Craft Over Crafts

By Kim Schimke

I’ve never been one to collect postage stamps, build models, scrapbook, or pick up a musical instrument. Sure I tried my hand at the harmonica and attempted to kick around a soccer ball, but never did I find a hobby that I truly felt passionate about, until craft beer. It’s practically a fairy tale of how quickly the beverage and I connected. Craft beer has everything I have ever wanted and needed in a hobby. Let’s review why the craft is the ultimate past-time activity.

Showing off a doll collection can come across as creepy and I assure you most people are not excited to see your trophies from way back when. But, showcasing your collection of beer bottles, caps, cans, and other related breweriana is not only impressive, it’s downright cool. Visitors will be taken aback by your superb taste and admire your worldly adventurous spirit when gazing upon the variety of national and international brews you’ve sampled. Alright, so already your cool status has ascended, but there’s more. Beer can also be used in cooking. I personally have experimented with beer recipes such as chili, honey beer pumpkin bread, and beer cheese dip. Because of beer, you’ve just acquired a culinary skill set. Beer has history. There is evidence of beer dating back to the pyramids in Egypt and mentioned on clay tablets found in Mesopotamia. Not to mention that whole history with the monks. Look at that, now you are historically knowledgeable. What else you ask? How about the tourism? With well over 2,000 breweries in America alone, you have quite the variety of destination points. Travel is important and taking pilgrimages to hot craft beer spots is reason enough to start planning and booking. Now you are well traveled and cultured. Maybe you need to build your interpersonal skills. Seeing as though beer is a social drink and there are always multiple events going on, you have reason to get out of the house and work on that agoraphobia thing. I think you are starting to get the idea; beer makes you a better person.

Beer is fun. My fun is not only derived from drinking and the activities mentioned above, but I get my jollies from playing around with the labels. The beer industry undeniably has some of the best marketing out there. Unique labels that strike my fancy end up on my Instagram. Self amusement is important. I also enjoy writing about beer. Craft beer has become my muse as a scribe. As a writer, it provides me with the two elements I require, content and motivation. Hobbies keep people out of trouble. Okay, so beer sounds like something that could get you into trouble, but I assure you only the good kind of trouble. I could continue to present my case for why craft beer should be your recreational selection, but I think it best you explore this hobby in practice rather than read on. I would like to conclude with some parting words I hope will influence your decision to pick up a pint: get your drink on, kids.