The Beer Belt

I live in Brisbane.

Over the past few years, Brisbane has become a craft beer haven. People’s tastes are developing, the menus are becoming more sophisticated… Brisbane is on its own craft beer adventure, and it’s going so well that XXXX are getting worried because people are finally cottoning on that there’s something better out there. New bars are popping up like mushrooms after a storm. They’re opening faster than I can get to them, and I love it.

Until a week ago, we lived on the northern fringe of Brisbane. While there were a few choice watering holes near us, the pickings were fairly slim overall. Then last week we moved to the inner suburbs, where great beer flows freely. (I guess you could say we moved from the bald spot to the beer belly.)

The CBD, Fortitude Valley, Paddington, Milton, Petrie Terrace, Newstead, Teneriffe… we’re now in the Beer Belt.

Welcome to Schoonerversity

I love beer.

When I’m drinking beer, I’m either cooling down and relaxing after a long, hard day, or I’m talking and laughing with good friends while my tastebuds and my stomach are falling ever more in love with me. Both of those scenarios are what I consider to be a good time.

But I don’t just like drinking beer. I like telling people about the best beer I’ve had lately, and hearing about theirs. I like finding out about a great beer I haven’t tried yet, and hunting it down. I like checking out new beers, new bars, and new breweries. I like learning about styles of beer and brewing methods.

I love beer. And they say, ‘Do what you love’. Now that I’ve moved house and am changing jobs, I’d love to work with beer. That just seems to make sense.

So now I’m knuckling down to learn everything I can about beer. I want to be a beer nerd.

I already know a bit. I know my IPAs from my amber ales, my wheat beers from my pale ales, my stouts from my ESBs. I’m not completely ignorant, but I’m like a school student. My education has begun, but it’s far from complete. I’m ready to learn, grow, develop expertise. To gain advanced knowledge, and an advanced palate. I’m a brewdent, but I’d like to be a brewfessor.

This is my journey. This is where I’ll keep light, floral trivia and fruity tidbits of information. This is where I’ll slug through heavy, molasses-y cramming sessions. This is where I’ll regale you with smooth, malty tales of my on-the-ground experience (because I’ll need to do my homework, right?). Sometimes it will be educational, sometimes it will be scintillating. Hopefully it will be intriguing and interesting, or familiar and refreshing. Always it will take you further down the rabbit hole of my thoughts, my progress, and my love of beer.

Welcome to Schoonerversity. We’re going to have an excellent time.