BeerSense

Too often we get caught up in the motions of life and forget the real reason why we are all here.  We are all here to make a difference in the world. No seriously, that’s not me being cheesy.  Think about yourself at the age of 70- how are you going to feel about your life if you haven’t made a difference in the world?

Now making a difference can come from many sources: family, friends, professional life, community service, etc.  But, the commonality across all of these sources is the need for inspiration.  How can you ever make a dent in the world without a little inspiration? A lot of my own personal inspiration has come from my Grandma, Muriel, who passed away this week.  She was the most amazing woman and I can only hope to achieve a fraction of the impact she made upon this world.  

My message to you is search hard for your source of inspiration. From a professional standpoint, those of us working in the technology space have an advantage relative to others because technology can fundamentally change the world.  It’s up to you to harness that potential and truly make a difference.

Be inspired. 

Here’s a guest review of Dogfish Head’s Aprihop from our biggest fan, Andrew.  Enjoy: 

Aprihop, a spring seasonal release from the Dogfish Head lab, touts itself right on the bottle as “a serious India Pale Ale brewed with real apricots.”  Upon tasting, however, Aprihop reveals neither a loud, hoppy note nor a jammy, apricot flavor, thus bringing into question whether the beer delivers on its promise.  But just a few sips in, it becomes clear what Aprihop is really about.  The individual IPA and apricot strands work to even each other out.  In other words, the sweet of the honeyed fruit softens the bite of the hops, leaving you, in the end, with a well-balanced ale that has a nudge of the bitter and a touch of the sweet — nice for those cool spring evenings.

The folks at Southern Tier Brewing Company never seem to disappoint.  In fact, they make some of some of the best beers in the U.S of A. If you haven’t tried their stuff, you are certainly missing out.  Their fall seasonal in particular, Pumking, is unbelievable.  But it’s Gemini that puts this brewery in a league of its own.  

Gemini is a 50/50 blend between Southern Tier’s Unearthly, an Imperial IPA and Hoppe, an Imperial Pale Ale.  The combination is absolutely delicious and genius.  It has the boozy, hoppy, and malty smell of an Imperial IPA and yet the smoother and less biting finish of a Pale Ale. 

For the craft beer newbies, if you like either Sam Adams Boston Lager or Noble Pils, I think you’ll love Gemini.

Gemini is a limited release so utilize your inner BeerSense and pickup a bottle ASAP.

Enjoy!

Picture this: You’ve just had a full day of skiing your favorite mountain, the snow was fluffy and soft (i.e. you’re not on the east coast), and the weather was absolutely gorgeous.  You unlock yourself from the skis, place them on a rack and proceed to the lodge, doing your best to walk naturally even though you’re walking more like a defective robot.  You take off those clunky boots, which may be one of the best feelings in the world, and then head to grab your favorite beverage inside the lodge.  What do you get?

A nice cold beer!  That’s right, even though you can’t feel your toes, fingers, or thighs; a cold beer hits the spot. Some of you probably thought about hot chocolate or tea but really, now that I’ve given you beer as an option, you’re definitely second guessing yourself right now.  The hot chocolate and tea lovers are probably already at the Starbucks in town anyway.  The question is: why does a post-skiing beer work so well?

Here’s my answer.  Skiing is an activity closely associated with vacations.  Most of us don’t normally hop over to the mountain for a quick run or two.  Skiing is usually an all-day or multi-day commitment.  Drinking beer is an activity closely associated with skiing.  We’ve already talked about why.  By the transitive property of close associations, drinking beer is like taking a vacation.  I’m not kidding here, think about it.  People don’t drink beer with frowns on their faces; drinking beer is about spending time with friends and family, having fun, relaxing, and enjoying yourself.  Wait, did I just describe a vacation? Oh, no, I just proved my point.

Next time you’re enjoying a pint, consider my analogy and let me know your thoughts.  Until then, enjoy the slopes and protect your thumbs; skier’s thumb is a serious and painful experience, trust me.