In the lovely city of Muncie, Indiana, there is a dark craft beer bar named the Heorot. Owned by the guys over at the Guardian Brewery, the Heorot has been a staple in the craft beer community for decades. With a ton of beers on tap and in their coolers, you can literally drink hundreds of beers and never duplicate the same beer.
Actually – That’s exactly what I did. It’s their 100 beer club and once you complete it, you get a plaque on the bar that will stay forever. I will forever be enshrined at the mecca for craft beer in Indiana. And it’s something I can tell my kid about when he gets older (not that he will care, but oh well).
My 100 Beers
During my quest to 100 beers, I learned a few things. Surprisingly, I learned a lot about myself, craft beer, and even bourbon.
You read that right. Drinking 100 different craft beers taught me something about bourbon.
It might seem silly, but let me explain. I’m keen on the idea of reflecting and learning from my experiences. And this journey taught me a few things.
Lesson 1 – The Classics Are Classics For A Reason
The first 20 beers I drank on my journey were ones that I wanted to try and ones in my favorite style. It just makes sense to start with what you know and explore in that area. I drank a lot of hazy IPAs and then a lot of dark German lagers. If you met me for a beer tonight, my guess is I would default to one of these styles right away.
After I got through that part of the list, I was faced with a dilemma. What do I drink next?
I decided that I was going to just start at the top of the menu and order down the list. This led me to a few of the OGs in the craft beer space. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Bell’s Two Hearted, Arrogant Bastard, etc. As I drank these beers, I realized a few things:
- I still like them. A lot.
- I don’t order these any more. Not because I don’t like them, but because I moved on to the other shiny objects.
- These are the beers that made me enjoy craft beer.
The same can be said about bourbon. If you poured me a finger of Woodford Reserve, I would enjoy the pour. If I had a glass of Old Forester, I wouldn’t be mad. I still like these classic pours and I should make sure to remember this when ordering my drinks.
These bourbons are the reason I enjoy bourbon. And you should remember why you enjoy bourbon as well. Go back to these and see why they are a classic and why they deserve that title.
Lesson 2 – Your Tastes Will Change Over Time
If I did this challenge at 21 years old, my card would look way different than the card I just completed. And I imagine that my card 10 years from now will look at a lot different as well. When I started drinking craft beer, I was a milk stout and Belgian wheat beer kind of guy. Now I love almost any craft beer, but have a leaning towards IPAs and dark lagers.
My tastes have changed tremendously over the last 10 years. And they will continue to change.
The same could be said about bourbon or spirits in general. I’m not afraid to admit my first liquor of choice would have been Southern Comfort (which led to some very stupid choices). From there, I went into the rum side of things. And now I love bourbon. I partly credit this to becoming an old man professor, but I also would like to think my palate has evolved over time. As I have tried more and more things, I have started to find where my tastebuds like to hang out.
What I like today, won’t be what I like a year from now. And that’s ok.
Lesson 3 – Drink The Specials
When you drink 100 beers, the cost starts to add up. And you start looking for deals.
Most bars will have a weekly specials that help you choose your pour of the day. If you aren’t picky, these are great opportunities to save little money and try something you don’t usually drink.
During my time trying the different craft beers, I ordered a lot of different specials. On Tuesdays, I could drink any beer on tap for $4, so I ordered a lot of high priced beers I wouldn’t typically try. On Wednesdays, it was seasonal specials for $3 a pour, so I ordered the seasonal each week to help them clear out kegs. It might have been cheaper, but I was drinking for the good of the bar.
It’s something to remember when you visit your local establishment. A regular is a the best asset to a restaurant and bar and if you help the bar out, they’ll help you out.
Lesson 4 – Respect The Craft
If I learned anything from my beer drinking journey, it is that the craft of alcohol making is just that. A craft.
I’ve tried beers from the biggest breweries in the world. I’ve tried beers from monks. I’ve tried beers from a greenhouse on the southside of Muncie (shoutout to Northern Tropics – Love you Ted). All of the beers have something in common.
It’s someone’s masterpiece.
If you do anything as you drink beer (or bourbon), you need to understand that brewing and distilling is craft. And you need to respect that.
You might not love a bourbon, but others might flock to a distillery for it. You can’t be the judge of beauty (thanks Jason Powell for that humanities lesson from college) and beauty is rooted in your own perception.
When you judge your tastes, realize they are yours and yours alone. I could love something you hate and that’s ok. The beauty of all of it is in the journey. So enjoy each time you try something (rather you like it or not).
Lesson 5 – Tracking Your Experiences Is Key
I was sitting on a plane in Atlanta talking to a guy about bourbon and he pulled out a notebook. It was filled an alphabetical list of the different bourbons he had at his home bar. I spent about 30 minutes flipping through it and had a great conversation with the gentlemen (also referred him to Wiseguys Lounge). And I sat there before takeoff and realized, the journey is worth sharing.
This guy shared his bourbon journey with me because he tracked it. I did the same with my beer journey. I can look back at my list of beers and remember the day, my mood, etc about trying that beer. It’s a historical moment that can be relived if I read it in the future. I wish I would have done that with my bourbon journey.
And it all comes down to the story. Drinking bourbon for me is about making memories with my friends and family. And each time I do it, I have a story I can tell. And it makes the memory of the day last forever.
My beer card made me track my drinks and I think this should be a standard in the world of a bourbon drinker. Remember the day. Remember the people. Remember the occasion. Remember the memories.
You can’t recreate these moments. And these are the things you will talk about the rest of your life.
Lesson 6 – Understanding Tastes Take Time
As I taste more bourbon (or craft beer), I realize building your palate takes time and practice. And it is a form of art.
Once you start tasting bourbon, you will never look at bourbon the same. The same could be said about craft beer. Every time I taste a new beer, I file it back in my brain and take that taste with me moving forward. And I’ve built up my repository of tastes over the years. And it takes some serious time.
Your tastes will take time to develop and that is a ok. You need to develop your tastes and building your tasting profile. When I was younger, I liked one thing. When I started drinking bourbon, I liked another. Now I like something in a different ballpark. And tomorrow I’ll love something else.
Your tastes take time to build and they’ll continue to grow. This has happened to me in the craft beer world and it’s true in the bourbon world as well. Continue to taste. Continue to grow. And continue to explore.
Conclusion
If you would have told me that I would learn about drinking bourbon during my quest to 100 beers, I would have told you that you’re crazy. Through reflecting, I think that I actually did learn a few things. I learned the bourbon is an art, tastes are grown, the classics are classics for a reason, and a few other things you have read above. And I’m willing to stand by my comments because I know most of your experiences are the same. You have learned and grown from drinking and trying new things. You have learned to respect the craft and be a good steward of the profession. You have learned to drink the specials and understand your tastes will continue to change.
You have learned and you need to educated others.
That’s my charge. Examine yourself and spend your time promoting bourbon and the experience to others. As you grow, the field grows and we can all enjoy the end result.
Cheers!