Slow Down For Spring … And Drink it all in

The sound of friends’ voices echoing around you, clinking of glasses, maybe a good game on above your head, and a great song playing in the background; there’s just something special about being out with the people who mean the most. Few things in life mean more to me than spending time with the people who make life worthwhile, and I go well out of my way to make these times happen.
But being in a crowded bar as beers flow fast beneath colorful and artful tap handles it’s easy to forget just how amazing the liquid pouring forth can be. Please take a moment to cherish what you’re drinking folks. Personally, I’m not the type to sit at home and drink alone, but there’s something to be said for taking a foot off the gas and settling down on a comfy couch with no distractions, and pouring up a solitary pint.
To find that middle ground between mindlessly imbibing and overanalyzing to the nth degree, here’s a reminder on how to cuddle that transformed water in your glass.
To start we need just that, a clean glass. Sure, some beers require specific glassware, but a classic shaker or even a wine goblet will do. Bubbles sticking to the side will tell you of remaining soap, so hand-washing isn’t a terrible idea.
Pop the top on a beer you’ve been itching to drink and take in the sound of carbonation rushing outward. Don’t rush, anticipation is a wonderful thing. Now pour the brew straight into the bottom of the glass, making sure to create at least some foam to sit atop the drink underneath.
The next step is possibly the action/reaction most overlooked by novice beer drinkers. As the beer fills the glass and begins to open itself up to your world, it is a must to engage both eyes and nose. Take note of the hues and the shades of the beverage, noting any highlights on the edge when held up to the light. We’re a visual species, and not looking at your beer is suppressing one of the keys to human enjoyment.
That said it’s the smell of a beer, and later the smell/taste combination that will bring the most response from the individual. As the head settles, put your face right into the glass and breathe deeply through the nose. Exhale and repeat, this time holding in the vapors. It’s even interesting to inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth.
Lastly, take a big sip; you’ve earned it. Let the beer sit in your mouth for a moment. Notice the olfactory and gustatory combination of smell and taste. Swallow. Can you discern different flavors as the liquid leaves your mouth? Is there a change from first smell, to what you notice on your lips and front of the mouth compared to what’s left at the back of your tongue as the beer escapes down your throat? See what you’ve done there, you just benefited from the simple pleasure of drinking a beer.
It never hurts to take a minute and get down to the basics of what we often take for granted when life gets overwhelming and too much to endure. Reconnect with your beer, appreciate it. Then share that with a buddy, a few buddies; here’s to great times to come. Enjoy the brews … Cheers.
Gene’s Haufbrau has more than 200 beers in bottles or on tap. Gene’s is located at 817 Savannah Hwy. 225-GENE. E-mail the Beer Snob at publisher@westof.net.