, If you have a candle, the light won’t glow any dimmer if I light yours off of mine (Steven Taylor)
We all have experiences we enjoy in our lives, things that make us happy, things that engage us and things that drive us. But what enhances those experiences and takes them to a whole new level? For me that question is a relatively easy one to answer, it’s the people I share those experiences with.
To share your joy with someone else isn’t a joy halved it’s a joy doubled.
My Good Beer Week, I shared with many people, a variety of friends, some I see every week, others I see rarely. To say Good Beer Week is all about the beer is true but isn’t necessarily true at the same time. It was maybe a shared passion or it may just be a way of catching up.
200 events across 160 venues in Melbourne, 9 days of beer related activities ending in a crescendo that is the Great Australian Beer Spectapular.
Good Beer Week took me on a tour, reminded me of my roots and made me think about my future.
My love of beer started in the UK many years ago, I evolved into a paid up member of Norfolk CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale), came over here and was surprised at how little choice the craft scene provided over here. Now 10 years later with the explosion of craft breweries there are hundreds on these shores.
I digress for a second, but back to the job in hand. Good Beer Week for me involved the following events:
- System Wars – Iron Brewer (http://www.goodbeerweek.com.au/events/view/148/System+Wars+Iron+Brewer) Unlimited access to professional brewers to ask questions and look at different ways of making beer.
- Weihenstephan BBQ (http://www.goodbeerweek.com.au/events/view/127/Weihenstephan+Barbecue) A chance to try their new beer made with Australian Galaxy hops and stuff my face with roasted pork.
- Prickly Moses Barrelfest (http://www.goodbeerweek.com.au/events/view/68/Prickly+Moses+Barrel+Fest) One of my favourite breweries and one of my favourite pubs. Showcased beer barrel aged in wine barrels
- Black Heart vs The Black Sea (http://www.goodbeerweek.com.au/events/view/202/Black+Heart+Vs+The+Black+Sea) An ecletical mix of East European food and beer matching from both the Black Heart Brewery in Brighton and beer from Eastern Europe
- The Great Australian Beer Spectapular (http://gabsfestival.com.au/#) A three day festival highlighting 110 beers brewed specially for the event
- Parma Wars Craft Beer Strikes Back (http://www.goodbeerweek.com.au/events/view/30/Parma+Wars+Craft+Beer+Strikes+Back) My traditional end to good beer week, a Parma off between the Jedi Parma and Death Vader Parma
I may return to individual events to provide a more in depth description but for now this summary provide a good understanding of the week.
An important part of life for me is belonging, although as I get older I enjoy being more individual I also need to feel I belong somewhere. What does belonging actually mean though? To me, its being part of something bigger than just me, somewhere I’m accepted, somewhere where I’m secure, its about inclusion and identity, it brings me satisfaction and security. I feel all these in this world that is craft beer in Australia. Its opened doors that I could never have opened and introduced me to people I would never have met.
I’m not embarrassed to say the end of Good Beer Week gave me a sadness at its conclusion. It provided me a week to step outside of my day to day life and into a world I’ve come to love. The sadness comes from that feeling you have when a holiday finishes and you must return. But I’m a buoyant character, my world is so full of wonder. Happiness is really all around me if I open my eyes.
Roll on Good Beer Week 2015.