Brewing with Love

Today was the day I brewed the IPA for my step-daughter's upcoming wedding. Though they cannot have alcohol at the actual wedding and reception because it is in a state park, they will be drinking it at the after the wedding party we plan on having at her mother's house. The original plan was to brew 3 beers but instead I'm only going to brew 2.

Brewing is not just about the mechanics of it all but about the connection between what is going on with us as people and how that effects what we cook. I am reminded of that saying that "something is made with love." The idea that what we are thinking and feeling infuses what we are making. Though I do not cook for pleasure, I do believe that my mood effects what I make when it comes to beer and wine. For example, after the break up of my last relationship I made a mead. I knew I wasn't going to be drinking it for at least a year...I named it Dissolution. I'm hoping that a year will be enough heal time so that by the time I do open it, it will not taste of the bitterness and pain that went into making it.

These latest beers were made with love and enthusiasm. I listen to happy music, I chat with my cat and there were a few moments in the kitchen where I busted a move or two. Even though I felt slightly apprehensive about how these batches would turn out I still went in with good feelings. The beer I started today is for the wedding of my ex-partner's daughter. I wanted to make them something that was unique but would be something they could share with everyone. I am also short on funds but long on spare time, so all of these factors make for a thoughtful and practical gift. Granted choosing a hoppier beer in no way is a reflection on my own personal feelings about marriage as an institution that reinscribes oppressive patriarchal patterns of dominance. I'm going to make a another batch which is more malty with subtle hop flavor and strong aroma.

But back to the love. I know that great globs of happy feelings were rolling about in the boil. I was listening to "Falling in Love at a Coffee shop" by Landon Pigg and I think the beer was definitely infused with that whimsy of love at first sight.