Beering It Forward for Veterans Day (2021)

Without our bravest we would have little to nothing. God Bless OUR Troops and their Families. Lets not forget the stress our families endure while serving. The wives and moms and others, at home, need to be recognized for keeping the family together. That could be the hardest job ever !
Thanks to all my beer brothers and sisters who have or continue to serve. I owe you a beer if we meet up !

 

Cheers to the veterans of BA!

My enlistment in the drinking club had me stationed at Camp Pendleton, smack dab in the heart of IPA country. Classic SoCal IPAs slowly pried my attention away from Coors Banquet. I didn’t know what made them taste so different, but I knew I liked them and I started sampling new beers frequently. A small beverage store on base carries a decent variety of craft beer, and they seemed to have something new every time I visited.

Just before my first deployment to Afghanistan we had a big bbq with the whole platoon and their families. I showed up with a 4-pack of New Belgium Tripel despite having no idea what a “Triple” was. My NCO, Max, called me out,

“New Belgium!! They’re from Colorado!” he said. “I used to get their stuff all the time back home, I didn’t know you could find that out here. You’re gonna feel those tomorrow!”

I shared one with him and we joked about how they really packed a punch compared to Coors Light. He offered me a glimpse into the culture surrounding beer that was certainly not as widespread at the time. His enthusiasm for a small brewer from his home state really cued me in to the potential for beer to bring people together. Max was killed a few months later on that deployment, but I’ll always think of that day with him when I have a Tripel.

After serving, I would move to Fort Collins to attend school and got to truly go down the rabbit hole of beer culture that Max had described.

 

No military experiences serving (AFN wanted my skills as engineer, but couldn't get a workaround for my Cerebral Palsy.). A salute to everyone here who served in the name of American Freedom, all Veterans of the armed forces. Thanks for your service and sacrifice always. Enjoyed reading your posts here.