New Year Beer Resolutions (2014)

1. Finish up the BA top 20 (PtY won't happen without a plane ticket so 19/20 it'll be).
2. Go to Dark Lord Day
3. Go to FOBAB
4. Try not to hoard as much beer
5. Organize/attend more tastings/bottle shares
6. Spread the gospel of good beer

 

1. Be more open minded
2. More foreign brews
3. less IPAs
4. Continue not being a snob.

 

Not to waste my time pursuing Hopslam

 

I almost added a resolution to waste MORE time pursuing Hopslam.

 

move to a different state

 

Sounds crazy, but drink less, drink better, enjoy more. Less having 3 or 4 just because I can, more really enjoying 1 or 2. Problem isn't drunkenness - but just that awful weighed down feeling and poor sleep (I don't sleep well having a lot of food and/or drink on stomach), and it makes maintaining fitness that much harder.

Also, I resolve to try more beers. I'm fairly adventurous, but I need to keep pushing and (1) take advantage of local/regional offerings when I'm away from home, and (2) try more styles, and (3) give some styles another shot (For example, I'm not big on coffee/chocolate notes in beer, so porters/stouts I avoid based on the few I've had where those notes were prevelant)

More hosting at home. I like going out (and will continue to do so), but it's also nice to stock up on a variety of beers that I choose, inviting friends over and hanging out in the comfort of home. And, as to my first point, I actually drink less and enjoy more when at home hosting. Moved into a new place and finally have a full-sized dining room with table (with a nice liquor table off to the side) that's a really comfortable place to hang out.

 

Gotta stop ticking....

 

Is it really tough to find? I must have timed it perfectly this year. I got a couple sixers from Binny's and one from Mariano's. Too pricey to buy any more than that.

 

Last year's resolution was to finally start trading.

This year's resolution is to slow down on trading, due to my fufillment (my wife might say "over" fufillment) from last year's resolution...

 

I know this is not news for most of you, but FRESHNESS COUNTS! It took me about a year of running around happily buying and drinking any beer that was new to me to realize this. Like I said, I must be a slow learner.

I finally started relating the freshness date (bottled on, born on, best by, etc.) to the fact that sometimes a beer I had really liked before, was now not so good or even horrible.

I am sure that this is more important for some styles of beer than for others. I am a fan of IPAs, and am amazed at the difference a few months can make.

So, for all of you who are just beginning to enjoy good beer, please do yourself a favor and learn how to read the freshness codes on the beers you are buying. There are numerous threads about this that show links to sites deciphering the various codes that are used by some brewers who apparently do not want people to know how old the bottle you are buying actually is.

So, don't waste your money or time drinking beer past its prime! Might as well drink the cheap crap most of us have left behind.

 

Amen brother!

 

It will become second nature. To check the bottle for a date. The next thing to become second nature is to forego sorrow at the loss of something you never had.

 

Amen.

 

I've gotten to the point where I don't even visit bars due to the hit or miss of getting something good on tap. Gotta be a brewery/brewpub anymore. Something good that is FRESH beats something renowned that has been tapped a month ago AND has been sitting in the line 2 or 3 days.
Most good beer is like good bread. When fresh it can be quite enjoyable, when it's on the "yesterday's baked goods" shelf....
My refer used to be loaded with beer. Now it's 12 bottles MAX.

 

Only had a little over 150 new beers last year w/ a 3 month break. so I got ticking under control.
This year definitely gonna thin out the beer cellar,
Really would like to explore trading just haven't pulled the trigger on that one yet.
Focus on Illinois Beer more , so many great new breweries popping up all within a couple hours of me.
Last but not least .... Hit the Gym again.... Cut back and my weekly beer consumption 12-18 bottles on avg.
to something like 6 or less... ( that's probably not gonna happen ), all those DIPAS really did a number on my
waistline last year, that and I got lazy, I just really enjoyed coming home from work and just sitting out back with my dog while sipping on a refreshing beverage or 2 or 3.

 

Go to Dark Lord Day.

 

Homebrew even more - I made 28 gallons in 2013 and want to go for 40 in 2014. Do more networking with other home brewers. I might even consider upgrading some of my equipment.

Every year I say I want to drink 104 different beers (2/week). As of today I have 70 (and 36 are run of the mill domestics) so I won't make it. In 2014 I really want to do it with more than half being something interesting.

Get into rating/reviewing and really learn to do it well.

 

my beer new year's resolution is the same as every year; to drink and explore as much new beer as I possibly can.

 

On my list is taking a trip to VT to get some Hill Farmstead, Heady, and Lawson's. And if I end up going to SF for a wedding, I want to try to visit Russian River.

 

Try a rum barrel aged beer, continue all grain home brewing, initiate more tastings, keep a spreadsheet of my monthly beer spending