Fall and beer go together like apple pie and America, Laverne and Shirley, Batman and Robin, peas and honey, the 2 a.m. Taco Bell run and morning shame, up and down, day and night, black and white, yin and yang - well, you get the picture. One thing leads into the other in a variety of mutually beneficial ways, and for pure-blood Michiganders (certainly a cold-weather people) the advent of malt-forward, roasty, high-alcohol seasonal beers such as your garden variety barley wines and double stouts is a shining, bright light breaking through those inevitable snow-filled clouds.
Yes, it is no coincidence that Michigan is the "Great Beer State," and is a very cold-weather region when it wants to be. I remember the winter we had two years ago where I literally shoveled my driveway every day for five days straight. It was me vs. the snow and I feel like in the end it was pretty much a draw, but I celebrated with the aforementioned beers anyway!
But it's not just cold weather that benefits and somehow encourages heavy drinking but it's all the lovely amenities that come along with this wonderous season. What are these totally awesome things Mr. Austen you might be asking, well have you heard a small American phenomenon called NFL football? And what about its slightly embarrassing, yet equally important cousin - fantasy football? Yessss...fantasy football, there are a lot of men and women (yes, I said it there are women who play fantasy football and are very good) who are reading that last sentence and shaking their head in enthusiastic approval right now.
Say, what you want about fantasy football and the fantasy football nerds out there but you know what, it's nice especially when you're an adult to play games; to get lost in something competitive that has no real consequences except possibly the loss of man card. I lost mine quite a while ago when I voluntarily offered to carry my wife's purse, so I'm all good baby!
I think by now you can tell I am a cold-weather type of guy. I look forward to the snow...for like the first two weeks then I start cursing the day I moved to this god-forsaken state. But, that doesn't mean that I don't enjoy the summer as well, and there are certainly warm weather beers that do the trick and I wrote about some of those in a post here.
So now is a good time to take a look around at your fall seasonals, check your favorite breweries' websites and have a nice chat with your favorite beer monger about what is coming out or what has already come out and, as always, cheers!
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