We all work. We all have busy lives. We’re all more than we seem. How do we let others know this? The art we enjoy. For me the two best windows into a person are what music they chose to listen to and what beer they chose to drink.
You can probably get the music thing. But Beer?!? That fizzy yellow liquid!!! What class and sophistication does that stuff have? If you know where to look, there are beers out there that are the liquid equivalent of Wagner, Nietzsche, and Wagner; much like the fact you can get by perfectly fine by solely listening to the radio. Remember when you started to buy your own music? Weather it was LPs, cassettes, or CDs, the new found feeling of buying things that were designed to make you happy is quite an epiphany.
The first exposure you have to something is HUGE. Never get a second chance…right? Pretty sure the first time you heard “Stairway to Heaven” someone important wanted to share it with you. I was first taken to what would later become my all time favorite brewery by my friends after a few rounds of disc golf. Word of mouth is powerful.
Ever make the mistake to ask a Deadhead why they like the Grateful Dead or a teenage girl why their affinity towards N*Sync is so strong? Somewhat irrational, totally overzealous support is par for the course. Same when you first pick a favorite brewery. You like them and you’re not quite sure why you like them, but you definitely know you like them and would never think otherwise.
Time passes. You began to hear and drink other things. You get a little curious. What exactly is the line that separates these things from each other: Tom Tom Club/Talking Heads, ales/lagers, Joy Division/New Order, or porters/stouts. They have the same basic components. Beer and music get classified into different styles to make things orderly.
So now you know who Syd was and that The Pink Floyd is much more than darkside and The Wall. Pretty soon you’ll have to explain to a girl you like very much why you have so many Bob Dylan burnt CDs with dates written on them. (His 1965 tour with The Hawks where he would first do an acoustic set to a warm reception and then an electric set that would be violently booed. He was comfortable enough in his art to take the fallout from people who didn’t understand evolution. Tracking the trajectory of this man is fascinating.) Once you identify what is good art to you, you use it to allow others a taste of you.
Building a personal library of likes and dislikes happens over time. I don’t know how many times my friends have told me not to play "The Temples of Syrinx" or anything else off 2112 on the bar jukebox. Don’t tell me what to do. If I want a slice of orange with my hefeweizan… I’m gonna do it. Besides, I like Rush. Their music is very complex.
The real challenge with beer and music is explaining to someone who is not a fan, why you’re a fan. The proper jargon will help you explain yourself and make you sound intelligent. Compare and contrast bands/beers to show what you are familiar with. Find common ground. These conversations are a lot of fun. Don’t use conquest method of debate or tell someone they’re wrong. Taste is different for everybody.
Either you will like something or not. You can always dump out your beer or turn the music off. You won’t know you like something until you experience it firsthand. Give that band you always see people wearing t-shirts off a listen. Or that beer with a weird tap handle a sample. Slow your day down a little.
