The Session Beer Project was something I started on my blog about two years ago. It’s my contention that big beers get the press and the glory because they’re flashy, but seriously, how many can you drink? I started the Project to get more attention for session beers, and I’m happy to say it’s been working.
Here’s what you can do.
First, encourage your local brewer to make a session beer: a dry stout, a bitter, a mild, a low-alcohol pilsner. If you don’t have a local brewer, ask your beer retailer to get some in. Then talk about it, drink it, rate it, blog it, share it, ask for it, and most importantly, buy it.
Second, be safe. Get a breathalyzer (there’s one that’s an iPhone attachment for under $100) and get an idea of what effect the session beers have on your BAC. Then you’ll know how to pace your sessions.
Then relax and enjoy. That’s one of the best things about session beers: you can think about something besides your next beer. You can finally become more of a beer drinker, and less of a beer geek. And you and your friends will find that you have more in common than just beer, and maybe you’ll learn a new card game, and maybe—could we get another round? Yeah, the same. You’ll make some new friends, and maybe instead of constantly beer-hunting, you’ll become a regular and develop a local pub. Hey, even Michael Jackson had a local.
Finally, when you want to introduce a friend to craft beer, don’t think of getting them to drink Arrogant Bastard or Dark Lord as the end-goal. Think of the great times you’ll have just enjoying each other’s company over some friendly rounds of session beer.
