Daily Challenge: Sip on Local Beer, Wine, Spirits or Juices
Food of the Day: Locally Brewed Beer

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. A man walks into a bar…

No, seriously! When people ask  me, “What do you write?” I half-joke, “Whatever I’m paid to write!” For the past year, what I’ve been paid to write about is beer. More specifically, the burgeoning craft beer scene in the city’s bars, breweries and the world craft-beer movement beyond the borders of NYC. Needless to say, between the raised eyebrows and gasps of, “Oh, man! How do I get that job?” I drink a lot of beer.

There are many amazing breweries in the north east and in our area in particular. In fact, I don’t even need to leave Brooklyn to get great beer (we’ve got Kelso, Brooklyn Brewery and Sixpoint). If you allow for the NOFA-NY 250 mile challenge, well, there are hundreds of breweries small and large that are crafting beer. Many are growing their own hops and herbs. Often they started as homebrewers. I am still learning a lot from these great business people; their products are as educational as they are fun to imbibe.

I don’t always drink locally, but I almost exclusively drink craft (the exception being when I’m invited out with a friend and I want to be gracious to my hostess). However, even I found some new beers to try this month during the alcohol challenge. I also became acutely aware which beers slipped inside the “circle of locavorism” and which did not. Last night I tried Heavy Seas Loose Cannon, a triple-hopped IPA that is more balanced than many American IPAs (nice malt finish to calm it down, it helps that there are no Citra hops that seem to distinguish IPAs). The brewery is in Maryland, so it’s really stretching my locavore roots to say it’s a local beer. That said, it’s not Jolly Pumpkin (Michigan) or Yeastie Boys (New Zealand, and really hard to find but I went without because it’s September!).

I could go on and on about beer. In fact, I have! At some point I may add a beer tab to Eating My Share (on my “to do” list is to streamline my online presence), but in the meantime, you are free to move about the bar and try some craft beer yourself!

Where I Soared: Are you kidding? It’s craft beer. I’m practically the poster child.

Where I Sunk: Are you kidding? It’s craft beer. A day when I don’t drink local beer is one of note.

My Grade: I’m gonna shave half a point for not sticking exclusively to NY beer for the day and month. I’ve only stepped away from the region a couple times, however, so I’m awarding myself an A-.