Thirsty Thursday- 10 Beery Facts About Me #beermonth

I have come to the conclusion that I really don’t tell you all about me all that much. So here is what I have been up to lately- especially as it pertains to #beermonth

Here are 10 beery facts about me!

1- This year I went to my first beer festivals- seriously!

I know you are probably shocked by this, I am too. But owning a home on Long Island don’t come cheap so the usual $35- $75 ticket price is a swift kick in the ass for me. As this blog becomes bigger and I write more, I am sure I can get in with a press pass. This year I was working as a vendor, so I got to pour beer and pour myself beer from ALLL the breweries. Yeah it kicked ASS!

Also not all beer festivals are super cool. I went to The Spring Craft Beer Festival at the Nassau Colluseum and most recently to the Blue Point Cask Festival. LOVED the Cask Festival, not so much Nassau. Nassau is more a starter festival for craft newbies and college kids that wanna get wrecked. The cask festival is more for people that really know and love their beer. Special casks with special flavors of flagship beers.

2- I learned a lot from just two festivals

PACE yourself! It aint pretty if you drink EVERY 2- 3 oz. pour of like 50 beers. Learned that after the second festival especially. I wound up with a cigar in my mouth taking pictures I don’t remember. So just sip and spill the rest.

3- I am one of the leaders of Long Island’s Chapter of Girl’s Pint Out

I was asked to write a story for Edible Long Island about a Girls Pint Out event called Beer 101. That is when I met Lauri of Moustache Brewery the very first time and I got to hang with a bunch of chicks that really know their beer. It was soooo much fun! I was hooked and I knew I was gonna join. I did and then I was asked to get involved and I said HELL yes!

Girls Pint Out, is really a social beer club for women. But it serves as more, it also educates women on beer and brewing. So it is like Beer Girl Power. I am ALL for that! Plus I have met some of the coolest most kick ass and supporting chicks ever. All the ladies of beer really help each other out.

So I use my skills to better beer for women! I came up with the idea for a Girl Scout Cookie and Beer pairing and that is happening in a couple weeks! YAY! Come down to Hoptron 4/26/14 3-5pm and get a flight and some cookies! YUM!

4- I actually get paid to write about beer, coolest gig ever

One of the best gift this blog has given me is recognition from some media. So I met the editor of Edible Long Island on Facebook and literally asked me to write and contribute. It was one of the most exciting things that ever happened to me!! Like seriously- my name in print, how cool is that?!

The pic above is of me and my editor. She is lots of fun, cool and down to earth. So writing for her is super fun!

I contribute recipes, write and take photographs too. Like I am a for real professional, or so they think. LOL I never imagined I would be a writer or photographer or recipe maker. Then to get paid for that— BEST thing ever! Now I also contribute to Edible East End. Next who knows… but I am putting myself out there are a writer, photographer, etc. Far cry for the chick that always called herself a graphic designer for MANY years.

5- I have always liked craft beer, but I wasn’t as obsessed until last year

I always drank craft beer, but when I was offered the opportunity to write about beer I dove in with both feet. Meeting everyone I possibly could and enjoyed EVERY minute of it and still do. I started going to bottle shares and trying up to 20 beers in a night. Then I went to LIBME (Long Island Brew and Malt Enthusiasts) meetings, then I joined GPO and now I am going to all the local beer events. It has been a hell of a ride and I am LOVING it and have never looked back. I have met the most amazing people!

6- In less than a year of using untapped I have logged in over 200 distinct beers

Obsessed much? I almost never drink the same beer twice unless it was outstanding and a personal favorite. Now I never buy a regular six pack, I always go to the distributor and mix my own six. Just like I wanna try as many different foods as I can- I gotta try ALLLL the beers! LOL Well except for the boring corporate pilsners- BORING!

In all honesty I have drank more than I logged in, but it is hard to keep track of every beer you drink. Either you don’t wanna be bothered to log it in OR you are getting too drunk to care, LOL.

7- What I love MOST about craft beer is the people

Since I have been involved in craft beer and the community I have met some of the coolest people. So many people I can really call a friend. This picture is of me and Laurie Delk of the Promiscuous Palate. I got to meet her when I was on vacation in Cali. Besides her I can tell you I met the most powerful, kick-ass, dream chasing people ever! Don’t know why but almost ALL craft beer people are just generally awesome in my book. Beer is great, but the friends I made for life are even better!

8- I got to BREW for the first time this year

I brewed for #IWCB International Women’s Brew Day March 8th with Girls Pint Out. Women from ALLLLL over the world brewed a pale ale to bring attention to just how many women are involved in and brew craft beer! All the girls got to participate in the brewing process and learn along the way! It was awesome and educational and I had a lot of fun.

We chose our own flavor- we made a Honey Hibiscus Belgian Pale Ale, so we varied from the recipe everyone else was following. But that’s us we color outside the lines!

IWBC was started by the Pink Boots Society, a organization dedicated to supporting women in the craft beer industry with education in brewing. I got to meet some Pink Boots members in California on vacation and they are the most supportive group of girls you will meet!

9- I drink for QUALITY not quantity 

People think I drink a lot of beer. Sometimes I do (case in point beer festivals), but mostly I never drink more than 2 pints in a day. During an average week I won’t drink at all, then have a couple beers on the weekend. Sometimes I’ll only have a tasting glass of a beer. I would rather eat my calories than drink them. You all may know by now I had been obese since I was a child. Then I started Weight Watchers, changed little by little and lost 73 pounds. It was soooooo hard and took a long ass time. So I aint gonna ruin all that success!

I have to watch myself and I drink A LOT less than I used to. It’s great since now I start to get tipsy after a pint and a half! I save a whole lotta money!

10- I learned that I love so many different styles than I though I would! Gone to the Dark Side

A lot of ladies, myself included don’t usually like dark beers since they think of Guinness. But there are so many different styles of dark beer. What I did not lke was the bitter aftertaste! Now I learned I LOVE Russian Imperial Stouts, really most imperials! Dark but sweet and STRONG! So seriously don’t be afraid to try it! Give it a whirl and worst case spit it out if you don’t dig it!