1- BeerZeal: 101 / Landon's Intro

What's that, you said?

(What I hope will be) An experience outside the pint glass.

Good day, my fellow zealots! 

My name is Landon. I've created BeerZeal as a side-project/outlet/learning adventure to assist me in my journey to learn more about libations, blogging, and life. For this blog, I'm not setting any bounds - meaning that even though I coined up the fancy name of BeerZeal, I may talk about a scotch, whiskey, or even a tequila - hell, I might even tell you about the smoothie Lauren (girlfriend) made me this morning (it's rarely boozy, but usually delicious, and always different).   

That's Lauren on the right. She likes
 regular beers, but loves sour beers,

My intention with the blog isn't to be revolutionary in the way I talk about beer, but simply to put my two cents in on an industry that my friends and I love. If i'm lucky at all, I will be able to rope in some of my friends to do guest opinions, have a few hangouts a month to discuss a new drink - and basically to create a place where we all get together and do what we love - have a drink and talk about life.

One neat thing that my work (I organize fairs...yes, like county fairs - more on that later) allows me to do is travel - so my tastes won't be limited to my beloved East Tennessee home of Knoxville. (Go Big Orange!)

I love a weekend trip to Asheville, NC or a weeklong trip all around the south, and promise to never be afraid to try something wild (no samples, I'm a Man). I'm sure I'll spend plenty of time giving my take on beers from Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, and North Carolina - I spend weeks each year in those locales and have only recently discovered the budding beer culture in each.

I also have some great excuses (pronounced friends) to travel to the Washington, California, Denver, Texas, New York, Kansas, Ohio and more to try and create some diversity in my taste for the barley, water, and hops.

As American as these look, they are
actually Portuguese. MUSA, Lisboa, Portugal.

As we approach Thanksgiving, I can think of a few opportunities I'll have coming up to discover new brews and document the experience. A trip across the state - through Nashville and down to Memphis - my native land. I imagine I'll take some time to try one of those awesomely labeled Mantra Beers from middle TN and then stop through and find out a little more about how a few brewerys in my home land coined names like Wiseacre & Ghost River.

And with that, I've discovered in this first post what I really want this blog to be about. It's not only going to be about the contents of the pint I'm sipping on that day - but about the brewery. A little history, a small piece about a brewer or brew-tender with whom I enjoyed speaking to;  There is always something to know, even if the beer isn't your favorite - something or someone to learn about. An experience outside the glass. Hm...maybe I should have gone with that as the blog name.

A little history, a small piece about a brewer or brew-tender with whom I enjoyed speaking to;  There is always something to know, even if the beer isn't your favorite.

Shortly after Thanksgiving, I'll be taking a cross-country trip from Nashville all the way to Seattle. My pal Bryan got a new job working for the man, and it's a great excuse for us to get on the road and discover a new beer or two at the end of each day - We'll make stops in Kansas (not as bad as it sounds), Colorado, Idaho, and finally end up with a cold one in the Pacific NW. Maybe it'll be a coffee stout - lord knows we'll need one after 38 hours of driving in 4 days.

If you've read this far, then I guess we're well on our way. I'm looking forward to honing my blogging, documenting beers, and hearing from some old friends while making new ones as well. Good day to you, my fellow beer-zealots, and I'll see you soon!

Cheers! Prost! Salute!

-Landon

No, I won't be blogging about wine -
 unless I've had too much of it, that is. 

P.S. - If you have input, questions, or comments - share with me! I will create a schedule of areas I'm going to be in or near, and if there is a beer or drink or drinking oasis that I shouldn't live without, then tell me -  It'd be pretty selfish of you to keep it to yourself!