Beer, Beer And More Beer!

By the time you read this, you will either have attended or missed the “Waxahachie Craft Beer and Music Fest”. They must have been expecting a number out-of-towners to attend. Most people I know around here drink ultra light, low carb, flavorless swill and irreverently call it “beer”. Maybe I don’t hang with the right people? The grocery stores here do have small sections of craft beer. There are bound to be a few people who live in Ellis County that drink ultra flavorful, hop-forward, carb intensive beer?

I maintain that craft beer is the new “health food”. Do you remember when butter, eggs and a filthy environment were bad for you? Oh yeah. Now you are supposed take your toddlers to my hobby farm for an immediate inoculation of grit and grime, to prevent future allergies and other illnesses. Let your teenagers work your neighbor’s farm for the summer to promote his or her health. Don’t get me started on healthy eating, just read some of my other columns such as the most recent, “A More Natural Life”.

So nowadays, “beer consumed in moderation” has been identified as a plus for your health. I have to think that natural beer is better for you, and beer you brew at home is the best. I can’t for the life of me believe that any low quality beer would be considered “healthy”.

Yes, I’m biased. I’ve been an award-winning home brewer, in association with the state’s largest brewing club – the Austin Zealots. “Zealots” stands for Zymurgic Enthusiasts of Austin Loosely Organized Through Suds, not some radical cult. Well maybe they are radical about beer. No finer group of people have I ever been friends with, and my time in that club was one of my fondest memories. http://www.austinzealots.com/home

In any case, I’ve learned quite a bit about beer and it’s history. It’s believed by historians that beer is the oldest brewed beverage known to man, dating back thousand of years. As with our food, the more natural the process, the more vitamins and minerals the product contains. The healthiest beer you can drink then, is that which you make yourself. It doesn’t have to be expensive, and if you can follow a recipe, you can make excellent beer right at home. If you don’t want to spend time on all the steps in the recipes from scratch, there are now fancy brewing machines that take most of the work out of it.

What Starbucks did for coffee, independent craft brewers did for beer. From whence came the hundreds of craft breweries that sprung into being in the last few decades? Almost entirely from home brewers who scaled up their efforts, and now make a living doing what they love. They are men and women who understand that the big three breweries have sacrificed quality and flavor for mass production and profit. Those home brewers became the entrepreneurs who bring us the many varieties of delicious well-crafted beer on the shelf today. There are many types, with something to satisfy even the pickiest drinker.

What was once never to adorn an expensive restaurant’s table, may now be seen at the President’s table. What was once only known as a working man’s drink is now enjoyed in high society. There was a Craft Beer Festival in Waxahachie just this past weekend. Is Ennis a likely candidate for the future?

When the next toast is made to your health, let it be a well-crafted, flavorful beverage. Pick a tasty craft beer!