I’ve never been much of one for defining things: vocab words, relationship status, my abs. But there are a few things I know to be true. One is that dear friendship is equal parts being supportive, giving sage advice, and keeping your mouth shut while your friend downs six beers during an afternoon-long bitch fest. My own dear friends recently flew me to New York and then further indulged me by not only by taking me to all the Asian restaurants I don’t have at home, but also by going to every brewery and bar patio within stumbling distance of their apartment.

Shannon at KelSo, wishing I wasn’t taking pictures

One other nebulous concept that I’ve nevertheless stuck by like a religion, is that beer is defined by more than style and taste; that its influence on our lives is wider.

The KelSo Brewery, where my friends and I stopped first on this trip, is an example of the impact beer can have in your world. KelSo recently opened a tiny tap room that is carved out of the Brooklyn warehouse where they make their beer. Shannon, Jason, and I sat for quite a while, snug in a nook lined with barrels of conditioning beer.

KelSo has woven itself into the community fabric of Brooklyn by donating their product to a number of organizations they support. No doubt these groups were thrilled be getting free wallet lubrication for their potential donors at fundraisers. More importantly, their movement gained the support of another local business and all the patrons it brings with it. KelSo is also a careful steward of the environment, taking many measures to make the smallest negative impact as possible.  

The name “KelSo” is formed from the first names of the couple who owns it, which makes me trust them, irrationally, but also makes me believe that this brewery is built from their heart, their family, and means more to them than any money — which is one of my several issues with macro beer.

Sweet Action number ??

Two of the three afternoons I was present in New York, found me ingesting admirable amounts of Sixpoint Brewery’s Sweet Action. When someone points at you, makes the another drink? face, and says “Sweet Action” it’s admittedly quite difficult to say no.

Sixpoint has long been one of my favorite breweries, and not least because they also politely demur from defining anything. Their beer descriptions are more coy than anything. In fact, the refrain on their website is, “It’s Mad Science,” as they dance around style descriptors. And in the end it doesn’t matter what they say about their beer, I’m going to try it regardless.

Sixpoint also preaches that “Beer is Culture,” which is really what I’m all about. They joke that it was born at the beginning of the civilization and culture as we know it and is also, technically, born of a culture: yeast. All winking aside, I know what they really mean: beer is as much a part of our culture as farming, music, and storytelling — It’s been around for eons and I can’t imagine life without it or rock and roll. It has so long been a glue of society; we have already proven the chaos that ensues when it is taken away.

In conclusion, the next time someone raises their eyebrows at you and asks, sweet action? go on and accept; you owe it to your community. Support your local breweries that are helping your neighborhood remain vital and grow stronger.