2- You Should Drink Faster / Scott's Intro

You Should Drink Faster.

At the New Belgium Brewery in Asheville

Hello beer-zealots! My name is Scott, and I want to go on this beer journey with you. I live in Knoxville and love drinking local beer! I am a self-identified Hophead. I have always been a craft beer drinker. Well, for as long as I have been legally able to purchase beer, I have been a craft beer drinker. When I turned 21 in 2010 the craft beer boom was just beginning. I remember cutting my teeth on beer I have never heard of at the Surly Girl Saloon, RIP, in Columbus Ohio. I remember my first Rogue Dead Guy Ale. That was the hook. Cool name, cool tap handle, and a hop forward Red Ale. Perfect beer for a dude who had no idea what's going on.  Hell, I still never claim to know what is going on, but the curiosity lives on! I want to keep trying the next beer.

Cards on the table, I am a craft beer nerd, but I am a lazy craft beer nerd. Whenever there is a two hour line for a trendy or hyped up beer, I will be looking for the beer that is just as good that does not have a long line. I am not going to get bottles shipped across the country. There are just to many good beers I may not have ever heard of. Something under the radar. A small brewery that deserves more attention.

Since turning 21, I have learned a thing or two about beer, got a job in the industry, and have done a lot of research one pint at a time. I have been working for Blackhorse Brewery for over three years now. I started as a server and bartender, but most of that time has been spent as a Sales Rep. I did a stint the production side of the brewery. I am a Cicerone Certified Beer Server for anyone who A) cares and B) knows what that means.

Brewer's Jam!

Being in the industry has given me a unique perspective. Seeing the blood, sweat, and tears that go into brewing a beer changes a person. I will always give a beer its due. It does not matter if the beer is not my style of choice, if it is the best damn thing I have ever drank, or even has some off flavors. Every craft beer you put in hand is the fruit of someone's labor. It is easy to be a hater and put breweries work down. I always try to remember someone gives a shit about that beer and worked their ass off to brew it.

With this blog, I hope to catalogue some of my passion. I want to review new beers around Knoxville. When I travel out of town, give ya'll a review of what I'm drinking and where. I might vent about developments in the craft beer world. Maybe interview some industry folks. There will inevitably be a "grumpy old man" post about AB Inbev or one of the other big guys sticking their hands in craft beer. I really just want to post some fun blogs about beer. I want to put my opinions out n the world and see if anyone digs it. I want this to be a discussion too.

If you order a bad beer, remember, there is always the next one.