I was in too deep: my exit from the craft scene

I never considered that stuff an integral part of the beer scene anyway, and one could happily have beer as a rewarding component of their life and never stand in a line or put pen to paper. Just take it as it comes and you'll be fine.

 

Congrats on your becoming aware of your surroundings. Self control is a good thing that has numerous rewards that go beyond material possessions. You aren't the only one who depends on your knowing that.

Cheers to the rest of your life!

 

People need hobbies and often become obsessed with them. I love mountain biking and see the same thing. Guys shelling out thousands of dollars for new components, spending their weekends to ride 5 hours and then drinks with friends.

I found myself wrapped up with chasing beers, spent all my free time on beer related things. Then it became mountain biking.

Recently I have found a balance for both. I agree people need to take a step back on anything that is consuming their life whether that is beer, work, exercise etc.

 

I hadn't realized how much beer was effecting my performance in sports until I took two weeks off just to see what happened. I no longer felt like trash 3 days after a workout.

I've decided to take a break from craft beer after that realization. I'll start drinking again after my marathon. I want beer to be fun, but not what I revolve every evening and weekend around.

 

Good post OP. I think another thing is that what people consider normal is very slanted on this site because we are all into craft beer. People on the outside of the scene would be horrified about some of the craft beer culture.

 

Thanks for sharing OP, a nice self-reflection.

Well said GetMeAnIPA. This can be applied to life in general [In everything moderation]. For me beer is a side hobby of mine, I'm an enthusiast but don't chase trucks. Some folks can manage that lifestyle, others can't, it depends on what is important to you. I aspire to one day become a beer geek as defined in the latest BA issue .

 

I'm only part of the scene in that I have a beer or two every night, visit the liquor store every week, hit up other stores when I'm in other towns every few weeks, visit a brewery every few weeks, and a brew fest every few months. I read BA mag every month and browse the forums a few minutes a day and occasionally read a beer book. I have accumulated about 3 dozen glasses and a small fridge "cellar," and once in a while (after a trip) have a bit of excess beer in the closet, but for the most part I'm in a good place with beer. I don't pay over 20 bucks a bottle, I rarely spend over 10, I don't chase trucks, I don't stand in lines, I don't get drunk (except on rare occasion when a beer fest has too many high ABV beers), I don't take my kids to breweries unless it's just for lunch or early dinner, and I don't spend 15%+ of my income on beer, but I do see many people who do all this with regularity. Ffor many people, that's how they want to spend their lives, and if they enjoy it and it's not negatively affecting their relationships with spouses and kids, then that's fine. But anything can be addictive and people can let it control their lives with negative effect.

But I love my 16 oz snifter, it's my go-to stout/barleywine glass. I won't let it discredit your entire post, which was otherwise on point.

 

An excellent post. Prob one of the best I've read on the site since joining BA.
Past two weeks I've been walking that line also. A recent release that I was at and the things I saw there made me take a step back and think about my craft journey the past 4 years. There are better stuff on the shelves now then there were in the past. Local breweries are brewing different styles all year round and starting to catch up on all the haze craze that ignited the craft world two years ago and it seems like everyone has a barrel program going. With all the different stuff coming out and how our palates are evolving with tasting all the variety out there chances are we won't remember it in a year. We consume beer. It doesn't have to consume us. Win some, lose some your just not going to be able to try everything out there.

Ps. I love my Bourbon County snifter though.

 

I really think anything in life can get out of control. I know a bunch of people consumed by eating good all the time and exercising to the point of having no life. So with that said everything in life needs to be moderated and balanced with other parts of your life. If you live by that mantra then its never an issue least I never ran into one.

 

I love this thread. Last year I admitted as much that I'm an alcoholic. I fight it every f*cking week. I went sober for 5 months and realized my mood swings made me more of a monster than when I would drink -- I've always been a happy drunk. Anyway, I've never spent a minute in line for a beer, but that doesn't make me a better guy. I'm just glad there's a thread like this to call attention to issues. The people that struggle like myself get brushed to the side, be we're out there folks. We're everywhere.

 

Moderation in anything is key, and it doesn't sound like you were very moderate. It happens. Ease off the throttle and you may find that beer can be tasty AND fun.

#RespectBeerButItsJustBeer

 

This is very true and a great point. Unfortunately it's not easy to obtain.

 

Once again, if you're not addicted you don't understand how difficult it is. Maybe I'm speaking for myself and not the original post. Some people can't just "ease off" ... this is a very complex issue so please know that I'm not scolding you. Cheers

 

I totally understand

 

Life is all about balance
The older I get, the more I realize this...

 

I mentioned above I recently found a balance. I love beer so I never wanted to give it up but struggled to find moderation. I was drinking everyday, sometimes only 1 -2 beers but then drinking a lot other nights. I found that it was just habit to come home and start drinking.

It wasn't until I decided to take a break that I realized how hard it was to not drink one day. Now I am not drinking more days than I am.

 

In my opinion this is a negative aspect of the contemporary beer scene.

What would be 'better' in my opinion is if the family stayed and played together and yes beer can be a part of that (if not consumed in excess). A few Sundays ago I was at a local brewery (Hidden River) and on Sundays it is bring your own food day and pets (dogs) are welcome. I saw two families with multiple children and two dogs there having a picnic on the lawn. The children were playing amongst themselves (and sometimes the parents joined in) and all of the adults were drinking some beer in a responsible manner. Everybody (dogs, kids, adults) were having a great time having a picnic and enjoying the excellent Hidden River beer.

Cheers!