THE NAMELESS BEERMAID


Beer Geek in the Making Our New Nameless Beermaid Signs On


n the up and coming, ever-rising, limitless, transient…well, let’s be real here... In the hoppy, malty, bitter, smooth, sweet, oak-aged world of the craft beer industry, an army is forming: the Beer Geeks. However, life before discovering these minions was simple for a girl like me. I cared about Slurpees, Hot Cheetos, summer days, bedtimes (and how to avoid them), and riding my bike. I do remember the mysterious tours with my Pops as a kid, staring at these giant silvery things that made noise and smelled funny. Little did I know these machines would later be 98% of what I see on a day-to-day basis working for Alpine Beer Company. Looking back, I know that my Dad, as amazing as he is, would have completely disowned me had I not stepped up to the plate and shared his love for beer. In my recent experience of becoming an industry member, I stumbled upon what are known as Beer Geeks. You know them. In fact, you may be one of them. The chances of this are very high. Sometimes they’re alone, sometimes with others of the sort, writing things in small, often leather-bound notebooks that look like they were passed down several generations.


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Beer geeks will easily recognize this view en-route to Alpine Beer Company


As a bartender, I see this often, and can’t help but be curious as to what’s written down. I commonly see Beer Geeks place “ratings” on a scale of 1-5, and sometimes resort to ol’ fashioned smiley or sad faces instead. Or are they writing about how great of a bartender I am, or perhaps a poem about Aunt Gertrude’s fluffy Pomeranian? These, my friends, are the scientists, and possible homebrewers, too. If in fact this last part is true, they’re probably leaving the pub for their chemistry sets, complete with Einstein-like wigs and Zeppelin playing in the background. Beer Geeks never leave the bar without making a friend or two, because in addition to studying their own beers, they know how to spot their own. They’re usually the most friendly and polite people in the bar, building their army. Slowly, one by one, they are taking over, and I’m ready to follow. Now, don’t get me wrong here. I may not sit at the bar with a notebook, I may not be a homebrewer, but I know a thing or 12 about some damn good beer, and humble about the fact that I’m very much a rookie. So, in turn, hats off to the Beer Geeks. There are days I work at the brewery and panic because I can’t answer certain questions. I may not be a rocket scientist, or know why people don’t turn their blinkers on, but I’m fairly happy know- ing what I know about beer at this point in time. Two complete strangers can walk into a bar, yet leave with the knowledge of another person’s life story because beer has brought them together. My love for craft beer sets me apart from many in my own age group, and gender. We ladies have to stick together in fighting the good ol’ classic question I receive daily: “Do you like beer? Really? You don‘t look like you would!” When I’m standing behind the bar of one of the best breweries in the world? Confucius says, “Love thy bartender!” Okay, maybe he didn’t really say that. Though if he did, I’m sure he would say it while drinking a West Coast style IPA, leather-bound beer notebook in hand.


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