I was tweet-worthy

@Beervana Jeff Alworth
Just had a righteous amber ale @CoalitionBrewin for their Coalator project. Mashinda Hedgmon was the homebrewer, & it was a perfect session.
7 Jan via web

Jeff Alworth of Beervana tweeted about my beer on Friday. How freakin' cool is that!

I have to say that the moment it was all over on Friday my mind immediately moved to new recipes, upgrading brewing stuff, and working on that chapter of my dissertation on women of color pedagogy. I really need to get that finished and off my back, then I'll feel better about writing that business plan and doing more research on People's Brewing. I've been thinking about writing a grant to see if I can get someone to pay me to do research on them. Unfortunately, I really need to finish up all these other projects before I jump into something new.

The elderberry IPA is coming along nicely. I do like the fact that the closet in the apartment stays really cool, mid 60s, and all my fermentations are taking longer but I think the results will be a better beer. I'm only slightly pressed for time on this one, but I think what I envisioned it to be will be right on. It'll spend a little time on oak and elderberries, before force carbonating. The aroma of elderberries was really prominent in the boil and when I changed to airlock from blow-off. Another 6 days in primary, I hope.

People's Amber Debut

I'm breathing easier today.

My beer was released on Friday, January 7 at Coalition. I was over the moon thrilled with the number of people who came out to try it and it made my heart swell to see that many brought friends with them. When I walked in Ben, the bartender, leaned over the bar to tell me that he had already sold 2 of my beers. The couple at the end of the bar specifically asked for my Amber. I later met them and it turns out they'd seen the announcement that my friend Joe had posted on the Oregon Brew Crew listserve.

I am happy to say that I didn't have to kill the kegs myself, an endeavor which would most certainly have sent my ass to the hospital and being uninsured that would have ended badly. I was blessed to have really supportive and thirsty friends who came out and ordered not only 1 pint but in many cases pitcher after pitcher of my beer. I got the first announcement that we'd blown the first keg at around 6:40pm and to say that I was a little floored would be an understatement. I was hard pressed to not guzzle down my beer and order another, but I was bound and determined not to be drunk that night.

Best intentions. I forget what a little booze and a gush of adrenaline will do to me. Couple that with no solid food in my stomach and I was doomed before I even made it halfway through my first pint. I'm going to go on record and say that I don't even think anyone noticed how drunk I was, and that is a testament to my ability to hold my alcohol and my father's genes. I'd like to think he would have been proud of me, considering he used to take me into bars with him when I was just a baby.

There's a slew of people I want to thank for making Peoples' Amber such a success. I know I won't get them all but my heart remembers you even if my head doesn't.

The women from my 30+ lesbian social group meetup, especially Trina, Kari, Diana, Laura, Nancy, Shi, Tana, Carmen, and the folks I didn't get a chance to meet.

My happy hour cronies, who have given me many happy hours, Sandra (special thanks for inviting your friend Jeff), Mark, Chris, Megan, Lysa, Levi, Sarah, Jen, Krishna, Will, and Elizabeth.

My mom, my sister Qiana, and my good friends Doneena and Sarah R., it was great to have my family there with me. My mother tasted it and said it tastes like beer, well as long as my beer continues to taste like beer I'm going to be pleased about that.

Thank you Joe, my brewing buddy, for sending out an announcement out to the Oregon Brew Crew listserve.

I wish I could say it was a night I'll never forget but honestly around 9:30pm I was so drunk, a lot of the evening became a haze. I do remember Holman's and a bus ride at midnight but after that it's a blur.