Dan, Andie & Me

We expect to be met with lots of resistance, doubt and disbelief. The weaker ones will be easily wooed, but the stronger ones will take more convincing. The purists will cry blasphemy and bastardization! They will stick us with pitch forks and threaten to burn us at the stake.

But we are determined to razzle dazzle the non-believers with our delicious, whimsical and oh-so-sexy concoctions. By creatively combining artisan spirits with craft beer and a touch of magic, the Brewing Network will soon find itself under the spell of beer mixology. And, if worse comes to worst, we will just get the hosts of the show so liquored up they will think the whole thing was a dream.

Will we we shunned from the beer industry, forever to be known forever as outcasts? Or we will find new alliances for the beer cocktail movement in the Brewing Network? The only way to find out is to tune into the LIVE show on Sunday, September 16th at 5pm PST.

Listen to the LIVE show here.

This particular video is for the “Strawberry Blonde Brewjito” — a beer-inspired twist on the classic mojito.

“Made with fresh strawberries, American blonde ale and agave nectar…this mojito is anything but ordinary. It’s fresh, bright and bound to be a classic. But why blonde ale? As Ashley mentions in the video below, you can pretty much use beer in any cocktail recipe which calls for club soda. And a blonde ale is just bright enough to pair with a mojito and not over power it.” — Jerry James Stone

For the full recipe and bartending instructions, check out the video below and visit BeerMixology.com.

About the Beer Mixology Team

Jerry James Stone

Jerry is a writer for Discovery Channel, and the producer and main recipe developer for TreeHugger’s Green Wine Guide, which features sustainable wineries and vegetarian wine pairings. He’s currently creating the official Philz Coffee cookbook for the Bay Area establishment which will feature recipes about cooking with coffee.

He has been a food judge alongside Michael Pollan and Alice Waters for the Good Food Awards and wrote the nightlife section for Fodor’s 2013 San Francisco guide book. His writings can be found in MAKE magazine, The Atlantic and Digg.com.

Follow Jerry on Twitter @JerryJamesStone

Ashley V Routson

Known to most as The Beer Wench, Ashley is a self-proclaimed craft beer evangelist & social media maven on a mission to advance the craft beer industry through education, inspiration and advocacy. She is currently the “Director of Awesomeness” at Bison Brewing in Berkeley, CA  — where her responsibilities include everything from marketing, sales, PR, social media & events.

Ashley is also a freelance consultant and professional speaker on the subjects of social media, beer mixology, food & beverage pairings. She is the founder of DrinkWithTheWench.com & BeerMixology.com as well as a regular contributor to CraftBeer.com.

Follow Ashley on Twitter @TheBeerWench & @BeerMixology

Chris Eldridge

Chris an Independent Video Producer, Editor, and Cinematographer for corporate, television, and marketing-oriented clients, with a persistent, detail-oriented work ethic. He studied Cinematography at San Francisco State University, working as a projectionist at movie theaters in San Jose & San Francisco. Out of school, Chris began working in Television and shooting feature films with friends, one of which saw theatrical distribution in the US & India.

Chris currently produces content for the EMS industry, as well as several wine, beer, arts, and entertainment pieces for his personal project, CineVine.com.

Follow Chris on Twitter @thedridge & @CineVine

I recently partnered with two of my talented and forward thinking friends, Jerry James Stone and Chris Eldridge, to launch a beer mixology pilot project (you can read more about the team below). Our ultimate goal is to develop one of the most, if not the most viral beverage-themed video series on the Internet (move aside Wine Library TV!).

I am very excited and honored to announce that the second recipe and video in the series made its official debut on Bay Area Bites — KQED’s food blog. Perfect for summer, this refreshingly tart and slightly sweet cocktail is made featuring ingredients found in the SF Bay Area. Trumer Pilsner, fresh black and blueberries and St. George Spirits Breaking & Entering Bourbon blissfully meet in cocktail that I coined Liquid Pie. The bourbon provides subtle flavors of vanilla and caramel while the Pilsner adds some crust-like notes to the mix. And naturally, the fresh muddled berries and agave nectar add the the desired pie filling that makes the unique beer cocktail really pop!

Instead of posting the recipe and the video on my blog, I’m going to force you to visit the KQED blog post so that you can help support our project by liking it on Facebook and retweeting the link on Twitter. Just think of the possibilities if this project takes off! Thanks, in advance, for all your support.

And here is a little teaster for the road…

___________________________

About the Beer Mixology Team

Jerry James Stone

Jerry is a writer for Discovery Channel, and the producer and main recipe developer for TreeHugger’s Green Wine Guide, which features sustainable wineries and vegetarian wine pairings. He’s currently creating the official Philz Coffee cookbook for the Bay Area establishment which will feature recipes about cooking with coffee.

He has been a food judge alongside Michael Pollan and Alice Waters for the Good Food Awards and wrote the nightlife section for Fodor’s 2013 San Francisco guide book. His writings can be found in MAKE magazine, The Atlantic and Digg.com.

Follow Jerry on Twitter @JerryJamesStone

Ashley V Routson

Known to most as The Beer Wench, Ashley is a self-proclaimed craft beer evangelist & social media maven on a mission to advance the craft beer industry through education, inspiration and advocacy. She is currently the “Director of Awesomeness” at Bison Brewing in Berkeley, CA — where her responsibilities include everything from marketing, sales, PR, social media & events.

Ashley is also a freelance consultant and professional speaker on the subjects of social media, beer mixology, food & beverage pairings. She is the founder of DrinkWithTheWench.com & BeerMixology.com as well as a regular contributor to CraftBeer.com.

Follow Ashley on Twitter @TheBeerWench & @BeerMixology

Chris Eldridge

Chris an Independent Video Producer, Editor, and Cinematographer for corporate, television, and marketing-oriented clients, with a persistent, detail-oriented work ethic. He studied Cinematography at San Francisco State University, working as a projectionist at movie theaters in San Jose & San Francisco. Out of school, Chris began working in Television and shooting feature films with friends, one of which saw theatrical distribution in the US & India.

Chris currently produces content for the EMS industry, as well as several wine, beer, arts, and entertainment pieces for his personal project, CineVine.com.

Follow Chris on Twitter @thedridge & @CineVine

Wendy and Don have been importing some of the best specialty Belgian and Northern France beers in the world, Dupont being the most notable, for over 30 years. They are also the founders of Brewery Ommegang and established experts in food & beer pairing. Their involvement in Tales of the Cocktail® this year is a huge step for craft beer and for the beer cocktail movement.

For those unfamiliar with Tales of the Cocktail®, it is the world’s largest cocktail festival and by far the best event on planet earth for both spirits industry professionals and cocktail enthusiasts alike. For five days straight, the most respected minds in mixology converge in the city of New Orleans for a seemingly endless stream of cocktails, cuisine and culture. Anyone who is anyone is there, and the parties are beyond epic. And I would know, I’ve been.

In addition to being the biggest cocktail party in the world, Tales boasts an event schedule of seminars, dinners, competitions and tasting rooms where brands showcase their latest products. This year, Tales is featuring a seminar on a topic near and dear to my heart…. beer cocktails!

Sadly, I pitched a beer mixology panel with some of my friends and our panel was rejected. However, as an advocate of the beer cocktail movement, I am just happy that the topic was selected, regardless of who was selected to present it. This is just continued proof that beer mixology has clout and relevance in the cocktail community — yay! Next step? Convert the craft beer community!

Unfortunately, I will not be attending this year’s Tales of the Cocktail®, although I would probably give up an unborn child or two to get there. If anyone reading this gets to attend the BEERTAILS panel, I expect a full report on my desk the next day! Or at least a little insight into the action.

______________________________

About the BEERTAILS Seminar

Fasten your seatbelts Ladies & Gentlemen, it’s gonna be a bubbly ride. Beer is the most chemically complex alcoholic beverage in the world and top mixologists around the globe are discovering not only the flavor complexity it adds to a cocktail, but also the magic of its effervescence with elevating aromas and the unique texture it adds to a cocktail. You will ‘get your hands dirty’ and your tastebuds buzzing during this exciting 90 minute ride.

A properly made beertail starts with an exceptionally balanced cocktail onto which an appropriate beer is floated on top. The brew not only pulls the aroma of the cocktail beneath ‘up’ with its effervescence, but also compliments and contrasts with the cocktail to create a unique ‘beertail’. The lucky drinker tastes the beer with the first few sips, but with the subtle aroma of the cocktail. Then the middle of the drink is the beer and cocktail together on the palate. Because the beer floats, the final tastes are the cocktail on its own.

Our beer sponsor Vanberg and DeWulf for 30 years has been the leading importer of world class beers from Mecca..oops, Belgium. Aren’t they the same place? Through this tasting lead by some of the most forward thinking minds and palates in the beverage world, you will enjoy 20 unique flavor experiences. With Four Beertails, you will taste the cocktail on its own, then the beer on its own, then the beer floating on the cocktail with the cocktail’s aroma coming thru the head, then the cocktail and beer together and finally the cocktail at the bottom with just a hint of the beer’s malt, but sans bubbles.

To compliment Vanberg & DeWulf’s world-class beers, the base spirits for this experience will be HUM Botanical Spirit, Sombra Mezcal, El Dorado 15 Year Demerara Rum and Labrot & Graham Woodford Reserve Bourbon. “”At BEERTAILS, we treat you right””.

As cocktails hit their renaissance and craft beers hit an all time high, Tales of the Cocktail’s 10th Anniversary is the perfect forum for the movers and shakers in the cocktail world to taste and hear first-hand the ‘next big thing’ in the world-wide cocktail movement.

Here’s a quick sneak peak into what is in store by panel moderator Adam Seger CCP:

I recently partnered with two of my talented and forward thinking friends, Jerry James Stone and Chris Eldridge, to launch a beer mixology pilot project (you can read more about the team below). Our ultimate goal is to develop one of the most, if not the most viral beverage-themed video series on the Internet (move aside Wine Library TV!).

The first recipe and video in the series, “Roasted Apricot Margarita (Made with Beer)“, was posted on the Discovery Channel’s website this week. The unique recipe features a twist on the classic margarita with apricot preserves and American IPA (video features: Bison’s Organic IPA).

Instead of posting the recipe and the video on my blog, I’m going to force you to visit the Discovery Channel post so that you can help support our project by liking it on Facebook and retweeting the link on Twitter. Just think of the possibilities if this project takes off! Thanks, in advance, for all your support.

And here is a little teaster for the road…

___________________________

About the Beer Mixology Team

Jerry James Stone

Jerry is a writer for Discovery Channel, and the producer and main recipe developer for TreeHugger’s Green Wine Guide, which features sustainable wineries and vegetarian wine pairings. He’s currently creating the official Philz Coffee cookbook for the Bay Area establishment which will feature recipes about cooking with coffee.

He has been a food judge alongside Michael Pollan and Alice Waters for the Good Food Awards and wrote the nightlife section for Fodor’s 2013 San Francisco guide book. His writings can be found in MAKE magazine, The Atlantic and Digg.com.

Follow Jerry on Twitter @JerryJamesStone

Ashley V Routson

Known to most as The Beer Wench, Ashley is a self-proclaimed craft beer evangelist & social media maven on a mission to advance the craft beer industry through education, inspiration and advocacy. She is currently the “Director of Awesomeness” at Bison Brewing in Berkeley, CA  — where her responsibilities include everything from marketing, sales, PR, social media & events.

Ashley is also a freelance consultant and professional speaker on the subjects of social media, beer mixology, food & beverage pairings. She is the founder of DrinkWithTheWench.com & BeerMixology.com as well as a regular contributor to CraftBeer.com.

Follow Ashley on Twitter @TheBeerWench & @BeerMixology

Chris Eldridge

Chris an Independent Video Producer, Editor, and Cinematographer for corporate, television, and marketing-oriented clients, with a persistent, detail-oriented work ethic. He studied Cinematography at San Francisco State University, working as a projectionist at movie theaters in San Jose & San Francisco. Out of school, Chris began working in Television and shooting feature films with friends, one of which saw theatrical distribution in the US & India.

Chris currently produces content for the EMS industry, as well as several wine, beer, arts, and entertainment pieces for his personal project, CineVine.com.

Follow Chris on Twitter @thedridge & @CineVine

I’m excited and honored to share with you a recipe designed for DRAFT Magazine, who published the recipe in the May issue of the magazine and is currently featuring it in the recipe section of their website.

Before revealing the recipe, I’m going to include a brief intro to the cocktail, which was not actually published in the magazine. Cheers!

Move over April showers, spring is in full bloom and the Saison season is upon us! Saisons were traditionally made as a safe, low alcohol, source of hydration for farm workers during the hot harvest months in a time when water dangerous because it was riddled with bacteria. Characterized mostly by the farmhouse strains of yeast used in fermentation, Saisons are typically pale in color, very well carbonated, and boast fruity and spicy aromas and flavors, with little to no hop presence, expect in some American versions.

Sometimes slightly tart, characteristically dry and refreshing, Saisons are perfect for the hot Spring and Summer months. This style of beer also works well in a variety of beer cocktails. The following garden-inspired beer cocktail recipe features the Saison, fresh strawberries, mint, and a hibiscus- infused vodka. The cocktails is pleasantly floral, fruity and refreshing, making it perfect for the Spring and Summer months.

Strawberry Fields

Ingredients:

• 1 fresh strawberry, quartered
• 5 mint leaves, plus more for garnish
• 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 ounce agave nectar
• 11/2 ounces hibiscus vodka (see below)
• 4 ounces saison

Photo: Kevin Robie

Instructions: Muddle the strawberry and mint with the lemon juice and agave nectar until strawberry is completely macerated. Add vodka and ice, shake 5 times (not enough to crush the ice). Add beer and shake 5 times. Pour, with the ice, into a tulip glass and garnish with a sprig of mint.

DIY Hibiscus-infused vodka: Pour 2 cups vodka over 1 ounce dried hibiscus flowers in an airtight jar; seal tightly and store in a cool place for 24 hours. Pour through a fine strainer into a sterilized bottle or jar.

Saturday evening, starting at 6pm, The Guild Pub will experience an invasion of brewers and a three-way tap and cocktail menu takeover. Representing the home team is Commons Brewery, a small craft brewery located in Southeast Portland, Oregon. Joining the threesome from the North is Mt. Tabor Brewing, the newest craft brewery to open in Vancouver, Washington. And completing the love triangle, from the state to the South, is Bison Brewing, a 100% certified organic craft brewery from Berkeley, California.

“The Guild has been interested in doing beer cocktails for some time and is excited to partner with three innovative craft breweries, Portland’s number one source for beer news, and the country’s premier beer mixologist for the first of many beer cocktail events to come.”  – Dan Roy, owner of The Guild Pub.

For four straight hours, The Guild Pub will feature a menu of original beer cocktails designed by each of the breweries with the help of BeerMixology.com’s founder, Ashley “Beer Wench” Routson. In addition to the cocktails designed by each brewery, there will be a special “his & her” beer cocktail collaborated on by beer blogging duo, Angelo De Ieso and Ashley Routson. Sample pours of each beer will be available for the inquisitive minds craving a side by side analysis. Brewmasters from each brewery will also be in house, making the menage-a-trois of beer love an even more intimate experience.

The Beer Mixology Hat Trick
Who: BREWPUBLIC, Commons Brewery, Mt. Tabor Brewing, Bison Brewing
Where: The Guild Pub
1101 East Burnside Street
When: February 25th, 6-10pm
Cost: $8 per cocktail, $4 per pint

East Bay, South Bay, North Bay — San Francisco isn’t the only one getting the action during beer week. So how does one go about choosing which events to go to and which events to pass on?

Being an employee of a Bay Area brewery and a resident with quite the party-girl reputation, many people have been approaching me for advice. What are the hottest, can’t-miss events? And where will The Wench be? (Duh., I’ll be at the hottest, can’t-miss events!)

There are so many great events this year and, whereas I would love to attend every single event on the list, it is physically impossible for me to do so. Here is, however, the list of places that you can most definitely find me during SF Beer Week.

Friday, February 10th

Opening Celebration
Where: Concourse Exhibition Center, San Francisco
Time: 6-10pm
Admission: $55

Sunday, February 12th

The Unbirthday Beer Cocktail Party
Where: Revival Bar & Kitchen, downtown Berkeley
Time: 2-4pm
Admission: $30 for 3 beer cocktails & light tea party fare
Eventbrite: http://beermixology.com/eventbrite
Summary: This is your chance to experience beer mixology in a most unique setting. The Unbirthday Beer Cocktail Party will feature three unique concoctions crafted using St. George Spirits and Bison Organic Beers. Don’t be late for this very important date!

Monday, February 13th

Brews & Booze Threesome
Where: Thirsty Bear Brewery, San Francisco
Time: 6-8pm
Admission: $25 for 4 beer cocktails & light snacks
Eventbrite: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/2843959359
Summary: A sexy cocktail event for consenting adults. Taste a menage-e-tois of local artisanal companies: Bison Brewing, ThirstyBear, & St. George Spirits. Straight spirits and beer tasting also included in price of admission. Additional cocktails available for purchase a la carte.

Wednesday, February 15th

The Three Ring Circus
Where: Elks Lodge No. 3, San Francisco
Time: 6-10pm
Cost: $120
Tickets: threeringcircus.eventbrite.com
Summary: A Brewer’s Dinner and Sideshow Presented by Sean Z. Paxton featuring Speakeasy, Ninkasi, and Shmaltz

Thursday, February 16th

East Bay Brew Fest
Where: Pyramid Ale House, Berkeley
Time: 5-9pm
Admission: $20
Eventbrite: http://www.eastbaybrewfest.eventbrite.com
Summary: Celebrate San Francisco Beer Week East Bay-style by sipping unlimited samples from the best breweries on the east side of the bridge.

Friday, February 17th

Meet the Brewer with Tyler King of The Bruery
Where: Beer Revolution, Oakland
Time: 5-10pm

An Evening with Firestone Walker Brewing Company
Where: The Trappist, Oakland
Time: 6-10pm

(I will be running up and down the street, back and forth between these two events!!)

Saturday, February 18th

Organic Orgy
Where: Thirsty Bear, San Francisco
Time: 4-7pm
Admission: $35
Eventbrite: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/2762311147
Summary: An orgy of California organic beers from all of CA’s certified organic breweries with Bison, Butte Creek, Eel River, MataVeza, Napa Smith, Santa Cruz Mountain, Sierra Nevada (Estate Ale), ThirstyBear, Ukiah, Uncommon Brewers. Tray passed appetizers from local organic farms.

Sunday, February 19th

Celebrator 24th Anniversary Bash
Where: Trumer Brewery, Berkeley
Time: 4-8pm
Admission: $50 in advance, $70 at the door
Tickets: http://celebrator.com/anniversary/2012/

Naturally, this list is not the end all be all, and I will most likely make random appearances at several other events during the week. If you are in town and want to join me in my adventures, do not hesitate to shoot me an email: routson@gmail.com or a tweet at me: @thebeerwench! Cheers!

The Unbirthday Beer Cocktail Party

An SF Beer Week invitation even the Queen of Hearts can’t resist

On February 12th, you are invited to enter a world where time is backwards, nothing is what it seems, and everything is what it isn’t. As a part of the SF Beer Week festivities, Bison Brewing & St. George Spirits are transforming local farm-to-table restaurant, Revival Bar & Kitchen, into a Wonderland of nonsense to throw a Mad Hatter-themed party of epic proportions.

This is your chance to explore the world of beer mixology in a most unique setting. The Unbirthday Beer Cocktail Party will feature three boozy concoctions designed by Bison Brewing’s  Ashley Routson, and founder of BeerMixology.com, Revival’s head mixologist, Nat Harry and St. George’s very own “Vodka Vixen,” Andie Ferman. No worries, these mysterious tonics will not cause you to grow or shrink.

Don’t be late, for this very important date. Tea time starts promptly at 2pm and ends at 4pm. Price of admission includes three beer cocktail tickets, an array of elegant appetizers, and a raffle ticket for swag. The first 25 ticket buyers get early access to a VIP hour, featuring a tasting of organic brews and straight spirits led by the Bison and St. George crew.

Costumes, while optional, are encouraged! And sorry Alice, this tea party is for adults only, 21 & over.

Event Details
What: The Unbirthday Beer Cocktail Party
Where: Revival Bar & Kitchen (downtown Berkeley)
*** 1 block from downtown Berkeley BART station
When: February 12th, 2-4pm
*** First 25 tickets purchased get early access to VIP hour, 1-2pm
Cost: $30 online, $35 at the door.
Eventbrite: http://beermixology.eventbrite.com

de·vi·a·tion [dee-vee-ey-shuhn]

noun
1. the act of deviating.
2. departure from a standard or norm.

Synonyms: abnormality, anomalism, anomaly, atypicalness, bizarreness, eccentricity, exception, extraordinariness, oddity, peculiarity, strangeness, uncommonness, unnaturalness, unusualness, weirdness

Antonyms: conformity, sameness, straightforwardness, uniformity

Photo Source: TheLeanMachine.Com

“Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible.” – Frank Zappa

If there is any industry defined by its deviation from the norm, it is craft beer.

Just a few decades ago, the craft beer industry didn’t even exist. Now, it is one of the fastest growing segments in the alcohol category. The foundation, the reason for its evolution and rapid growth has been, and continues to be, innovation.

Innovation, a form of deviance, is rarely accepted without criticism, rejection and fear. After all, innovation equals change. And change, more often than not, causes fear.

Oh, fear.

Quite possibly the largest obstacle to innovation and change, fear has the ability to cripple people. Fear is a powerful motivator of human behavior. It keeps us alive, but it also inhibits us from taking risks.

Call them what you want; innovators, deviants, rebels, change agents, trailblazers, trendsetters, etc. Whether it be positive or negative, these individuals are responsible for igniting and inspiring change, and overcoming conventional fear in the process.

Photo Source: Andrew Keir

“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” – Steve Jobs

Without innovative leaders and trailblazers, the craft beer industry, as we know it, would cease to exist. If Ken Grossman didn’t push the boundaries of the pale ale recipe by using new locally grown, high alpha-acid, resiny and citrus hops — we wouldn’t have any of the American-style hoppy beers that we know and love today. If Vinnie Cilurzo, Stone Brewing Co. and other San Diego brewers didn’t push the boundaries on the IPA recipe, we wouldn’t have Double and Imperial IPAs. And the innovation doesn’t stop there.

Barrel-aging, blending beers, experimenting with wild yeast, turning pale styles dark, brewing with unconventional ingredients, brewing collaboration beers — all examples of innovation in the craft beer industry. Conservatives, purists and outsiders might be skeptical of these so called “bastardization” techniques. After all, who in their right mind would purposefully infect beer with bacteria and wild yeast? Who would purposefully oxidize beers in barrels? Why would anyone step outside the boundaries of the Reinheitsgebot and brew beers with crazy adjunct ingredients such as herbs, spices, and fruits? And why on earth would anyone want to “share the wealth” by collaborating with competitors?

The nature of an innovation is that it will arise at a fringe where it can afford to become prevalent enough to establish its usefulness without being overwhelmed by the inertia of the orthodox system. – Kevin Kelly

Beer Mixology: the art and science of crafting and mixing cocktails that use beer as an ingredient. A concept that has polarized the craft beer industry.

Some call beer mixology bastardization, arguing that mixing beer into cocktails degrades its integrity. After all, beer is already a perfectly crafted cocktail of hops, barley, yeast, and water. Why would anyone even want to destroy such a perfect balance, a product the brewer intended to be consumed as is, by integrating it into cocktail recipes?

So as both a craft beer evangelist and a brewer, why do I do it? Because, well, I can.

I am not, nor will ever call myself, the founder of the beer mixology movement. However, I am a student and an advocate of both craft beer and artisan spirits. And I consider myself to be one of the biggest supporters of beer mixology. But it doesn’t stop at support, oh no. My goal is to advance the beer cocktail movement through careful, well-executed education, inspiration and advocacy. Hence the development of BeerMixology.com — a collaborative website dedicated to the aforementioned goal.

To those beer purists that question me and reject the movement, I say “this isn’t about you.” Simple as that. This isn’t about you. Beer mixology is not about destroying beer. It is not an attempt to make beer better or to alter and change the quality and flavor of beer.

Au contrare, my critics, it is about improving the cocktail. It is the introduction of a new ingredient, one that is complex and flavorful, to the cocktail culture. In my opinion, beer mixology is an innovative way for the beer industry to cross-pollinate the spirits industry. It is a means for educating a new segment of the population about the intricacies of craft beer. Not to mention, beer has flavors and texture characteristics unmatched by any other ingredient used in cocktails.

But, let’s look at it from a marketing angle. At its most basic level, the target audience of the craft beer industry are individuals that can legally consume and choose to drink alcohol. That’s it. Anyone who can legally drink and choose to do so is within our target market.

Craft beer is probably the most under-appreciated and least understood beverage, in the spectrum of beverages. It is safe to assume that most imbibers are, typically, not drinking craft beer — especially, on a regular basis. In fact, many of them are drinking cocktails (heck, I don’t need to show you the numbers to tell you that liquor trumps all).

Enter the beer cocktail — the cross between a beer and a cocktail. A conversation piece. A delicious conversation piece, at that. A new and innovative way to introduce craft beer to a new segment of the alcohol consuming population.

Not to mention the artistry and science involved in crafting beer cocktails, which in itself demands an entirely different argument. Crafting a cocktail requires much more skill than most realize. To claim the title of Mixologist demands respect — akin to that of Executive Chef, Master Distiller or Brewmaster. Beer mixologists, like chefs, distillers and brewers, are dedicated to producing the most well-crafted, artisan products possible. In the scope of beer cocktails, brewers and distillers are the farmers — they produce high quality ingredients to serve as the base an inspiration for the chef, in this case the mixologist. This does not mean, however, that the spirits or the beers can not exist as perfect products on their own — oh no, my darlings. I would never say that.

Beer adds a completely new dimension, flavor profile and level of complexity to cocktails that never existed without them. It’s not about destroying beer. I prefer to think of it more as deconstructing beer to construct cocktails. In a constructive way, that is.

In closing, I ask all the critics, skeptics, haters, naysayers, etc. to think really really hard about why they are so quick to reject the concept of beer mixlology.  How many classically trained chefs, do you think, got their panties in a twist when molecular gastronomy first emerged? How many traditionalists scuffed at the idea of fusing classic cuisines together? French & Thai cuisine fusion?! Abomination!!! After all, some things, should never be changed — right?

Wrong.

The fact of the matter is that beer mioxlogy is not a fad. You can love it, hate it, or feel indifferent. But, be assured: this trend is not going to stop anytime soon. In fact, as more and more people become educated on the topic, it is only going to explode in popularity. I’m not forcing anyone to like it, all I am asking is that you see it for what it is, and not for what it isn’t. Like any innovation, you need to open your mind to fully understand it. Before you reject it completely, take a moment to learn more about it.

‘It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.’ – Aristotle

Sleep on it, and we’ll talk in the morning.

Cheers!