Day 21 - The End of Week Three

So far, so good. It is the end of the third full week of my quest and I exceeded my quota for the third straight time. Fifteen for the past week, a new world’s record! Sorry, got carried away there a bit…a new record for me, anyway. There were, as always, some good ones and some not so good ones, especially those IPA's that I have sworn off for good.

We interrupt this blog for a news bulletin...the average rating for the first 23 beers was 2.72. The average rating for the last 15 was 2.74. Average for all...2.73. I told you I was consistent. Now back to your regularly scheduled blog.

I'm hoping that change in my buying habits (swearing off beers I know are bitter) will steer me toward more good than bad. My latest trip to Total Wine netted me twelve bottles of ales and wheat beers that I’m more inclined to enjoy simply because I took the time to read the short description TW provides for each bottle (nice touch!). Thus, I avoided anything that indicated a very bitter finish.

Speaking of TW – Nirvana for the Alcohol Inclined, as I once described the store – I have observed that Tucson has more than its fair share of NAI-type establishments. That’s a good thing, of course, but a new concept for me. Where I originally come from (Grand Rapids, MI), beer is sold in a lot of places, such as party stores, supermarkets, and pharmacies (personally I'm surprised the Girl Scouts haven't caught on yet, but I guess they're still making a killing on those cookies). And some of those party stores have a good selection of craft beers, both foreign and domestic. But none can claim to have a thousand different kinds. At least, none that I know of, but I didn't get out much. The weather's much nicer here.

So, it sort of seems like kismet that I moved here to Tucson where the idea of this quest arose. Could I have done this back in GR? Possibly, but I think it would have been more difficult than here. I think I would have had to try a lot more beers I know I wouldn’t like in order to reach the 524 mark than here.

Michigan, by the way, is a hot spot for small craft breweries, so I could have hit some of them to help me reach 524. And perhaps canvassing the various party stores would have netted me a large enough pool from which to tap into as a way of hitting the target. Having a place like TW, though, sure makes it easier.

Right now I have absolutely no problem filling up two six-pack cartons of individual beers and I’m sure that trend will continue for some time since their selection is so large. Looking ahead, though, I imagine it will become more problematic for a couple of reasons. First, I’m not going to remember every beer I’ve tried, so I will have to check a possible selection against my master list to ensure I’m not purchasing something I’ve already tried. And second, I will eventually work my way through the beer styles I know I like and will probably have to delve into “muddy waters,” so to speak, the styles that are borderline for me.

Recapping yesterday and today, I tried a Shiner Bock for the first time and was surprised to learn that it is in the same style as my beloved Killian’s – a dark American lager. I would drink that if Killian’s wasn’t available, but I didn’t think it was as good. I also tried a Sam Adams Cream Stout, which I really liked, but wouldn’t drink on a regular basis. The relative sweetness and heaviness just doesn’t lend itself to an afternoon of watching sports and drinking beer.

Today I tried a Belgian White called Ommegang Witte. Most witbiers have an orange component, but this one was more lemony. Interesting twist...I liked it. The other I tried was a schwarzbier called Shiner Bohemian Black Lager. With the black lager label I had thought it would be closer to an American dark lager, but it was more like a porter. This was interesting as well, but I must admit that I liked it better the more of it I drank. Initially I just wasn't sure about this beer since it was so different from other beers.

Boring stat break #2: I need to average 1.44 different beers a day to hit my target. I am currently averaging 1.81. At this rate, I will reach my goal in 290 days, which is New Years Day 2011. Put another way, at this rate I will drink 661 different beers in a year's time.

My average rating will be 2.73, give or take a hundredth. Just kidding...sort of.

I’m looking forward (once again) to another week of exciting new beers. I will give advance warning that there are three or four fruit beers in the mix. Girly beverages or serious brews? Sounds like a good blog topic, so I won’t address it now, but suffice to say, I favor them. I also have a nice mix of wheat beers and ales that I think will be good, so my way to completing the fourth week is clear.

Three down, forty nine to go!

Goal...............524.....365
Progress...........38......21
Remaining.....486.....344