The Beer Drinker’s Guide to Quarantine Survival
It’s been a wild ride the past few months as the coronavirus ravaged life as we know it, and forced everyone into prolonged quarantine and social distancing.
Parents were forced to spend time with their kids while attempting to work from home as grocery stores struggled to keep up with toilet-paper demand.
A lot of people lost their jobs, and those who continued to work essential jobs and in hospitals braved dangerous conditions and were an inspiration to all.
It’s no wonder that while the stock market was plunging, beer sales were soaring. Getting drunk at noon on a Wednesday while doing Zoom meetings in your underwear could almost be considered part of the “new normal.”
These last three months have (for many) been one long binge. Once the novelty of rediscovering puzzles and having video chats with friends wore off, the only things to do for fun were watch Netflix, eat delicious food, and crack open a couple of cold ones. Sure, some people used the time to get in shape, read books, or learn a new skill, but that’s no fun, now is it?
For those who were stuck in a city apartment, I feel for you … I really do. That must have been horribly boring and stressful, and I am sorry for the next words to come. The quarantine was not much different for me than any other year. In fact, it was kind of fun. I enjoyed a lot of quality time with my family, drank a lot of great beer, and still got to do some of the things I love to do. And hey, I’m not going to lie, it was also nice to get a stimulus check with a wife and three kids! I feel fortunate to live where I do in Swainton, and thankful for having a house with a backyard in a secluded neighborhood where we could still go outside.
At the time I’m writing this, the economy is still shut down, but by the time you read this, I am praying that we have started to reopen, and return to a more normal way of life.
Thinking back on it, I have made up a list of my favorite things about quarantine, that most likely involved drinking a beer.
Favorite TV Show to Binge
“Brew Dogs”
This awesome show stars Martin Dickie and James Watt, owners of Brewdog Brewery in Scotland, who travel the world brewing beer in strange and innovative ways that reflect the culture, geography, or tradition of their locale. These guys are geniuses, and with the help of local experts, manage to pull off some magic in each and every episode that pushes the boundaries of craft beer. My favorite one is the one in San Francisco, where they harvest condensed fog above the Golden Gate Bridge to use as the water base for a “vaporized” beer that you inhale, not swallow. Very cool stuff and worth watching if you’re into beer.
Favorite Movie to Rewatch
“Beerfest”
A classic comedy that was released during my college days, this Broken Lizard film (guys that did “Super Troopers”) follows two brothers and their friends as they train for a beer-drinking competition to get revenge on their German cousins who disgraced them a year earlier. Along the way, they discover that their grandfather is the rightful heir to a Bavarian brewery and a recipe for “ze greatest beer in all the world.” Packed with quotable one-liners and plenty of drinking shenanigans, this is one to watch over and over again. Prost!
Most Interesting Beer I Have Tried During Quarantine
2015 Goose Island Sofie
Years ago, I bought a case of this special release Farmhouse Saison with the intention of aging it and doing a vertical tasting comparison with a fresh bottle. That idea went out the door, and I luckily had two bottles left in storage. The label says “Age in bottle for up to 5 years” and that I did. The beer was mellow and dry with mild citrus notes, and finished with subtle vanilla. Unfiltered and brewed with wild yeast, it has a fluffy white head and is slightly tart, which gives it that little extra bit of complexity for such a delicate beer.
Favorite Backyard Game
Cornhole
I’ve hosted a cornhole tournament at The Whitebrier for the last 8 years, and yet I never got into playing the game. However, my wife and I have recently started “throwing bags” on sunny days in the backyard, and it is actually very fun! The best part is that you can play with one hand and hold a beer in the other.
Best Outing
Waiting in line to enter a liquor store
If grocery shopping was the scariest and most dangerous activity of the quarantine, then waiting in line to get into the liquor store was probably a close second. Being among a bunch of people in masks nervously standing 6 feet apart outside the liquor store made me feel like a little bit like an addict, but talking to everyone else in line made me realize I wasn’t the only one drinking more often, and that we were “all in this together.”
Best Social Activity
Zoom Happy Hours with Friends / Gig Workers’ Video Performances
Not being able to hang with friends in person is a real bummer, but over the course of this pandemic I was able to reconnect with many friends I hadn’t talked to or seen in a long time. Video chats have been there all along, but we finally realized that friends don’t have to seem so far away if we just use technology. Sure, the first few minutes consisted of everyone having microphone issues, but once we got up and running it was almost as good as the real thing.
As the manager of a bar, I know a lot of gig workers and musicians, and without income, these times have hit them especially hard. Many of them put on live performances from their homes to try to raise a little money and lift everyone’s spirits. I watched DJs, did trivia nights, and listened to a lot of “live music” from the comfort of my living room, and it was cool to see everyone supporting their friends.
