Day 14 – Is the Beer Glass Half Full or Half Empty?

I try to be a positive, optimistic person as much as I can and, for the most part, I think I am. However, sometimes life can present challenges that initially seem bigger than they actually are. It is only after you begin to tackle the challenge before you realize that it isn’t as bad as you had originally thought.

Such was the case for me last week. Mounting professional and social commitments made their presence felt and, unfortunately, I blogged about them when they felt at their heaviest. The next day, however, I began addressing the professional commitments and made better than expected progress, alleviating some of the stress I felt the night before.

The social commitments, though, were still present and made me blog about the possibility I might not make my quota of ten different beers this week. Oh ye of little faith! Don’t you know that where there’s a will, there’s a way? Hey, when the going gets tough, the tough get going! Pressure makes diamonds, as Patton used to say.

Why, yes, I did make my quota this week. In fact, I exceeded it, though I cheated a bit - twice.

Two days ago, I managed to try one new beer, Red Rocket Ale, which was so hoppy I couldn’t finish it. Of course, the Ratebeerians loved it, making me wonder if the only ones who rate hoppy beers are hopheads themselves. Makes sense, I suppose, and I can see a time down the road where I elect not to try certain beer styles because I know I won’t like them. For now, though, I’m going to continue to spread the wealth, so to speak, and try the whole gamut of styles, if I can. I’d hate to make a judgment call like that based on just one or two brands. A representative sample of four to six would be more indicative of the style, making a decision like that more objective.

Yesterday I managed to try another one, a really good stout called Black Hawk Stout. Smooth and balanced…made me wish I had bought a few more of those. I will definitely have some of that again down the road. That brought me up to 8 for the week with one day to go.

Today I tried three more, bringing my total for the week to 11 (hallelujah!) and the grand total to 23. The first was Redhook ESB, which touts itself as a Premium Bitter, but was actually very balanced with just a slight bitterness to it. It had a beautiful copper color to it when poured and I really liked it.

The second was an IPA (India Pale Ale) from Sierra Nevada called Torpedo Extra IPA. It sure torpedoed me. Like the Red Rocket Ale, it was very bitter. Actually this was the worst beer I've ever tasted. It smelled like pine cones and tasted like it, too. And like RRA, the Ratebeerians loved it. We're just never going to see eye to eye on this type of beer. I literally poured it out after two sips, the second just to make sure the first was really as bad as it seemed (it was; worst, maybe).

Since I didn't really drink the second, I tried a third called Easy Street Wheat. It was okay...not great, but not bad, either. I drank it all and enjoyed it, though I didn't love it.

So do you know what the moral of the story is? The beer glass may be half empty with a really good witbier or half full with a very hoppy ale or IPA, which is another way of saying that life isn’t all good or all bad. When your glass appears half full, you might still encounter a bitter swallow occasionally and when it appears half empty, there are still some good things left to enjoy. My wife understands and embraces this philosophy better than I do (which I admire her greatly for), but it is a level to which I continually strive to reach. Obviously I'm not there yet.

Really, this quest is pretty interesting and a lot of fun. I’m learning and experiencing new things and not just about beer, either, as you can see. I know I need to lighten up on that whole results-oriented thing that Type A personalities like mine possess. It is a trait that makes us successful at nearly everything we attempt, but it also makes us lose sight sometimes of the original purpose of the goal. My wife is quick to remind me of that and I appreciate the reality check. It’s that “up to your ass in alligators” thing that occasionally gets in the way. If the only thing I get out of this experience is the ability to select which alligators to fend off and which to ignore while I’m draining the swamp, then it will be well worth the effort.

So, Week Two (2?) is in the bag and the way looks clear for another successful week. I have another 12-pack of different, interesting brews from Total Wine that I’m excited to try. My weekend is free to do whatever I want, such as watch Michigan State again in the Final Four (Go Spartans!). Chances are good that I will exceed the quota for the third time in three weeks. The glass is half-full again.

Any IPA in that 12-pack?

Two down and fifty to go!

Goal...............524.....365
Progress...........23.......14
Remaining......501.....351