5 Things Made Better by Homebrewing

First of all, I must confess that these five things on their own grant merit and praise. I am in no way implying that these five things cannot stand upon their own feet, or require the association of libations to make them a worthwhile topic of consideration. With that in mind, I find that some homebrew can make these five already boss things even bosser.  

1. Cornbread – damn good on its own, but even better with an ESB or a bitter IPA.

2. Fishing – naturally, right? Now, if you're spending a summer day working the shoreline for bluegills on a pontoon, or sitting on a folding chair waiting for a channel cat to suck down a chicken liver, nothing beats a bottle of brew of the wheat variety…or maybe a Kolsch. If you’re like me, and you're chasing chrome with your 9 weight on the Bois Brule, you'll need something like an Imperial Stout after 10 hours of wading and casting in frigid fall water…it makes the daily beatdown seem perfectly acceptable.

3. Getting your “art”on – granted, this isn’t a regular activity for most, but trust me, a tasty homebrew, some good music, and a blank canvas, lump of clay, or just sketching can be one of the most exciting unknowns. After all, what is making your own beer if not art itself?

4. Meat – yup. Meat is better with homebrew.  Maybe a rich, spicy Belgian Trippel with Beef Stew or a Pilsner with a fattier fish like Tuna.  Maybe it's a Porter with Spatchcock Chicken or a Cream Ale with a sausage sampler platter. Yup. Meat is better with homebrew.   

5. Spending the holidays with your family – as it turns out, everyone this year wanted to drink some of my homebrew! Go figure! For me at least, most family get-togethers produce the usual macrobrew suspects. I’m not above drinking these when the social circumstances dictate …but c’mon Keeler family, we can do better! This year I made a point to have bottles and beer growlers ready. A porter at Thanksgiving, an XPA at Christmas, and a few others on tap for the occasional guest at our place during the holiday blitz got me through. I gotta say, with my homebrew in tow, it made everything a bit more tolerable. Homebrew brings out the best in everyone! (don’t put that to the test.)

So, like I said, these five things will always be worth one's while, whether there is a beer on hand or not. For me though, mixing my interest in homebrewing into the other "things" in my life that I appreciate is all part of being a homebrewer. Cheers!