blogging about beer

Read History of the World in Six Glasses, by Tom Standage; you won't be disappointed. Standage's 2 chapters on beer and the brewing of beer depict a drink that became treasured (and cultivated, and cared for, and shared, and traded, and monopolized, and enjoyed) by nearly every society which learned of or discovered it. One prominent theory on the roots of agriculture - discussed in Six Glasses - asserts that crop domesitication by the first sedentary societies owes its existence to the people's love of beer.

And why not? Preparing the basic ingredients for beer (water, grains, hops and yeast), brewing and enjoying this ancient and delicious drink; all these things feel right. These acts bring out our humanity: care for our work, attention to taste, feel and smell and time, the desire to please ourselves and others through our acts and crafts. It's hardly a surprise that the drink fit in with us.

That's why I make beer. There's a lot to learn about the art of brewing - IBUs, AA%, mash efficiency, Original and Terminal gravity, etc., etc. - that's interesting but not at all necessary (or even necessarily enjoyable) to carrying on this practice. You can pretty much ignore all that if you'd like, and I largely do. Instead, I focus on the basics: 4 ingredients, spices, herbs and fruits to try when in the mood, getting the house to steam up and smell like sweet oatmeal, sticky floors, good exhaustion after 6 hours making something new while enjoying the last batches. That's it. That's all you need.

So I'm blogging to talk about beer and the making of beer because the process and the product are wonderful and worth the time and thought. So why not throw my thoughts in the mix.