The craft brewing industry is hustling and bustling with beer-making-men (and women) all over Long Island and why not "drink" one up? Fall in love with a craft brewer at a local brewery near you!
Here is a little background information to pull at your heart strings: It was love at first sight. I landed a super-cool internship at a local brewery on Long Island. Already familiar with the company's tasty brews prior to interning, I was more than excited to "hop" (beer talk) right in and help out with the social media content of the company. My first day I was introduced to all of the company's employees, including a particular brewer who left an ever-so-lasting impression on my beer-loving heart. He explained to me (in great depth) the process of brewing; being the head-brewer of the company. I was thoroughly impressed by his work ethic. Over the course of approximately four months, he showed me all there is to know about the industry - he showed me his recipes, his fermenters, his hops, his beer, his kegs, his yeast (Oh my...), but he reminded me daily that it's truly important to love what you do! He was completely passionate about everything he did; and to me I couldn't help but correlate this human being to some type of awesome, outrageous, brilliant beer-genius that should be wearing a lab coat somewhere who is utterly smart, utterly sweet, utterly selfless, utterly handsome with these big, brown, puppy-dog eyes. (Okay, I'll stop.) When it comes down to it, he had me at "cheers," I mean "hello."
Truth: The craft beer community has become pretty popular on Long Island. With craft beer available everywhere, I don't think we'll be seeing breweries down and out anytime soon. It's a huge industry; a huge, FUN industry with talented brewers formulating their own recipes and brewing an art: a tasty, yummy, liquid art. Fruity, ale-y, sour-y, I.P.A.-y, stout-y, saison-y barely bridge all the different types of beer to be made out there. More restaurants and bars are listing craft beers on their menus and pouring drought craft brew-skis you would never dream of tasting. Bored one weekend? There are p-l-e-n-t-y of breweries to attend and what not a perfect occasion to sample nectar from the Gods, closely coined as "craft" beer. You don't have to travel far to reach a local brewery; there are approximately 30 breweries just on Long Island alone, and easily found on Google Maps. Maybe you're already familiar with a few beers yourself, like Long Island's very own Great South Bay's "Blood Orange Pale Ale, Crooked Ladder's "Belgian Pale Ale," or hit up the north shore to explore a hidden gem, Sands City Brewery and sample their "Mofosaic" I.P.A. Mind you, 'tis the season for pumpkin e'rythan', so let's not forget about our favorite pumpkin brews people!
**Please keep in mind you must be 21 and over to drink and when visiting breweries and it's the safest and smartest to plan ahead. DO NOT drink and drive.
Let's get to it: Here are [10] VERY IMPORTANT reasons to date a craft brewer:
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1. "Hunny, I'm thirsty! I need a beverage."
He's always right there to quench your thirst.2. Throwing a party? Hot-damn, your beer-muscle man can provide you with an infinite number of kegs. Size matters.
Bring back any (high school) memories anyone? Anyway, I've watched the way these brewers handle their kegs...and I'll let you know that it's like throwing a Frisbee for 'em. Don't sweat asking for the "big" keg.
3. Okay, maybe a keg is a little much. Hosting dinner? Meeting people for dinner? Your man can grab you a case of "craft." Craft beer is the new red wine, ya'll.
Easy to get, easy to enjoy. Your friends and family will be ever-so-grateful.
4. Science homework has you feeling sick? Failed your Calculus test? All head-brewers are geniuses, ask your smarty-pants for a little bit of "tutoring."
My hunny is the equivalent to Mr. Einstein...I'm sure they're related like way back in the family tree. When there's talks of science or math, my eyes start to cross and his eyes start to widen with excitement. Hence why I go to him for help.
5. Big assumption that ALL brewers are geniuses [I guess] but fear not! Feeling cold at night? Brewers are hella, HELLA good at snugglin'.
I get this warm fuzzy feeling snuggling with my lover; more so than the warm fuzzy feeling I get from drinking beer. ;)
6. Waiting around got you like...
Let's just say, it's very rare I'm waiting around for my boyfriend. I think he's been conditioned from all the beer schedules hanging around the brewery; I mean, everything must be brewed on time, right?7. Brewers = plumbers, right?
Or is that a man stereotype? This may be a little hard to wrap your head around, but not only is my brew-hunny efficient at "unclogging" things, he put together the whole plumbing system for his machines in the back of the brewery. Not impressive enough, if you ask me.
8. Well, brewers give good head.
"How's the head on that beer for ya, baby?" -Said a brewer at one time.
9. Behind every great brewer is an ultimate recipe. Take the night off from cooking girl, he got you!
I enjoyed learning the lists of recipes that were hanging around in the back of the brewery; I just assumed that my brewer was naturally good at crafting food recipes to that of beer recipes. See my correlation here, people?10. Honestly, the loving really doesn't get any better than with that of a brewer's. The hopeless romantic awaits you, at a local brewery near you!
I didn't really have to yell at my dad that I love my boyfriend, but I think it's pretty obvious.
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Fun fact: My amazing brewer-lover took me to a Beyonce concert within the first month or two of amazingly dating each other. Oh wait, sounds like I'm boasting now...but we couldn't help but confess our love for each other within just a short time. I fall in love with him over and over again, each and every day. I don't know if it's his big puppy dog eyes that suck me right in or his science-y language-talk that just, UGH! He gets me. It's not about the free kegs, the free beer, the free beer festivals, the fun beer talk and all those other perks. It's about the chemistry here folks and let me tell you, craft brew-bros know a thing or two about chemistry. Happy "crafting," Queens! Cheers!
