The Balcony Brotherhood: Social Drinking, Craft Beer and You!

For your average person, working a full time job or studying and sharing a life with a partner or having children  can seriously reduce your time to hang out at bars, go out for dinner or simply catch up with friends.

It is the moments though, when you put the logistics aside and really make time (or it simply falls into place) that create the best memories. (the beer really helps too!)

On a recent RDO (Roger Day Off) I was able to find some time to spend an afternoon with two appropriately beery lads in the Canadian-almostbutnotquite-Australian, Brews and Bacon and the handsome specimen that is Chasing Ale.

It's the bringing together of beer and friendship that can really create a fun, laid back atmosphere and this case I was a sort of casual observer of a Blind Tasting being performed by Bacon and Chasing for which you should be able to read more about soon on their respective blogs.

Chatting, listening to a few tunes and sinking a few quality IPA's whilst watching the boys chew through a few less than stellar stouts and mull over their tasting notes was an entertaining afternoon for yours truly.

As the day wore on we moved onto a couple of big bottles I had been saving to share in Stone's RuinTen and Thunderstruck which were both pretty delicious beers and probably acted as a good palate cleanser after a bunch of stouts.

The enjoyment of the afternoon really made my think "why don't I/we do this more often" and them realisation that I don't genuinely sit down with good mates and drink beer enough. Certainly not compared to how many brews I Insta-Blog whilst sitting in the apartment with the girlfriend.

So as a human on planet earth with the ability and freedom to choose what I do, I intend to make more of a conscious effort to engage those who I call 'mates'.

So if you are suffering from a similar experience to me, find a balcony, preferably one you or your mates own.. and then grab a few of those mates and some crispy, dank or dark brews and chill out an embrace the friendship that like-minded beer buddies bring!