Welcome to the Good Beer Guild

Welcome to the Good Beer Guild, your soon-to-be go-to guide for the best of what beer has to offer!

My name is Jason, and I think it’s safe to say I’d be a strong contender for biggest beer fanatic in the Washington, DC area.

As I’m sure most of you can relate, I stuck with what I saw my father drinking (Bud) when I came of age, never realizing there was a whole world of beer besides American lagers out there. I owe my beer revelation to my roommate at UConn. After bringing me the six-pack of Bud I requested during his trip to the liquor store one fateful day, he insisted I learn what “real” beer tasted like and handed me a Magic Hat #9. That first sip changed my outlook on life.

My exact thoughts, as I gulped down that marvelous tribute to all that is good in the world, were: “Where have you been all my life?!”

Fast forward to today. I’ve been a bartender for 10 years, avid home brewer for eight. I’m studying to become a Cicerone (basically a sommelier for beer), and I am on a never-ending quest to taste new and interesting beers.

There has never been a better time to be a beer lover. We are enjoying a craft brew Renaissance that has been gaining momentum ever since the 1980s with no signs of slowing down.From what I’ve seen, the most adventurous beer drinkers seem to belong to the generation that came of age during the first waves of the craft brew explosions, but it can be overwhelming for younger (and older) folks who are just starting to venture into the vast craft brewing world.

The aim of this blog is to create a community dedicated to exploring the best of what the craft brew world has to offer. The Guild is to be a safe space for beer lovers of all persuasions to come together and talk about beer. I will offer my own opinions and insights in each post, and openly invite healthy debate in the comments section.

This is what you can expect to see on this blog:

• Weekly review of a craft beer
• Your guide to beer in the kitchen: food pairing tips and recipes with beer
• Reviews of brewpubs and beer-focused restaurants in the Greater Washington, DC area
• My own homebrew recipes and tips, plus tastings of my brews (so you’ll know whether it’s worth making)
• Interesting facts about beer and drinking culture around the world
• Seasonal posts featuring the best beer-related gifts relevant to the holiday
• Beer related news
• And more!

What you will NOT see here:

• Dishonest reviews. I will always give my honest opinion about any beer I review. If it sucks, I’m going to let you know because my word means nothing if I can’t be trusted to write my true opinions.
• Attacks on the big brewing companies. This blog is not meant to take a stance of opposition to mass-produced beers or breweries; my aim is simply to celebrate craft brews

My girlfriend, Jess, will be tackling some of the beer culture and fun facts articles, as well as contributing her opinions to the beer tastings. I introduced her to good beer when we started dating four years ago, so her opinions reflect someone still learning about the intricacies of good brews.  That way you’ll get the perspective of an experienced taster and an enthusiastic beginner.

I hope to see you here again as we begin adding more content. Thanks again for stopping by!

We are linking up with Technorati.com, so here’s the code for them to verify us: HXFZMNAF9RJS .

*To get things rolling, leave a comment about your first introduction to “real beer,” and what the gateway brew was!*