Who am I and why do you care?

Well, chances are you don't. I'm just a guy who enjoys beer. Not for the sake of getting drunk, not because it's cheap alcohol (it really isn't if you buy the good stuff). I love the flavor, the variety, the history... alright, let's just say there's a lot of things I like about it.

Mostly I'm writing this blog for my own sake. I'll be cataloging my thoughts on different beers as I try them, and using it as a reference point for myself. If you happen to stumble on here and find some information that appeals to you, then great. I'm not an expert on any of this by a long shot, so don't take anything you see here as a hard fact. Actually, I'd welcome any corrections... this blog is mostly just going to be about my journey with my friends in our discovery of new and exciting beers (to us). Suggestions are encouraged!

All the information that follows below in this post is completely pointless. Come back later to read the first reviews, or continue reading at your own risk.

I had my first beer on my 21st birthday. I actually hated it. A friend took me to a local place, ordered a pitcher of something that sounded good, and we went for it. What came out of the back room was the darkest beer I'd ever seen. Now he only drank Miller Lite usually, and I was completely new to the stuff, so this nearly black brew with it's strong coffee-like flavor was not well accepted by either of us.

I tried a few different things over the years, mostly staying towards the "shallow end" of the beer pool. Miller Lite became my beer of choice for a long time, and I slowly expanded out to Heineken, Yuengling, and a few other popular beers.

It wasn't until I went out with a few friends from my old high school for a bachelor party that I experienced a truly wonderful beer, which sparked my interest to discover more. It was at a cigar bar in Philadelphia, and the beer's name was Duvel. This is a magnificent Belgian Ale, and is still one of my favorites. At 8.5% alcohol by volume, it's much stronger than your average brew, but the flavor is to die for. There was something magical about that first tasting. That one beer grabbed my attention in a way that no other had before, and I found myself wishing I could get my hands on it again.

Then one day I was visiting a friend who lives some 30 miles away from my house. We stopped by a local liquor store to pick up a 6 pack to go with our pizza and movie. While wandering around the store, I noticed a section of imported beers, and walked over to take a look. To my astonishment, they had a Duvel gift set, with 3 bottles and a special glass! I bought it right away, and introduced him to it as well. And that's how I started my beer odyssey...

(for more information on Duvel, visit http://www.duvelusa.com)