Both of Us .org
News and views from two charming fellows in Northeast Minneapolis.
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Friday, January 25, 2008
Bottling Beer That I Will Never Drink
By JB aka JayBee
Tonight my friend Cosmic Monkey came over to play. We considered doing art projects together, but first we'd have to locate my oil paints. After searching the first floor, second floor, basement and garage, we gave up looking for the illusive oil colors and settled for playing some old school games on an antiquated Nintendo 64 that I was given by a friend many months ago. These games held our attention for perhaps an hour, then we moved on to the evening's main attraction, bottling beer.
I have had fifteen gallons of beer sitting in my home that I have been putting off bottling since I stopped drinking beer due to my new chronic health condition. It seemed unfair somehow that I would not allow myself to taste any of this fantastic beer hand crafted with loving detail. Since I learned beer brewing through Cosmic Monkey, it seemed poetic that he was here to help me bottle the beer I would never drink.
On this cold night in Northeast Minneapolis while bottling beer, we spoke candidly about fear, death, and loss. I brought up the Buddhist idea of impermanence which gives me comfort. He spoke of childhood in a Christian tradition, and remembered the exact moment in his childhood when he realized that his parents would eventually die. Winter does this I think, it reminds us of our mortality as we take refuge from the cold outside, nestled in our homes, brewing beer. Outside the garden is covered deep in snow, but I know that it will be green and luscious as we tend it in the spring.
Ten gallons of hand crafted bottled beer are now neatly stacked in the basement, minus a share given to Cosmic Monkey. Five gallons of my Sweet Stout and five gallons of my Phat Tyre Amber Ale will sleep soundly for the next two weeks, coming of age in their bottles. Five gallons of my Belgian Triple Ale still stare at me from a carboy wondering when it too will have the privilege of finding its way into beautiful green flip top bottles. This Belgian beer will be extra strong, strong enough perhaps to "put hair on your chest" as my father might say.
Who will drink my beer?
I have had fifteen gallons of beer sitting in my home that I have been putting off bottling since I stopped drinking beer due to my new chronic health condition. It seemed unfair somehow that I would not allow myself to taste any of this fantastic beer hand crafted with loving detail. Since I learned beer brewing through Cosmic Monkey, it seemed poetic that he was here to help me bottle the beer I would never drink.
On this cold night in Northeast Minneapolis while bottling beer, we spoke candidly about fear, death, and loss. I brought up the Buddhist idea of impermanence which gives me comfort. He spoke of childhood in a Christian tradition, and remembered the exact moment in his childhood when he realized that his parents would eventually die. Winter does this I think, it reminds us of our mortality as we take refuge from the cold outside, nestled in our homes, brewing beer. Outside the garden is covered deep in snow, but I know that it will be green and luscious as we tend it in the spring.
Ten gallons of hand crafted bottled beer are now neatly stacked in the basement, minus a share given to Cosmic Monkey. Five gallons of my Sweet Stout and five gallons of my Phat Tyre Amber Ale will sleep soundly for the next two weeks, coming of age in their bottles. Five gallons of my Belgian Triple Ale still stare at me from a carboy wondering when it too will have the privilege of finding its way into beautiful green flip top bottles. This Belgian beer will be extra strong, strong enough perhaps to "put hair on your chest" as my father might say.
Who will drink my beer?
Labels: beer, cold weather, friendship, garden, Northeast Minneapolis
4 Comments:
Joseph wrote:
Beer fermenting - people dying.
The connection is quite uncanny. And, the idea that you're bottling it to never experience it yourself - ironic to say the least.
-joseph
JB aka JayBee wrote:
Morgon Mae, I have bottles of beer with your name on them.
I was looking at your flickr images and your Etsy.com profile today and remembered how much I love your work. Whenever people ask me about my favorite hat, I send them your way.
Joseph, I like your interpretation, although I am stuck thinking that your interpretation, tongue and cheek or not, is deeper than I had any intention of going.
BamBam wrote:
I want a beer! (I'm 1/4 belgian) Hope u have a good gamma session today. I'm thinkin bout ya... so, ya think the gamma rays will turn you into spiderman like bill bixby? will also let u know how things go in St. Louis...Alan and I are going down Friday. Be back up in march... STAY WARM it's shitty cold. can i drink your beer hot? xoxo