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A Craft Beer Lifestyle: Why “PairingwithBeer”?

In the summer of 2017, I was encouraged to start an Instagram profile, and was told, “Do it on beer – you know so much about beer!”

On Instagram, there were already tens of thousands of people posting pictures of beers they drank. Some were posting their own reviews, some simply a picture, some with a gimmick, such as a beer-drinking dog: “Why do we need another one of these guys?” I quickly thought.

“We don’t,” was the resounding conclusion.

The seed of the concept

For a separate project, as the general manager of a cafe/bar at the time, I was trying to plan some beer-centric events for Toronto Beer Week, and I was sitting with my Great Lakes Brewery rep who was going through some of the brewery’s one-off/seasonal offerings. One of the first brews she mentioned was the Audrey Hopburn Belgian-style IPA. At the time, I was facing a wall of the cafe that featured portraits by local artist D$ (Danny Smith), which happened to include a portrait of none other than Audrey Hepburn.

“Well that’s a funny coincidence,” I thought, “Could we pair that painting with this beer?!”

The result was creating an event for Toronto Beer Week whereby 15 different D$ portraits were paired with 15 different craft beers.

The seed for PairingwithBeer was then planted.

Saying “Yes” to a craft beer lifestyle IG account

The concept was simple: don’t pair the traditional way, with food, but expand the notion to pair with any and all sorts of items. Indeed, the point was to say that “Beer pairs with life.”

But what then was I doing? It was a fun and even silly concept, but the more I worked on it, the more people seemed to enjoy the whimsical feel of my beer posts, and the more seriously I thought of the PairingwithBeer concept.

It eventually dawned on me that this wasn’t merely a whimsical project: #craftbeerlifestyle was a hashtag used 18K+ times (at the time of writing this), but besides this so-called “lifestyle” involving the consumption of beer, there wasn’t actually a real lifestyle being conveyed – it was simply drinking craft beer.

Is there a craft beer lifestyle?

This all lead me to ask whether there is such a thing as a “craft beer lifestyle?”

And it seemed to me that that was what PairingwithBeer was perhaps really doing (or, at least, could do): I was pairing beer with items from life, and creating some sort of a notion of what a craft beer lifestyle might be. The pairing format, in other words, was a way to convey a craft beer lifestyle, beyond the consumption of beer.

But a craft beer lifestyle was obviously still a murky concept – it required a proper definition. And the best way to start understanding this, I figured, was to ask, “Who are the people who drink craft beer?”

Experimenting with quality

People who drink craft beer generally like to try new things. They experiment with a variety of breweries and beer styles, and like to compare various brews. Very few of us, I would say, have a properly “favourite beer,” but we usually have a “favourite beer right now.” We all have an answer to the question, “What’s your favourite beer?” but that answer is rarely the same from year to year, or even from month to month.

Craft beer drinkers are typically more concerned with the quality of the product than the cost, which is why we are often willing to pay a bit extra. For me, it’s a ‘quality over quantity’ mentality: I would prefer to sip slowly on a Rodenbach Grand Cru, allowing it to warm up almost to room temperature to release more of its incredible flavours, than guzzle an “ice cold” beer in a frosted glass just to crack the next one sooner.

Being in ‘the know’

I think that taking a few extra steps, paying a slightly higher price, doing a bit of homework and exercising some extra patience, can heighten the experience. Finding a new and exciting brew is like discovering the coolest new band when you’re 14 years old.

And like the 14 year old music fan who devours all the latest info on their favourite band, people who drink craft beer like to know about the product they are consuming – the people behind it, the ingredients within it, the history of the brewery and brewers and any other little tidbit of info that brings them closer to the product. Craft beer drinkers read labels on bottles and cans like a 14 year old reads the liner notes on their new favourite album.

Supporting local

When I think of what makes craft “craft,” I intuitively think a number of things. Craft is usually produced on a smaller scale. It is produced with a keen eye for quality. When possible, craft beer is produced using ingredients that are locally sourced. And craft breweries typically get to know their neighbours, both local residents and businesses alike. Indeed, craft breweries often act like hubs that help bring the local community together.

And it’s a two-way street: people who drink craft beer like to support their community and local businesses as well. Craft beer drinkers like to know that that little bit extra they spent on a craft product is going to someone who is incredibly passionate about the product of their labour (because it is coming from them specifically). When you go to a local arts market and buy a pair of mitts from Susan who hand-knitted them herself, it can be more satisfying making a purchase of this sort, supporting Susan, than purchasing the latest Nike hoody.

(It is important to note that I am not saying that Nike does not care about the quality of its products. “Macro” does not mean “bad” or “lack of care.” “Macro” simply means “large scale.”).

Bringing people together

People who drink craft beer like to talk about it. They like to discuss the triumphs (or failures) of the brew that they and their friends are tasting. They like to share their beer with their friends. I love to offer people a taste of whatever I am drinking: “Try this,” I always say with pride.

There’s nothing I enjoyed more when tending bar than having a guest come to make an order and tell me that they don’t like beer. I would always respond, “Really? Try this,” and then I would give them a sample of the guava sour from Blood Brothers Brewing that I had on tap, and would just wait for their reaction. 9 times out of 10 the response went something like this: “Oh – wow, ” another sip, “Wow, ya – this is really good. This is beer?! Ok, ya: I’ll have one of these.” There’s nothing quite like expanding someone else’s understanding of the universe like this: beer isn’t simply ‘the land of lager.’

My local pub currently offers the Blackberry Shapeshifter from Halo Brewery, and, whenever I am drinking it, there’s always some stranger who has to ask, “What is that purple thing you’re drinking?!” Discussing beer flavours, styles and trends, identifying with those strangers who are soon to be friends over a beer, is community building. Once you have a pint in your hand, we all can agree that we’re here for the same reason: to have a great time together.

It is about fun after all

Beer drinking is fun: that’s the most important thing, I think. Of course, I like to argue that taking the time to get know your product, to search incredible new offerings, is more enjoyable than grabbing the easiest option. But really, we all drink beer to relax and have a good time.

I do not intend to articulate some snobby, stuck up notion of what beer drinking should be. I want to make it clear that, as is the tone of the PairingwithBeer beer pairings, we have fun together drinking beer. We not only recognize the craft and/or people behind the beer, the countless possible flavours that really includes something for everyone, but also that we can all fit together in this scheme. There’s a reserved spot for everyone of us in the fun that is craft beer.

So what is “Craft Beer Lifestyle”?

A “craft beer lifestyle” is all of the above. It’s about knowing the product you are consuming. It’s about knowing of the people behind the product. It’s about the community in which you share that product, and from which that product appears. It’s about networking and knowing people. It’s about trends and style. It’s about setting trends and style. And, above all, it’s about the fun you have with others drinking beer.

“Craft beer lifestyle” is that lifestyle that pushes towards experimentation and variety; towards an informed and knowledgeable experience with the product being purchased; towards quality products and ones that are locally-produced; towards making friends and community-building; towards a lifestyle that puts fun and enjoyment with the community at the forefront of experience.

And no matter what item you may have purchased recently, whether it be a cozy pair of mitts that Susan knitted for you or your sweet new Nike hoody, a compliment for that new item will probably be paid to you over a pint.

PairingwithBeer intends to be the place that brings the philosophy of a craft beer lifestyle to the fore, and intends to make the philosophy itself macro. 

Why?

Because we can all enjoy a Craft Beer Lifestyle, and the more that do, the merrier are the rest of us. So come drink and be merry with me.

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Quick Links

• Gallery of PairingwithBeer Original Instagram posts
• Shacklands Brewing Company
• Rainhard Brewing Company
• Junction Craft Brewery
• Eastbound Brewing Company
• Henderson Brewing Company
• Halo Brewery
• Sawdust City Brewing Company
• Blood Brothers Brewing
• Great Lakes Brewery
• Rodenbach Brewery
• Toronto Beer Week