint while the club is where we can meet new and interesting people.

But, we can’t live out in the bars all the time even though we’d love it. We eventually have to break away and come home to the families and the household responsibilities. That’s why building a home bar makes us feel like home when we’re home.

There are plenty of ways to build your own home bar. You have to use your imagination and creativity. What it boils down to is your personality. Some people like a 50s theme while others like a beach theme. But, those are merely decorations. You have to build the bar first.

Choose Your Space

Choosing the perfect location is sometimes the hardest part. While some people know exactly where the bar should go, others find it difficult to imagine where they would like to have their bar. A basement bar is out of the way and a great location where you get away without technically leaving the home.

It’s smart to put a bar in an unused room or a room that isn’t frequented much. Also, you can add an extension to the house. But if you’re going to go that far, why not just put the bar outside. It’s great for warm weather and in warm weather climates.

Materials

To build the structure, you’ll need 2 x 4s and plywood. You’ll need enough nails and screws to hold it all together. Also, you want finish. I like dark wood finish and polyurethane. But, some people finish in other ways. They’ll use a faux wood finish, wood slats, tile, granite countertops and I’ve even seen wallpaper. It’s up to you and your style. Give it all a thought and decide on what’s perfect for you.

You’ll also need the features. Brass railings look great against a dark wood bar with dark green lighting fixtures. Cabinet doors make it easy for you to finish your bar in style. You can get them at most hardware stores. Round it off with a kegerator for your keg and a cooler for bottles and cans.

Build

If you know how to design and build, you are ready to go to town. If you don’t, find a friend that will help you design so that you will have all the materials you need. Make sure it’s someone who knows how to build or else it’s the blind leading the blind, which can be fun if you have a temperament like mine and nothing gets to you.

But, the easiest bar I have ever seen built was when a friend of mine bought cabinets from the local hardware store. Not cabinet doors like mentioned earlier, but cabinets. He put them side by side, connected them with a countertop and was practically finished building his bar in an hour.

After that, he simply rocked the bar with bar stools, brass railings, dark green lighting fixtures and a kegerator. He purchased a radical cooler for the end of the bar where he puts bottles and cans. A plasma screen is attached to the wall behind the bar and a stereo is wired to it. It’s just about the neatest bar I have ever seen.

Bars are an extension of your personality as a beer enthusiast. If you are serious about your beer, you need a place to put it on display. Whether you brew for yourself or you just like to try new and exotic beers, build your bar soon and start enjoying the beer world with the rest of us.

Bar Variety

I visited some friends of mine recently who live in a very rural area. They make sure they have everything they need on one trip to town a week. But when I asked about a local bar, they laughed.

They knew me. They knew what I would be expecting. So, they laughed hardily and then they grabbed their coats. I knew then I was in for something good.

We drove about twenty minutes. Back roads and dirt roads, through the darkness of night we drove until we came to a trailer in the middle of the woods. I thought, “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

We walked in and sure enough, it was a bar. The actual bar itself was at one end of the trailer with a lone bartender standing behind it. One lady sat at the bar while two others sat at a table that took up half the dance floor. That’s right! There was a dance floor, and a jukebox. A handful of guys sat at a table in the back of the trailer and of course, they eyed me for a good while until they finally warmed up to me.

That got me thinking. I have a way of thinking sometimes about the weirdest things. I hope I’m not alone. But, I have not seen every nook and cranny of this world. Sometimes that bothers me. It may not be the best bar in the world. But, I felt privileged to have at least been able to see how people get their drink on in that part of it.

I began my research. Actually, it was more of an exploration through the recesses of my mind. I remembered all of the bars I had ever frequented, and the ones I’ve only acquainted.

Clubs

I was in a club one time that had five different dance floors, a VIP section and a butt load of bouncers that loved what they do. At closing time, I was invited to the back bar to have one last drink. All of the bouncers were hanging out back there and they were talking about their fights. These guys really got off on the fact that they were bouncers.

That club had about six or seven bars. There was one in the middle of the middle dance floor and one in just about every corner of the club. The VIP section sat high above everyone else and it had a DJ station. But, there was also another DJ station across the huge warehouse type room. They were both live. That’s how big this place was. You couldn’t hear the music on the other side of the room.

Pubs

Visiting some friends of mine, they live in a small town. But, there’s a bar on just about every corner. We went to pub after pub. They were all the same, like cookie cutter pubs that all took after each other.

We kept going from pub to pub, the only thing that changed were the people. Actually, I take that back. There were some of the same people as well. After awhile, I figured out the two different types of beer enthusiasts in small town. There are regulars who stay glued to their barstools and then there are floaters who like to roam and see everyone.

Dives

The dive is the backbone of the drinking community. It’s where most beer enthusiasts go throughout the week for a few to kick back in the head. You can find one or two people at any given time having a beer in a dive in the middle of the day. But, the weekend opens up different opportunities for beer enthusiasts. It’s purely economical.

In this world, there is an ice bar…made of ice. There are log cabin bars, cave bars, poolside bars, bars on beaches, bars on snow top mountains, bars in trees, on rivers and in the middle of a lake. I have ordered a beer in the most unique places in the world. That’s what is so special about beer enthusiasts. We have an interesting way of celebrating our enthusiasm.

Great Things That Have Happened in Bars

We have an interesting history, and you might be surprised how much of it began in a bar. It would make sense that our history is so intertwined with our lives spent in pubs and taverns around the world. After all, it’s a great place to meet for any reason.

If we have business deals to discuss, conference rooms can help us get set for formal meetings. But, a bar is where all parties can wind down and really get to the heart of the business deal. When we have issues with people, a bar is a great place to get them resolved. Sit down, have a beer, and get it all off your chest. I’ve seen it happen hundreds of times.

Wedding Proposals

Wedding proposals can be really fascinating when someone takes the time to do it right. We’ve all heard of the wedding ring in the champagne glass at dinner. I’ve personally watched a friend of mine take a knee in his favorite bar and propose to his wife.

While I thought it was cool, I have heard some comments that it was cheesy. Then, I heard about how NBA Basketball Star Quentin Richardson proposed to singer Brandy. At a popular nightclub in a L.A., Century Club, Brandy arrived to a rose petal covered theme and Quentin was on one knee.

Of course, the Century Club is a far cry from the small lounge where my friend proposed. But, bars have provided the best backdrop for some of the greatest marriages throughout history. It’s a quaint spot where you will find the greatest supporters.

Huge Announcements

Whenever something huge has happened, we seem to have learned about it in a bar. Of course, there are people at home catching the news. There are people who get word of ear as they’re shopping or visiting a friend. But throughout history as people have stopped into the bar to have a beer, they have heard the biggest news stories of the time.

I can’t help but think that the famous “The Kiss” photo was taken of a sailor who just left a bar. Glenn McDuffie seems to have been widely and expertly identified as the sailor in the photo who grabbed a nurse and planted a kiss on her to celebrate the end of World War II. Edith Shain seems to have been widely accepted as the nurse. McDuffie recounts that he was coming off of the subway. I am just saying that if I know any sailors at all, he heard the news in a bar.

One thing that is not arguable is the day the Boston Red Sox won the World Series in what very well could have been 1912. The Boston Herald headline telling the world who won the World Series was celebrated in a bar. I have tried to find the actual headline, but I remember it reading “We Win!” as I watched that photo infamously appear during the introduction of the award winning show Cheers.

Court House

That’s right! Court has been held in a bar. I’m not sure how many courts around the world have started in a bar. But, I can imagine it’s quite a few.

I know of one courthouse, in fact, when I visited a small town in Maryland called Cumberland. The circuit court on Washington Street is a historical monument. Most of the places in Cumberland are. But, the circuit court has a plaque attached on the outside as you come in the front doors. It reads that the circuit court was actually started in a bar. Then, you look around the rest of Cumberland and realize why. There is a bar on just about every street in town.

The Marine Corps

Tun Tavern is known as the infamous birthplace of the United States Marine Corps. In November 10^th, 1775, the Continental Congress decreed that the United States Marine Corps be formed. Captain Samuel Nicholas was appointed as its first commandant and headed to Tun Tavern to attract recruits. He promised signups a small tankard of ale for signing up, and another for recruiting a friend.

Bars have always been in our history. They are the favorite backdrop of many of our movies and television shows. They have been the birthplace of many great ideas. Good friendships have started there, and good relationship have too despite the fact that many people would strongly disagree.