You haven’t seen another person in five miles, and that suits you just fine. You’ve been burning up this trail since the morning sunlight crested over the mountainside. You’re approaching your campsite just as your feet start letting you know it time to call it a day. You unload your gear, sit down and take a well-deserved load off. And every step you’ve taken to reach this remote spot is rewarded when that first splash of cold beer hits the back of your throat. You look around at the natural splendor, savoring the clean air and the perfect beer. And you think to yourself: No, it really doesn’t get much better than this…
It’s not just a nice reward to a job well done—there’s something different about that first sip of ale after a mountain bike ride, a day in the woods or a paddle down a river.
It’s no coincidence.
Many of the United States’ best microbreweries are concentrated near areas of extraordinary natural beauty—the Northeast, the Rockies, and the West Coast, for example.
The connection also can be seen on the labels and logos, which so often feature outdoors scenery. Even the names of many popular beers imply the relation—Fat Tire, Sierra Nevada, Red Seal.
Why does there seem to be such a deep draw for both the great outdoors and great beer?
The reasons vary depending on whom you ask, but there seems to be a common thread here.
“Quality of life is probably the underlying issue,” said Patrick Petersen, a guide with Jackson Hole Mountain Guides, based near Yellowstone National Park. The company keeps a kegerator in the office kitchen stocked with Snake River Brewery’s beer.
“It’s the same reason you might select a certain type of automobile. It’s a lifestyle issue.”
In other words, why drive a Ford Pinto when you can drive a BMW?
True, some people simply can’t afford the premium price of craft beer. The “dirtbags,” as poor rock climbers have so kindly nicknamed themselves, might have to settle for cheap beer in order to pursue their true passion. Climbing equipment, after all isn’t cheap. Give them a choice between free craft beer and free yellow water, however, and their choice will likely shift.
Keep in mind that the outdoorsman, or outdoorswoman, isn’t merely content to witness nature from behind the windshield or while walking through a parking lot. These are the same men and women who risk mosquito bites, poison ivy and even death or dismemberment to fulfill their jones.
