Have you ever wondered what it would be like to go back in time, and have a beer with an admired figure from the past? An old friend? A long gone relative? Or even someone who is still here with us, but you just can’t quite figure out how to ring up… Adele, or The Boss, or maybe Vinnie Cilurzo, Sam Calagione, or Kim Jordan?
Though a completely unrealistic wish, it sure would be great to have a craft beer or two with my Dad. In the 19 years since his passing, craft beer has changed so much, and I’m certain he would have appreciated learning more about beer and experimenting a bit with me! I think if he was around to walk the aisles of the store, he’d be there for hours, just taking in all the labels, artwork, font types, beer names, bottle shapes, and the move to cans; if anything, my Dad was insatiably curious about everything.
Knowing that my Dad’s tastes ranged from Schlitz, Piels, and Schaffer, I’m not sure the New England IPA style would have been his jam. But, I’d be willing to bet that he would have been perfectly content to visit Notch’s taproom in Salem, and have a couple of The Standard’s with me. Having grown up in nearby Marblehead, he sure would have gotten a kick out of being able to visit a craft brewery right next door.
Closer to what was home in northern New York, I know we would have had a blast at Zero Gravity, drinking Green State Lager. And though he never did get a chance to travel to Europe, I am beyond certain he would have loved Germany, and all the incredible Helles Lagers and Pilsners one can find there.
Knowing his love of whisky, he may have had a pretty good time getting to know Allagash’s Curieux. But it’s hard to say whether he would have been able to move through all the beer styles, and been able to settle on something other than a lager. But he sure would have used it as a learning opportunity, and a means to ask a thousand questions!
If we had ever gone on a brewery tour together, I can almost hear him now, saying to whoever would listen,“What is that for? What does that do? How long does it take? How hot? How cold? How many gallons? What is the yield? How? Why? What? When? Who?”. Dad was as curious as a five year old, and it was one of the most endearing things about him. A consummate tinkerer, he likely would have been an excellent homebrewer!
So, since my thoughts above, are merely melancholy musings, I’d highly recommend that if you can grab a beer with your Pops, go do it, as soon as you can! Or take your Mom; mine likes Lindeman’s Framboise! Life is short; drink amazing beer with people you love, while you still can. Cheers!
