The Session #76: Compulsion

The Session is a monthly event for the beer blogging community, started by Stan Hieronymus at Appellation Beer. On the first Friday of each month, beer bloggers write about a predetermined topic. Each month a different blog is chosen to host The Session, choose the topic, and post a roundup of all the responses received. For more info on The Session and the upcoming topics, check out the Brookston Beer Bulletin’s archive page.




Compulsion.

Absolutely cracking topic to delve into this Session with, because it's a derivative of a recent Session topic that generated a lot of conversation and seemed to be a common theme among plenty of beer bloggers, yet it's a subject that can be written about at length by itself.

It's probably the single biggest factor that keeps us beer tragics swiping the credit card and finding new places to stash beer in our ever-expanding cellars/boxes/corners of rooms etc.

The corners of the rooms aren't expanding, the space required is. If the corners of your rooms are in fact expanding I would recommend to stop reading this immediately and consult a builder.

Actually, I'd also recommend you stop reading if you're bored already because it certainly isn't going to be getting any better.

Ahem, anyway... back on topic.

Compulsion is the very thing that makes me so continuously passionate about all things related to good beer, whether that be buying multiples of a particular beer so I can see how it develops over time, picturing an ideal food/beer match, dreaming up recipes for the next batch or simply going in to a shop and just picking up what I know will be tasty, rewarding beers.

Does he use this photo in every post now?

Beer is situational. Depending on the activity that you may be partaking in, you get an idea in your minds eye about the exact beer that you want to drink to accompany it. And hey, if you don't have that particular style, or even the exact beer in the fridge or cellar, off you go to the bottle shop to pick up a bottle. Is that a new beer? Better pick that up as well. You may as well grab some other corkers as well.

This is a scenario that plays out constantly for me, resulting in an abundance of beer in my house.

Doesn't sound like much of a problem to have, but it's a weird little quirk that I (and many others...) have with buying beer.

New beers cause just as much anticipation, therefore a desire to buy, particularly when it's from a brewery that have a tendency to release unique beers. An example of this is Moon Dog. Whenever the Moon Dog lads release a beer I just have to get it. I struggle to guess what the taste profile is going to be, so I've got to get my hands on a bottle.

The Red Duck seasonals (I say seasonals... the Red Duck weeklies) have the same effect on me. I want them all.



Another element of compulsion is my homebrewing.

Days and weeks can spent dreaming up recipes for that ideal next home brew, then another few weeks getting it fermented out and carbonated.

Then after one taste of my first bottle of the new batch my head is full of ideas about how I'd change this beer the next time I brew it, or even ideas of new styles to try my hand at. All the while I still have 19L of this beer to get through.

I'm still a hoarder of my homebrew so I can taste them at various stages of age, so this contributes to the stockpile of beer that needs to be worked through.

I think compulsion and FOMO (fear of missing out) cross over in a major way. A new keg gets put on at Slowbeer. Alehouse Project have an unheard of tap takeover. Something ridiculous goes on the hand pump at Penny Blue.

Red Hill taps for some reason.

This is an experience that may not be repeated. Sign me up. How long will this be on for?

Soon after I have this thought I notice the Posse pack that's been delivered to my doorstep. For those who don't know, the Posse pack is a regularly delivered case of beer from Bridge Road Brewery that ensures that you get a good selection of Ben's beers to drink either four or six times a year.

With the amount of beer I buy I do not need to subscribe to this, and not only do I subscribe, I get the more frequent delivery.

Why do I do this? I really don't have a good reason except for the very subject of this post. I want to try all Ben's beers. I want that supply of India Saison. I love the fact that Ben brews two beers a year specifically for Posse pack members. I don't need the case every two months but I like it.

I love that fact that this great beer culture we're a part of compels us so strongly to want to try new things. It's a strong power that it has over me and I'm sure everyone who bothers to read this.

I love the fact that because of the amount and variance of beer that I have at home I can satisfy any beer related whim that may crop up. Craving for a Baltic Porter? No problems. Hop fix required? Get your hit quickly there buddy.

Most of all I love the fact that this compulsion crosses the paths of like minded people who are seeking the same thing as me. It's been said to death; beer people are good people.

Take GABS for example. There were dozens of excellent beers, but probably only a handful that were memorably outstanding for me. It didn't even matter though because the best part of GABS is the interaction with all the punters there that are drawn to good beer, whether it's your close group of friends, people just approaching the world of good beer or the vast array of beer geeks there, everyone is excited about the beer and that is what has brought them to the venue.

Compulsion is strong and it is good and I hope the day I lose it for good beer is a long, long way off.