This week we’re jumping in a time machine crafted from an old fermenter and heading back to April – namely the Craft Brewers Conference. Amanda spent a few days getting dozens of people on mic to talk about everything from brewery pets to beers that gave attendees their first “Ah ha!” moment. Prepare from some uber networking action, giggling, and a one-eyed beagle. Sound strange? You should totally go next year and hang out with Amanda to hear what happens behind the scenes.

Craft Brewers Conference Life

Getting together at a crowded brewery for a drink or two is a surefire recipe for a good time and good stories. So, imagine gathering at a conference with a whole gaggle of beer nerds for drinks over the span of a few days. You end up with all kinds of tales and brews and new stories that you didn’t have before. But this isn’t just the case for beer conferences. You can find a conference or convention centered around just about any interest, hobby, or profession. And you wouldn’t be listening to the Great Beer Adventure if you didn’t want a little adventure yourself, right? So get out there! Find something that interests you whether its craft beer, snorkeling, volcanoes, or unicorn hunting. Take the spirit of craft beer with you – it’s almost guaranteed someone else there will sit down and share one with you.

Brewery Pets

As you may’ve heard in the episode, Amanda asked people about their childhood pets in order to break the ice. There were some interesting responses to that helped her transition into talking about breweries and beer. This got me thinking about brewery pets that would awesome to have. Sure, dogs and cats and maybe the occasional turtle that happened to wander into the tap room are cool. But what about an octopus? It could probably squeeze through the tap lines and extend its tentacles through the taps. What a party trick! Bears would be too dangerous, but maybe something like a panda would be cool. I guess it would probably just eat and sleep a lot though. If I had to choose an ultimate brew pet though, I’d definitely go with a seal. They’re adorable, make cute noises, and look funny when they walk. Also, they could be trained to bring you a fresh beer before returning to their enclosure to play around with beach balls.

Talk to Strangers

This show wouldn’t be possible if Amanda didn’t waltz up to handfuls of people and start asking them a bunch of questions. When was the last time you just approached a stranger with a microphone and started gabbing away? You should give her a high five for her courage and bravery, trawling the front lines of breweries, festivals and conferences to bring you up close and personal with beer makers. But also, you should feel a little inspired. Get out and talk to someone new! You don’t have to record what they say or anything, just learn a little bit about someone you’d normally pass on by. You never know what you might find out. Hang out with her at next year’s Craft Brewers Conference in Nashville. Cheers!

Links

CBC

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