Beer inspired thoughts

I was sitting here behind my desk, staring at my business plan, the blog, some research on beer and demographics and markets, and felt blank: not a single idea of what new article to write, what part of the plan to tackle next. It has been a long (and fruitful!) week so far. So what does an aspiring brewer do when that happens? He opens a beer and drinks it, of course! To remind me of what I am committed to.

Just came back from my fridge, and brought myself a can of beer. Yes, a can. I nice silvery 16 ounce can, with simple yet attractive orange/blue/chocolate colored print, stating in bold letters: THE CRISP. Brewed by SixPoint Brewery from Brooklyn, it touts to be a great experience

Crisp Lager has nothing to hide behind - no makeup to cover up any flaws. Raw ingredients and their essence, full and unabated... uninhibited... CRISP

Now that sounds ambitious, and at the same time so refreshing! After the long surge away from tasteless lagers, we are finally coming back to this true form of art: a real lager. Seems the marketing/presentation is doing it's job, I am sold already, just by looking at the can, holding its larger then usual volume and the promise of longer satisfaction that implies. Good job there!

So here goes, opening the can... A fresh hoppy aroma makes me think of IPA, rather then lager, but it is so delicate and finely herbal that it is not putting me off. A first long sip draws me in, making me lean back and sigh in delight... A great beer, hoppier than the lagers I was thinking of, but perfectly balanced in style! Clean and crisp with a malty backbone, a slight bitter aftertaste, definitely a beer to keep around this summer!

Looking at the can again, I notice that they played with the bar code: one side has some of the lines extended, forming a city skyline, with a silhouette of Lady Liberty peeking between the towering spires. A Brooklyn beer, proud of their city! I like that!

And it proved to be very therapeutic as well, washing away the dust in my thinking, showing a great new beer, in a great new form. Right now, I have so many idea's jumping around my head, about what Saint William could do. Not cans, we like our beers with second fermentation, which means bottles to withstand the pressure better, so probably no lagers either, but I might just try to concoct a great recipe for a refreshing lager. No frills, no big flavors, just a clean and crisp and fresh lager. Perhaps in a can. (There, I settled that question that I have been asked a lot lately, about what I think about cans and craft beer: I think it is great when filled with a beer that fits in it, but it is not the right package for every beer).

There, not that I recharged my batteries, back to work. So much to do, so many ideas! Do yourself a favor, and when you come home from work tonight, feeling lost that it is only Thursday evening, and not yet weekend, pour yourself a great brew and drink in some liquid inspiration. As you lean back, enjoying the beer, you will be ready to take on that Friday, ready to start the weekend, ready to start July!

Cheers!