Hello!
My name is Mel and I like trying new beers. I also like photography and writing, so I thought I would try photographing and writing about the beers I try. Especially while traveling. I also like traveling. The first beer I ever liked was St. Pauli Girl, poured from a pitcher that I shared with grad school classmates. We chose it because it was $12, and there were 6 of us. My tastes have evolved since then.
The first “craft” beer I remember drinking was Hell or High Watermelon by San Francisco’s own 21st Amendment. I tried it on a trip with my two best friends in 2013, and I nearly cried when I found it in Chicago for the first time two years later. Now it’s everywhere, and I live less than 10 miles up the highway from 21st Amendment’s main production facility. I still love Hell or High Watermelon, and every time we’re brave enough to go to Costco, we treat ourselves to dinner at 21st Amendment nearby. They serve the HoHW drafts with a watermelon garnish.
My husband is JP, and I’ll post about his thoughts as well. We agree fairly often on beer, but I tend to like porters and fruity beers more, and he definitely likes hoppy beers more than I do. We both love barrel-aged deliciousness, ordering beer flights, visiting new breweries, and collecting way too many beer glasses for our tiny apartment.
I’m a Chicago native that has recently moved to Oakland, California. The fella has lived in 14 states since he finished high school, so he hasn’t been “from” anywhere in a while, but he grew up in New Jersey. I’m hoping that this project will get me out of the house more often.
Our lives changed for the better in fall 2018, when our baby girl joined the family. As such, I took most of 2018 off from brewery hopping, and while I tried to keep up the blog by posting older content, it eventually became less important than putting together nursery furniture and sorting onesies. So many onesies. We don’t have family (read: free childcare) nearby, so we’re almost always a trio, and Claire likes breweries, too. They are cool and generally kind of noisy, she thinks that they are a great place for stroller naps and meeting new friends. From now on, I’ll make a point of noting if breweries are family friendly in my blog posts.
Maybe you came here looking for a recommendation, or maybe you’re my husband and I’m forcing you to read every post (hi honey!). Either way, thanks for checking out my blog.