Beer: So Much More Than Just a Breakfast Drink

"Beer: So much more than just a breakfast drink" - A quote on a sign that used to hang above the bar in my grandparents' basement now hangs in the beer garden at my house (a 6x10 sun room that I keep my kegerator and some plants in). Aside from being a fun sign, it reminds me that there's more to beer than just water, grain, hops, and yeast. So much more. 

Throughout history, beer has been a vessel that brings people together. But what makes beer such a great companion drink when you're with companions? Every beer is a culmination of stories poured into a pint glass (or a mug, snifter, tulip, stein, shoe, beer bong, etc.) that is then enjoyed by one who enjoys beer. I think the camaraderie that is inherent in beer and brewing culture around the world makes it endlessly interesting. 

Wherever you're drinking beer, whoever you're drinking beer with, there are stories aplenty. You could have a Vienna lager - invented by Anton Dreher in Vienna, brewed by Fair State Brewing in Minnesota - and in that one beer there's so much to learn and enjoy. In the book The Beer Bible, Jeff Alworth shares the story of how Dreher took brewing techniques from Britain to make what would become the Vienna lager style, and apprenticed with Gabriel Sedlmayr who created a similar beer (märzen) in Munich. More recently, Fair State Brewing was founded by former rugby opponents turned friends, is the first co-op brewery in Minnesota, and made this specific Vienna lager that I'm currently enjoying. 

Stories! Stories everywhere! So much to learn, so much to share, so much more than just a breakfast drink.

Being more than just a breakfast drink, although still a pretty good breakfast drink, beer has become a big part of my life just as it has been for so many others throughout history. I hope with this blog I can share some stories about beer, breweries, and beer culture that really show how much there is to beer. 

Or, if nothing else, I'll just ramble about beer and have some fun along the way.