Buyer and Cellar

Door to the Beer Cellar

With the current travel restrictions I am now relegated to traveling around my house. As promised last week please enjoy another post from a bored, isolated, beer drinking fool.

The title of this post might lead one to believe I am providing valuable beer investment insight and financial strategies not otherwise available anywhere else. Hell no! While I have made SIGNIFICANT beer investments I drink said investments faster than grocery stores can stock toilet paper.

Homebrew

Arriving in Germany more than three years ago housing was sparse at best. When I viewed my current beer palace I was immediately intrigued by the size. While comparable to small U.S. townhomes this slice of real estate has 3.5 rooms in the basement. A boiler room with utility sink and 2.5 “Utility” rooms for laundry (yawn) etc. One of these rooms, with floor to ceiling shelving, immediately caught my attention. The previous tenants favored wine and had created a small wine cellar. Naturally I saw one thing. Beer storage. Over the next few months I purchased beer at breakneck speed, feverishly trying to fill the shelves.

HERMS Homebrew System

The beer cellar is a dual use facility allowing for the storage of purchased beer as well as homebrew. How much homebrew storage does one need? Surprisingly a lot as adjacent to the beer cellar is the “Green Room”, so named because of its green floor. The green room contains my homebrew system, increasing my need for homebrew storage. 

 Approximately a year ago I purchased a secondhand advanced homebrewing system. While the system may be advanced my ability to use the system is not. Naturally the more I strive to improve my “Craft” the more beer I produce, and the more storage space I need.

Many of my friends are ready, willing and able to assist with inventory control. As a result I now  host an annual  beer  fest dubbed “Mattober Fest”. The first annual Mattober Fest decimated my homebrew inventory with the consumption of more than 80 bottles of homebrew. Inventory problem solved! 

As the pandemic drags on my beer inventory will undoubtedly grow as I attempt to stay busy. With any luck I can host my third and final Mattober Fest here in Germany eclipsing previous consumption records! 

Until next time,
Stay crafty, stay at home, and stay safe

Necessity is a Mother......of Invention

I can't believe it has been nearly 10 months since my last blog post. I now find myself with unexpected time on my hands and an inability to travel thanks to the current pandemic. Fear not as I have 10 months of posts to make up for.  My gain is your loss!

As the saying goes necessity is the mother of invention. A large portion of the world's population now struggles to reinvent itself as we are relegated to our homes with social distancing becoming the norm. The economic impact is being felt around the world, my favorite breweries included. For European beer lovers the timing of the pandemic could not be worse. We need look no further than the cancelation of Stuttgarts annual Fruehling fest to see the impact on Europe's spring beer festivals. Fortunately, Europe does allow for online purchase and delivery of alcohol, guaranteeing my continued access to some of my favorite beers. Many breweries and tap rooms are now offering virtual beer tasting events via an online beer purchase  followed by a streaming event focusing on the purchased beer. Necessity is the mother of invention.

On a personal level I face a much larger problem. How do I maintain a blog focusing on beer travels when neither the beer event, nor travel are permitted? How can I maintain the self-deprecating humor and sarcasm my tens of followers have become accustomed to?  These are the questions that keep me awake at night. That and an increasingly small bladder. 

In the coming days and weeks, I will resume regular blogging with riveting beer reviews, random thoughts, and never before seen photos. Until then please enjoy a picture of my dogs.

Until next time,

Stay crafty and wash your hands