Looking for a beer gift? Want a poster? Hop candy?
Then head to the BEERLoved site to find it.
There is all sorts of beer related gifts here to help with supplying your beer geeks.
The Firkin for July 2013
Before the micro-brew bust, oh those many (10+) years ago, new breweries were jumping onto the brewing bandwagon. That didn’t turn out so well for them. But despite the jump in number of breweries opened and opening recently, I don’t sense that same wild abandon and dollar chasing being mentioned when a new brewery sets up shop.
New beer accessories,that is a different story. I am starting to feel like a judge on the Shark Tank TV show (minus Mark Cuban’s bajillion dollar bank account). Cigars with hops. Social Media codes on the bottom of a glass. Beer caddies for both your neck and your shower to make sure that beer is literally with you from the moment you wake up in the morning. Oh and apps up the wazoo.
Maybe because the brewery route is too expensive and takes so long and the market is pretty saturated or other economic reasons are pushing business people in to the accessory realm. But I for one, am over it. Now far be it from me to dampen the entrepreneurial spirit but I am not going to open my bottle of Unionist Belgian ale from Eagle Rock Brewery with a bottle opener on the bottom of a flip flop, or a belt buckle or a ring or a hat.
And there is not enough time in the day to check into a beer or brewery on the myriad of apps out there. No matter how social media savvy one is or how much I want to promote my favorite breweries or beers. Unless your app/website is leagues better than Ratebeer or Untappd or adds something of extra or different value then I don’t have the mental bandwidth to use it.
I have posted on this very blog many of these novelty items. I dare not do a search of the word “hopz” for fear of what I might find.
But in the end, I am a simple craft beer drinker. A well made interesting beer and the proper glass is all I really need to enjoy my beer. The company of fellow craft beer enthusiasts would be a bonus. The bells and whistles and bottle openers that play college fight songs are all well and good but none of these items will make a bad beer better or a great beer greater.
I do have room for a randall though.