Greetings and salutations
Hi there! My name is Monica and I have decided to create a bog dedicated to the education of craft beer. I have been working at a world famous brewery in central Illinois for the last year and half now and have been “beertending” for a majority of it.
I did not start getting into craft beer until about 5 years ago when I got my first bartending job. I hated beer up until that moment - mainly because I only knew about domestic beer and how bad it tasted (man, it was a real bummer when I found out how poorly it is made too). When I finally figured out that beer can taste good I knew I needed to learn more. After a few years and a few more (not so great) bartending jobs I decided I wanted to work at a brewery so I could immerse myself in the culture and get educated in my new found “hobby”. What’s better than learning AND getting paid?? One of the first things I learned while diving into the world is: beer is very subjective. Not everyone gets the same taste profile in a beer. For example, in a hefeweizen (think Blue Moon) one person might get a banana flavor, while another might get a citrus flavor.
Another thing I learned was: your tastes do change! When I first started at the brewery I hated IPA’s and I meant it. Fast forward to about 3 months into my time at the brewery I finally found one that I tolerated. Then I found another one. Then believe it or not, I found another one! I started noticing what type of IPA’s I liked and even paid attention to what hops were in them. I do not want to get a head of myself, I will talk about IPA’s one day, just know now I drink IPA’S more than any other beer. This page is really for educational purposes, not just for you but for me as well! Cannot wait to go on this journey with everyone Stay Hoppy!
