How-to convert your beer-related New Year's resolutions into achievable goals by using Objectives and Key Results (OKRs). Read the full article: Objectives and Beer Results (OBRs) for 2021
@Todd off topic but do you plan to publish another statistical year in review for 2020? Always love reading those and it would be interesting to see the pandemic numbers Also one of your OBRs should be to hold a minimum number of virtual fests!
I'm working on breaking down 2020 right now. Hope to publish it within the next week. My personal and professional goals often collide when it comes to beer, but fests are already part of my quarterly OKRs.
You know, I've been so focused on the goals of the next three years of getting up to 5000 unique beers tried from 1000 diferent brewers that I have kind of lost sight of becoming a more rounded beer drinker and expanding my knowledge, in the here and now. The Pandamic has put a lot of obstacles in the way, a living beer history night has been shelved and I've not been able to have the close support that I had with my small scale experiments with brewing from home. But onwards & upwards I shall endeavour to source and research more about beer history amd also post more on the UK forum board. If it is possible this year, I also plan to visit, add & review more pubs, brewery taps, bars and places that serve beer.
I need to start getting back into writing reviews, too. I also slacked off on it, almost quit altogether, for a variety of reasons--but just to name one big one, all my reviews started sounding the same. How many times am I going to review a NEIPA and say "tastes like mango, pineapple, orange" etc., over and over before I sound like a broken record? That gets really old. I also would like to drink more local beers. I know everybody says that, but I really actually should this time. Covid has taught me that supporting local breweries isn't just about drinking beer, it's about keeping friends and neighbors employed during hard times.
My goals are as follows 1. Read Todd's weekly beer reviews 2. Read any content Todd post to the site 3. Read Todd's lager reviews and the content he post about lager So Todd I am really dependent on you to hit up my goals. No pressure here, just sayin. I don't really make or have goals per say. But I will continue this year as I have in the past and 1. Try to drink more local beer purchased from the brewery when possible. 2. Over tip when I am somewhere and receive good service 3. Use my Wok as much as possible
German Lagers are a good place to start. Check out: Weihenstephan Vitas - Weihenstephan - Germany it’s amazing!
Good goal setting article. Ive always been reviewing, but I have made a much more conscious effort to increase my participation in the forums. Ive found this rewarding and a nice way to increase the connection to the BA community. Really glad to have this site and enjoy making contributions anyway I can.
It’s not being a broken record, it’s a writing style. I think beer reviews are great writing exercises, on one hand you can’t just say “looks like beer, smells like beer & tastes like beer” but on the other hand you want to keep it grounded and practical as opposed to a lot of the cliches that were created from wine buffs like freshly cut grass and apple blossom etc. So I’ve gotten over every review being a totally new set of narratives and have some reoccurring themes & motifs that make it my own, I hope this is how it comes across and not being lazy lol.
My #1 is very simple. Bring more styles into my life. That part that isn't simple is FINDING styles outside of the NE hazy IPA realm. This goal is easily achieved by me, I'm all about new and different styles but the market is NOT cooperating. The market in my area. Southern NH and basically the entire Northeastern US is stuck in Hazy land. The really great breweries of my area are mostly dominated by NE hazy and fruity sours. Now, don't get me wrong the NE hazy IPA'S are an all-time favorite style, but enough is enough. Pt. 2 to #1. Travel more to obtain more styles. This means getting to Massachusetts to places like Colonial Liquors in Acton, MA with a huge selection of Belgian and German classic styles and beyond. But obviously, Covid-19 is not going to make it easy. #2. Continue to review every new beer I have here first, where I can get much more detailed compared to the fun and user friendly Untapped. I've really been enjoying the Untapped site since the merger. Soo easy to add great pictures, quick review notes and hooking up with beer friends.
My goals are simple. Resume homebrewing, but on a much smaller scale than before. I really miss the variety I once had on hand all the time. Drink better beer. Living in a small town full of Bud Light drinkers makes it hard to find good beer, but it can be done by traveling to bigger cities once the pandemic is controlled. I'm not drinking shit beer now, but I know I can do better.
What home brews do you make? What style? I make Coffee Stouts with Vanilla, Cinnamon Twists, BA Weller, and BA Maple Syrup atm. Going to make a Banana, Pecan, Vanilla Stout next
I've won medals in competitions for my English brown ale, cherry brett and another I can't remember. I've brewed rauchbiers using different woods to smoke the malt, I've done eisbiers, bocks, lagers, you name it. I used to have 2 6 keg kegerators in my garage, so I tried to keep 12 different styles on tap. But we moved and one of my kegerators was too old to have survived the move so now I have one kegerator with just a keg of prickly pear mead. I had to quit brewing while we prepared to move across the state, and then I had health issue that prevented me from drinking beer. I've got a new sack of malt, some yeast and hops, and as of Saturday I have room in my shop to brew so it's time to start.
English Brown Ale!?!?! I think we're now friends alright, well shit! I need to get to brewing and do a home brew trade with you. I love a good Brown Ale! We had a lot of positive feeback with our home brew as well. A few well known head brewers (keeping them nameless to not name drop) thought we did an excellent job with our Coffee Stout I was talking about. Cheers!
I don’t have any grand beer goals for 2021, but as a SoCal native who’s pretty new to the craft scene, I want to try and expand my knowledge beyond what’s local. I hit SoCal breweries heavily in 2020 (to my wallets dismay) but in 2021 I’m trying to gain some experience with hype breweries and deep cuts outside of California be it through trading or traveling.
#1 - YES, more styles, and my self-affirmation is I do not have to drink ANY hazies and fruit sours. More darks, more lagers and German styles, and Belgians I have never tried for the bottle research. #2 - Yes, travel when I can. In the meantime, get some new breweries shipped. Or (gasp) try trading? #3 - Yes, keep reviewing and check out Untapped.
I find this hilarious because that's word for word exactly what my brother would tell me every time I tried to get him to try beers. He doesn't like beer, and no matter whether I gave him an IPA, a stout, a fruited sour, a Hefeweizen...he would always just say "looks like a beer, smells like a beer, tastes like a beer." I hear ya there. It can be hard finding and drinking other beer styles in the haze craze. All I can tell you is, just do the best you can. I've been turning to the import section of my grocery store beer department more and more often. It's shrinking fast and I want to support it as much as possible.
Your goal is excellent and I dont want to dissuade you from it. BUT! As a far norcalian i can tell you that the market you are in from SLO to SD has an absolutely insane depth and breadth. Hit up the pacific forum and ask about some styles you want to explore and I promise you there's someone in your region throwing down. I'm a norcal patriot, so it's obligatory that I decry socal as "the literal worst" but if we draw the line at the bay I can't say that I'd honestly pick our brewers over yours. My goals are to stick to my weekly beer budget for the whole year because it actually pushes me to make more thoughtful beer choices and I love the results. and secondly to be more dilligent about getting to and supporting my few favorite local spots. Combine the two and I'll be good to go
Right now I’m not setting any beer goals as most involve travel and destinations and between Covid issues and my unforeseen workload spikes (just when I think I have a lull at work, a new project gets dumped on me causing a lot of OT), if they are anything like 2020, my travel plans may get cancelled several times. One beer goal I am trying to stick to is 1 beer per day...5 days a week. Allow 2 days to have a few.
My more immediate goals are to visit all the local Long Island breweries (which now are over 30). On vacation this week and have been to 3 of them (just got back from one). I also intend to find a way to host beer tastings with my local group during these challenges. We are doing EBF with me pouring into tasting glasses an hour before the event days. Lastly, is to make it back up to my buddy in CT and make some homebrew. Been too long.
Nothing new for me, I'll keep drinking local beers as much as possible, visiting my local tap rooms, over tipping every time. Buying most of my drinking at home beer from either local breweries, or local bottle shops. Always trying new beers and reviewing them at BA. I'd love to be able to do brewery tours again, maybe one of these days....... I usually drink two craft beers every day, seven days a week, maybe I should drink a little less? Or, maybe a little more?
I've been mulling this one over for a few days. Here's three themes I keep coming back to: 1. Complete the styles, move on to the states, add more countries. I've managed to review at least one beer belonging to almost every style listed on BA, since joining BA. (If only I started reviewing a few years earlier!) This year I am going to be intentional in my purchasing and deliberate in my exploration in order to complete the list, and then work on trying one unique beer from each state. I will also continue my curiosity picks at Russian markets, Polish delis, Latinx mercaditos, discount stores, and fine craft establishments, in order to add some more countries to my list. (Last year I managed to add an Iranian NA beer to my tally!) Believe it or not, I am not a ticker. 2. Support DIPA--Diversity, Inclusion, and Progressive Antiracism I want to do more to encourage efforts in craft to make the industry and the community more supportive of and receptive to BIPOC. I can do this already as a consumer through my purchasing decisions, however, I want to be more proactive, and as someone who is not a part of the industry, more knowledgeable in my spending and participation. (And, as an aside, I wanted a beer-themed acronym that conveyed my interest in these themes!) 3. Embrace the Change There's not going to be a return to normal once we emerge from the pandemic. I'm not even sure that "emerge" is quite the right descriptor--even as this current crisis ends its effects will resonate for at least a generation. I already recognize some ways that my consumption, participation, and other beer-related preferences have changed. (For example, no more beer on tap! And it seems like 99% of my purchases are from a grocery store now, not a brewery or specialty shop. I buy more of the same these days, rather than unique or different beers to try.) I miss going out for a pint at my local! I miss traveling and visiting new places! I miss stopping into new and neighborhood spots, brewery openings, beer weeks, bottle shares with friends, and all those other fun things that we love to do. Little by little I know a lot of those things will happen again, one way or another. But it won't be the same. And I want to be comfortable with that.
I need to work on #1...a lot. I hate typing more than a few sentences on my phone and between a toddler, waking up at 4:45 almost every morning, and owning a business that I work myself until 5, I've had some difficulty keeping up. I appreciate people who pursue #3, particularly in the American beer culture of the day.
This past year I had many fewer new beers and new breweries. I found I shifted back to old favorites and more repeat purchases, especially from my local breweries (and thus, fewer reviews). Part of that was not having the chance to try a pint of something new on tap, having fewer packaged options, or just due to pandemic fatigue. I wish I could make travel-based goals, but I'll be flexible and see how the year goes... in 2021, I resolve to drink with more variety. Also, more lagers. Or, OKR-ized: For every "familiar purchase" (whether at the store, brewery, bar, whatever) I will purchase at least one beer I've never had before, and review it. I will purchase something from a brewery I don't know at least once per month, and review it.
Simple. Crack more of the top 100. Made great progress in 2020. Had some incredible beers. Wanna keep that going.
If you're reviewing lager's i would recommend seismic brewing co from Santa Rosa, CA. They do some great lagers
Once all this Covid bullshit is over with, head home to Michigan for a vaca. Visit family and friends, full loop from Detroit to Copper Harbor and back, beering all the way. Founders and the Eccentric Cafe definite stops. 1st option in May, 2nd after Labor Day.
I have been absorbed with retiring from work, preparing my NJ home for sale, and moving to Michigan. Retirement is great, the Michigan home on Grosse Ile closed two days ago, The NJ home sells five days from now, and then we are off to Air BnBs' for a week until we move in to the new home. Setting beer goals for 2021 has been AWOL from the things to do list, but I pledge to visit FOUNDERS BREWERY, my favorite brewer in the entire world, once I get settled. Meanwhile, I will nurse my small stash of Founders CBS and KBS Mackinac Fudge, embellish it with my few remaining pumpkins, acquire more Founders Breakfast Stout and Dirty Bastard, and revel in the fact that Founders is now a local brewery for me.
