Why?

Because I’m taking incredible things away with me from this blog, and moving on to something that I feel very strongly about. Something I believe can make the world a better place. By now, most of you already know that I’m referring to Dare To Eat. It might look like just a food blog for now, but rest assured that it won’t stay that way .

But at the top of that “incredible things I’m taking away” list is you guys. All of you. More than anything else, I’m incredibly grateful for having the opportunity to meet so many in the craft beer community. Online, and offline. You’ve made all the difference in the world for me. A comment, a tweet, an email, or sharing a real beer with one another…that’s where all the great times were. Not the writing or the HTML, or my alcoholic squirrel above…

…it was you guys. It was always you guys, and always will be.

Now before we all get all emotional here (it’s probably just me), I want to make it very clear that I’m not exactly leaving. I’m always on Twitter, my email address has not changed, my phone number is the same, my blog won’t even be coming down. I’m simply moving on to something else. Something that still includes craft beer and even a couple folks we all know and love.

Ladies and gents, you alone have made this an experience to remember. I will always love you guys for it.

I know this kind of sounds like “thank you for everything and goodbye”, but there will be no goodbye. I don’t intend on saying goodbye. I don’t want to. I don’t need to. I want you guys in my life, and I want to be apart of yours, and not in the creepy way (cough cough, Gerard).

I’m not leaving Twitter, email, Facebook and so on….but I will see you guys soon someplace new.

Love you guys!

It hasn’t really been much of a secret. If you have spent any time considering to attend the Beer Bloggers Conference in Portland Oregon later this year in August most of us have found one glaring problem…it’s stupid expensive.

With round trip plane tickets ranging from $400-$600 a ticket, then the need for hotel stay, food, beer (duh) etc many of us are having a hard time pulling it off, and many just can’t pull it off. Unless, they find a way to make up this additional income soon.

I don’t really consider this post much of a “post”. At least not a traditional blog post. It will be a quick background story, a small bundle of ideas from a fellow beer blogger, and then it’s all about the discussion that follows in the comment section.

The discussion will be the most the important part of it all as it will allow us all to brainstorm, bounce idea’s of one another, and take action….all while helping one another along.

“Why” This Post Has Been Erected (dirty word)

About a week ago, the famous, talented and babe’o’licious beer blogger Carla Companion of The Beer Babe (known as @thebeerbabe on Twitter) shot me a private message on Twitter. Her concern was this, that without figuring out a way to pay for the trip to BBC11, she simply wouldn’t be able to swing it.

Being the person that she is, simply giving up wasn’t an option and she wanted to find a way to make it happen. She approached me asking me for any ideas or help I can swing her way. But she already had a slew of great idea’s at the ready. More of that later…

A Quick Story & Proof That It CAN Be Done. Courtesy of a Goat Lover

While I’m sure that many people made their beer blogging dreams come true last year in Boulder, Colorado…there was one person that stood out to me.

Her name? Goa…uh…I mean Tatiana Peavey. Why of FugglyBrew of course (known as @Goats_Udder on Twitter). She’s not only a prime example of how to make it happen, but a prime example of how many things in life should be approached. She went knocking on brewery doors, her place of work, local merchants, the Beer Bloggers Scholarship Fund etc.

Whatever it took to get here, she did, and as just about everyone knows, she made it to BBC10. Her hard work, cunning and creative nature paid off. She got the sponsorship and money that she needed to make it to BBC10. No one can resist a goat. Everyone knows that.

She’s an inspiring story. She proves it can be done, and if we’re lucky, and welcome her with open arms to this discussion, she’ll go into great detail about what she did, how she did it, and ultimately how she pulled it all off.

The First, But Not Last Set of Ideas…From Carla Herself

I’ll be quick here so we can all get to the discussion, and I can supply my idea’s in this very discussion below within the comments. So far, Carla has some solid idea’s and a good foundation for all of this. Here they are:

Idea A: Personal fundraising – i.e., please chip in $5 through paypal or what not – rewards?
Is this a good idea? Will I start sounding like an NPR pledge drive if I do this and turn people off?

What do you think about the following rewards if they do chip in:

• Special link or shout out on my blog
• Personal thank you note
• Spot on the back of a shirt that I’d wear at the conference

Idea B: Selling something – i.e., t-shirt, bottle opener, or something small that I could make some profit off of.
I already have a zazzle account and can design cool things, but what would people want? Something event specific? Something generically beer-y?

Idea C: Soliciting to breweries/companies directly

What I struggle with is – since I’m going so far from home – how can I make the case that it would be a worthwhile thing for them to do? (I.e., I could bring their beer too Portland, OR, but if they don’t distribute west of the Mississippi, what good does it do?)

What do you think about offering some kind of service in return for different levels of donation?

• Featured blog post/link/review about the brewery or their beer
• Brewery logo on the back of a shirt that I’d wear at the conference
• Offer to bring their beer to the night of many bottles?
  
  

And now PLEASE chime in within the comment section below. Let’s all bring up idea’s, stories, possibilities, and most importantly band together and all take action on them.

Perhaps even those of us that didn’t even plan on attending the 2011 Beer Bloggers Conference in Portland, will be able to.

Count the days since new years, you Beer Bloggin’ Bastard you. At the time of writing this, it’s been 30 full days since 2011 began. The last full year before the end of the world…some from California will say.

You remember what we spoke about last time, you can read it right here -> Class Begins Now - no need to repeat my exciting self to you.

Long story short, I went on about how the generally accepted idea of “not being able to make money from Beer Bloggin” or how “one can’t really ever expect any real type of income” or “how one can’t build a brand and or business” from their efforts is well…incredibly stupid and just plain freaking wrong. Don’t argue with me, I promise you I’m right on this one. Almost a decade of internet marketing experience and a job in the field will do that to you.

It’s been a while since I last posted anything up. Actually…shit…it’s been a little over a month. Well I’m here now in the virtual “flesh” and since this is the first post after the fact, I need to bring up the question.

What have you done with your Beer Bloggin’ life since the new year started?

I could care less about the new blog widgets you installed, the new theme you’re running, new posts about new beers you’ve tried etc. Ok I do care, but that’s not really the damn point right now.

I want to know what strides you have made if any at monetizing your beer blog, beer site, beer network etc…building your brand…and creating an actual business out of your hard working passionate ways.

What is it you’ve done? Why did you do it? Did you always intend on it or was it a recent change in your perception and idea on this matter? What do you want out of all of this…as in what’s your goal?

I’m opening this up to some SERIOUS (despite my immaturity) discussion here Beerlings…and for a reason. I’m already working “behind the scenes” with a couple Beer Bloggin’ Bastards helping them turn what was always just perceived as “just a beer blog” into something that adds value into the lives of others and gives back to one’s passionate pursuit.

Remember, Damn That’s Good Beer’s direction is now focused on turning your passionate and hard work into something that gives back. So now the floor is yours to answer my questions…discuss…and ask your own questions…

…Shall we begin?

Ok guys and gals. As the title suggests, this post has nothing to do with beer (other than me enjoying a Saint Arnold’s Divine 10 as I write this), and everything to do with what it means to be human. If you know me already and follow me anywhere online, be it Twitter, Facebook, my blog etc you’ll already know that I’ve never asked anyone to “PLEASE READ” a post of mine, but this one is different. Very different.

I feel the need to get this across to everyone now, as it was something that just occurred to me a few short hours ago. Also, I just think it’s important that people read this, let it sink in, and really think it through. For me personally, it was nothing short of a life changing experience. It’s still difficult to put it into words as I’m still trying to figure out which emotions are really behind it all right now.

I’ll try and not turn this into a long 5,000 word post. I’m just going to put it out there, let you decide on your own how you feel about it, what you think about it, and then discuss.

So here’s the story…

Earlier in the evening I had plans to meet for coffee with my close friend and business partner on KaBoga, David Loi. Before we went over to grab some coffee he was a bit hungry and wanted to grab a quick bite to eat so we just stopped by the closet thing to the side of the road which just happened to be a local Wendy’s, and no I haven’t tried their new fries yet.

As we walked in (why are Wendy’s always the more dirty & smelly of the big fast food chains?) I took a seat at the corner table and David went to order himself some food. I was far from hungry after just sharing a large pizza with some people and was actually rather full, so I of course got nothing. As David came by with his tray and started eating I noticed an older gentleman that looked a bit “unkept” get up, and walk over to the counter. I hate to put it from this perspective, but he obviously looked homeless and a bit down on his luck. Of course I paid little attention to this. David kept on eating and I just sat across from him rambling on about memberships for our site or something of the like.

A couple minutes passed, and the next thing I know as David and I are still talking, this man comes around with a tray of food. A Burger, a small box of chicken nuggets, and complete with an empty cup. He then started to put the tray down on my side of the table and slide it over my way. David and I looked at him, grasping for words because in truth…all we could think of at that moment was that he was either lost, a little bit off his rocker or just wanted to sit down with us and talk to someone. Either way, it was an extremely unusual situation (at least for us) and we were at a bit of a loss.

With the tray of food right in front of me, he looked at me with a smile and very kindly told me that the food was for me, to enjoy it and that I could take the cup, go on up to the counter and get whatever it was that I wanted to drink.

David and I were literally speechless for a few moments. He didn’t ask to sit down next to us, didn’t ask for anything in return, and just went over to where he was originally sitting on the other side of the restaurant.

“Stunned” at what just happened would have been an understatement. To shorten the story which I feel is going to get rather long if I don’t start wrapping it up, we thanked him of course on our way out of Wendy’s but were still in the “totally taken aback” phase. We got in my truck and started driving towards a Starbucks or the like but we couldn’t shake what just happened. It was so hard to put into words as we sat there trying to make sense of it all.

We never did make it to the Starbucks, and instead decided to turn around, help the guy out with what cash we had on us at the moment, and just spend some time talking to him. Yes, he was indeed homeless and down on his luck, slept behind a local Kohl’s department store…and did indeed love beer too! Just not the type of beer we’re used to .

Here was a man…who had virtually nothing. Slept out in the cold. No family around him. Probably less money on his person than we spend on beer each week…

….and yet…he saw me sitting there, with out any food, assumed I was hungry, and couldn’t afford to eat, got up, bought me something to eat, and brought it over to me. Never asking, or assuming for anything in return. Would you also believe it if I told you that it took us 10 minutes to convince him to take the cash we were giving him, and he seemed almost offended by the offer constantly repeating “that I didn’t do it for any other reason than the kindness of my heart”?

I’m not going to lie, I felt massively disappointed in myself and in the society we live in.

Here was a man with nothing, who did something cause he felt someone else was hungry or in need. And yet everyday here I have something, and I’ve learned to just tune out certain realities around us. I was disappointed that an act like this has become such a rarity, almost taboo, that it stunned me and made me very uncomfortable at first.

Of course, it puts things into perspective as to how good we really do have it, and what we should really be thankful for, but this was just such a profound experience for David and I both, that we got virtually no work done, and spent the rest of the night in a completely philosophical, drawn away from our problems, and deep thinking type mood.

I am extremely grateful to have had this experience. It was profound, and it’s something that has changed, and will continue to change my life and outlook on most everything …for the rest of my life.

This is something that I simply want to share with all of you, had to bring this to light and prove once again, that it’s about the human element in everything. It’s all about being human.

Feel free to share your thoughts, stories, experiences below. I would love to discuss this with y’all.

This is the extent of my graphic design ability. I'm damn good huh

Most of you are in “the know” as to what I’ve been up to as of late (well kind of). If you read that post below, you’ll see that I’ve been talking about moving over to a video format all together for some time now, and that the post below was supposed to be one of my last fully written posts…at least for a while.

But wait a tick, this isn’t a that you’re reading video (can you read video), it’s not a podcast, and it sure as shit isn’t being transmitted via mind waves to play via your head movies. So what deal right? Why I be playin’ you like that?

Well firstly know this; none of this was ever meant to be a marketing ploy or anything even remotely like that. It really was supposed to be a smooth transition over to video. While filming the first quick intro video a couple days ago my camera just stopped working. It pooped out on me with a zipping noise and it was no more. Still don’t know what’s wrong with it. Just like that, half way through filming what I still believe to be the sexiest video of any Beer Bloggin’ Bastard anywhere. Oh well…we’ll all find ways to move on.

So I’m saying hello to an old and very welcome friend. One that still makes me feel all warm and fuzzy, gives me the ability to divulge far more detailed information, and doesn’t require assistance from Billy Broas geek side.

The written word. The written post. The “typey typey” of my head movies on to a blank white screen.

Seriously though. Enough of that.

It’s time to get down to the nitty gritty, but with a beer in hand. In this case I’m going for a Powder House Winter Ale from Big Sky Brewing Company in Montana. Which happens to be pretty damn good by the way! More importantly, the “reveal” of where this blog is heading, why it’s heading there, and how it directly affects you…if you allow it to have an effect.

So Ilya, what the hell is it already? You’ve been blowing smoke out your ass for weeks now. Spit it out and get on with it already.

Ok.

There is one main direction in which this blog is now heading, and while it has been on my mind for some time, it’s only recently that I’ve become extremely fired up and passionate about this issue. And while the ideas started flowing well before then, it was the Beer Bloggers Conference in Boulder, Colorado a few weeks back that really got me  all hot and heavy about the following.

You see as I sat there through a lot of the speeches, spoke to a lot of bloggers, site owners, app. creators etc. I noticed a trend that had me pulling out my hair and thinking “really?….really!” or “where did you ever get that idea from?” or “who the hell ever told you that?” and “why do you believe that?”. And it’s really not a perception that I can blame most for. Most…not all.

What is it?

The “reality” and “idea” that your passion for beer either can’t, or has a next to nothing chance of providing you with any monetary compensation, bill paying, six pack or bomber buying abilities or any other compensation.

The idea that you should really just ignore that pestering thought of “I wish I could make some money off my passionate hard work and efforts” or FAR more importantly “I wish I could build a real leveraged business out of my love for something”.

You have no idea how much it drives me out of mind to know that many if not the vast majority are thinking things like:

The idea that what you do isn’t going to pay for any bills.

The idea that what you do can’t be turned into a real business. I mean a real leveraged business, not simply a money maker.

The idea that if you do try and create any type of income, business, or even try and monetize anything from your efforts that you’ll be shunned and seen as a traitor to whatever community you’re a part of.

The idea that if you do, and can squeeze out anything what so ever, that you’re doomed to making pennies off your efforts, and that anything more substantial or successful is only seen by the very lucky and unreachable few.

The idea that there is only one way to skin it. Only one or two commonly sought after ways of making money of your work. That one must be tied down to little or nothing. Example: Only way to really make anything is to write for a publication, website etc.

Sigh……BIG freakin’ sigh….

I really could go on for some time, but I really must get to the point here. These are things that absolutely drive me out of my beer lovin’ mind. But why?

Because I ladies and gents, know otherwise. And because I know what so many of the amazing people all around you and I are capable of achieving. Let me very briefly explain to you how it is that I know otherwise, and divulge some quick background information about yours truly..aka The Original Beer Bloggin’ Bastard.

I’ll get into far more detail here in upcoming posts, but for the sake of being quick with this, here are my last 8 years in a nutshell. The last 8 years of my life have been what some would say, fanatically devoted to online marketing, advertising, and start ups of every kind, with a huge helping of brilliant (and not so brilliant) craft beer on the side. Where all 8 of those years a smashing good time and a thrilling success? Far from it…or let me put into better perspective…HELL NO!

HOWEVER, some of the more recent years, have seen successes and possibilities that few ever do. I’ve seen failure and misery that few dare to venture into, and I’ve seen success in ways…that once again few dare to venture in to. My experience, my knowledge, my expertise, my acquired skills, my abilities and so forth lay in advertising, marketing, conversions, revenue models, product creation, seeing the big picture and creating a great funnel, and perhaps a tad bit more.

I do wish that a lot my expertise lay in brewing, but as of right now my home brews come out smelling like wet donkey piss with a touch of wet dog…and don’t taste too far from that.

While I’m not attempting to blow my own horn (which does indeed sound dirty by the way, teehehe), I know otherwise. I know that attaining the success that you desire (whatever that may be), especially via the internet, is simply a matter of choice and heading in the direction of that choice.

I do know otherwise, and feel far more qualified to discuss (than certain others), help, teach and be apart of what I hope to be a new direction and shift in perception, understanding, focus, and knowledge with not just beer bloggers, but bloggers, site owners, app developers etc that do the work because they’re in love with it.

Perhaps I’m wrong, but you’ll just have to test me on it all now won’t you?

So here’s whats going on fella’s…

This blog will now be largely, if not almost entirely dedicated to achieving one main objective…

Teaching, helping, drinking great craft beer, changing, supporting, drinking more great beer, and progressing….while drinking incredible beer.

Ok that’s like 5 objectives, but whatever same thing, so sue me. So to make a long story short…

I’m here to help to teach, share, push you and support you in moving into a new perception, and a new reality that I’m willing to bet many of you never really thought possible, or never knew existed. How will we achieve this? I shall start showing you here extremely soon grasshoppers.

And to those who already know me, you know that I’m always around, always answering, and always there. This won’t be something that you take on by yourself. We will all learn together, progress together, share together, be apart of an astounding community, drink great beer together, talk great beer together, and succeed together.

Mind you this isn’t just for those with an existing blog, site, app etc, it’s about helping you to get started if you haven’t already. I’m here for anyone, everywhere, anytime.

Ladies and gentleman…from this day forth…class has begun and is now in session. It’s taken too long for this as is…

The BBC10 Passion Board. Ya'll Are On My Wall...How Creepy...

I know you guys. I know you well (especially after this weekends Beer Bloggers Conference) so I’ll start this post with the thing that interests you most about that title above….

…I’m currently drinking a Fullers 1845 and man I’ve missed traditional English Ale’s. Came back from Boulder, Colorado with a huge craving for them which of course is largely thanks to Ryan Murphy from The Daily Pint who goes by @SP1365 on Twitter. His talk about the more simple and traditional English Ale’s got me thinking “I need one…now!”.

Ok, that’s all on that subject guys. Now that you know what I’m drinking we can get on to the “serious business”.

A New Post.

Yep, I know, I know. Finally right?

I know y’all have a hard time getting to sleep at night with out hearing something new from me. Tossing and turning wondering “WHY!? WHY?! Oh why won’t you post something new?!” I understand my larger than life image that everyone carries around with them. Fear no more my Beer Bloggin’ Bastards, Ilya is here with some new content, though perhaps not the new content you might have expected.

*I hope you take the above ego as a joke…the way it was meant

This post is going to reveal something different about my plans for this blog, it’s direction, it’s purpose, what I feel needs to be said and done in craft beer and beyond…and it DIRECTLY affects you. Or so I want to believe anyway. Crap I hope I’m right.

So this post is more of a “what’s to come” or “what’s on the horizon” type of thing, and not my traditional type of post.

A Quick Update

Where do I stand right now? Where does Damn That’s Good Beer! stand right now? And more importantly I think, how do you stand to benefit from everything that’s about to transpire over the next week or so as I start my journey into a completely new direction than what I’ve been moving towards previously?

Ah…great questions grasshoppers. But you’ll have to wait.

Let’s just leave this “update on my future” at this: it has something to do with you, something to do with everyone, and something to do with…wait, is there anyone left?

A New Format

MUST you keep prying for new information?!?! Shit. I’m talking to myself again aren’t I?

Eh…

I’ve decided (as some of you know already) to move away from the written word for the most part, and settle snuggly into video. Perhaps podcasts, but that’s doubtful. This will in all likely hood be one of the last written posts that I put out, or least one of the last longer written posts. This isn’t to say that I’ll never ever write again, but that I’m simply switching to a new content format, video.

I feel that it’s what fits me best, it’s what I can deliver better and modern content with, it’s what I can touch more lives with, and it’s what gives me more leverage.

Exactly what I plan to do with video, myself and my blog is something we’ll have to just wait on a bit longer. DISCLAIMER: It has nothing to do with me naked or “performing on camera”, nor will goats be involved……I think.

A Quick Thanks. The MOST Important Part of This Post.

As far as I’m concerned, THIS part of my post is far and away the most important part. If you’re reading this then you probably already know what last weekends Beer Bloggers Conference in Boulder, Colorado was all about.

You also probably know what the Beer Bloggers Conference Scholarship Fund was all about as well then.

While I won’t get too much into the details regarding the event or the fund, I WILL get into plenty of details regarding the people BEHIND the fund. The ones who donated, the ones who helped spread it, and the ones who helped make it a success.

My hat goes off to the 9 of you, and you will always have a special place in my heart for what you guys did for the fund and everyone involved and that benefited from the scholarship fund. You will forever have my respect and admiration, and I only hope to be able to reciprocate what you all have done one day.

Yes, I’ve been vocal via Twitter about it, and yes I’ve said it in person at the conference, and yes y’all got an email about it where we continued a discussion…

…But to me it’s not enough. I want to once again put ya’ll out there, give you guys thanks, show everyone who you are, and what you did.

So in closing out what in all likely hood will be my last full written post, I want to give thanks to you 9 individuals that donated and helped spread the scholarship like wildfire.

We only achieved what we achieved because of you guys…

…and to all others reading or following this post in any way, you’re life will be better for following these people via Twitter, their blogs, Facebook, etc…just make a connection with them, they’re incredible good folk and some of the best Beer Bloggin’ Bastards I’ve ever met.

IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER:

Gerard from Road Trips For Beer, Twitter Handle: @roadtrips4beer – An incredibly good guy, he not only donated to the fund from his hard money but also did everything he possibly could to spread the word via his Twitter network. Dude, it was incredible meeting you, and I’m only sorry we didn’t have any alcohol laden conversations that centered around traditional journalism in the modern era!

Greg from PourCurator, Twitter Handle: @pourcurator – This guy won my respect when he sent in a donation while dealing with financial issues himself AND all the while knowing that he wouldn’t be attending the Beer Bloggers Conference. You know what that means?!?! An individual who gave what they could to help others while not in an ideal situation themselves? Stuff like this takes top honors in my book guys….

Reggie from CheersForBeers, Twitter Handle: @MrBikerBrew – A very generous donor and hard worker for the fund, Reggie is one of those people that when he see’s something that he believes in, he grabs it by the horns (I swear if you college football fans get on me about this…) and does anything and everything that he possibly can. From the moment I met this guy I knew that he wasn’t like many out there. His passion for helping others, and the simple fact that he’s just about as genuine as they come are virtually unparalleled. With out getting into too much detail here either, I believe that Reggie will revolutionize some serious parts of the industry and beyond. In pure Twitter fashion #respect

Ryan from The Daily Pint, Twitter Handle: @SP1365 – I won’t name any names, but there were folks at the Beer Bloggers Conference who went up on “stage” and spoke that were dreadfully….pull your hair out boring & simply uninteresting. One of those speakers could have and probably should have been replaced with Ryan. Another donor, but more than that, probably one of the most passionate beer loving human beings I’ve ever met. I literally came back to Dallas wanting beer styles that we discussed during the conference weekend. So much to say, and y’all should listen.

Jake from iBrewToo, Twitter Handle: @iBT_Jake – He helped save my ass during the closing “speech” of the conference when all I wanted to do was crawl into a corner and die, and was a MASSIVE reason for the scholarship’s success. Listen fella’s, THIS guy here not only put up his own money for the scholarship fund, BUT challenged everyone else to do the same and he put up even more money for each new donation that came in. I got a great opportunity to spend a good deal of time just talking to him and I must admit, I really do like this guy! He’s one of the few I tag for some serious success.

Mike from BrewDad, Twitter Handle: @BrewDad – Donated to the fund? Yes, check!  That aside, this guy is probably one of the most funny people I met at the conference. Total love for beer, and have been following his blog for some months actually. Yes, Mike…I online stalk you…mwuhahahah. I’m only sorry I didn’t spend nearly enough time sharing a few pints with this guy!

Seth from FromMyMellin, Twitter Handle: @FromMyMellin – Not much I can say about this guy. He is after a New York Giants fan…so…ya. But really though, Seth was a huge promoter and supporter of the scholarship. He gave KNOWING that he himself would not be in attendance. When I see things like this, I always get taken aback just a little bit. I have the most respect for people like this. I owe you some beers man!

Doug from FledglingBrewer, Twitter Handle: @fledglingbrewer – This is another guy that I wish I had spent more time with at the conference. I hear he’s a great home brewer and only wish that one day I could try some his brew’s. The little time I did have with Doug at the conference I thought to myself “this dude would be an incredibly interesting person to talk to for hours.” Personally, I think I’m 100% correct on that assumption.

Billy from BillyBroas, Twitter Handle: @billybroas – If you’re part of the online craft beer blogging community in any way shape of form, then you know who this guy is. If you don’t, you’re probably spending too much time passed out under a rock on your way home from the pub. Billy was one of the first guys I met in the beer blogging community months ago and I’ve been a follower and fan of his ever since. Yes he has one of the best designed blogs out there, great videos from home brewing to beer centric recipes, and even includes his lovely and oh so pretty girlfriend in his videos from time to time. That ALMOST doesn’t sound right. Finally got a chance to meet him at the conference and what a super cool guy. Would totally love to spend a Sunday trying great beers with him and watching his precious Denver Bronco’s go down to the Cowboys or better yet, the Chiefs! Did I mention he was very generous in his donation?

Next post guys…I shall be talking directly to you…and looking right at you…..

A man standing on a giant peppermint candy. Or a Keg...either or.

This is going to be a pretty quick post to get things off and running, but I want to make sure that everyone understands the impact of everything you’ll read and see right now.

For once, I’m going to say that I believe that I speak for just about everyone when I say that this is a HUGE deal. Bigger than big. Bigger than bigger than big. Almost like…super duper uber Beer Bloggin’ Bastard worthy Big!

As some of you might already know, the annual Wine Bloggers Conference has for some time, run a scholarship program of sorts for wine bloggers that are in need of financial assistance to make the trip. This has not only been a huge aid to wine bloggers  wanting to but not being able to financially make the trip, BUT in my opinion it’s had a bigger impact than simply helping to fund a blogger’s trip.

It’s shown that when a community of passionate people get together, actually give a shit about others, and work hard to make sure that their passion is shared and spread across the world…anything is possible.

So with out further ado….

I give to you…the very first…Beer Bloggers Scholarship Fund!

Oh ya people…I told you that it was worthy of a Beer Bloggin’ Bastard….

For the lack of better phrasing, I’m euphoric about the possibilities here. I mean this is something that actually keeps me up at night folks, along with the thought of a Great Divide Hercules Double IPA on Cask. Mmmm……

…mmmmmmmm…..

Ok sorry, I’m back now.

So, here’s the deal ladies and gents, this is a scholarship fund that is reserved for those that truly can’t financially make it and are going through financial difficulties.

A little bit of background and give to you an idea of what this scholarship is all about (taken directly off the Beer Bloggers Scholarship Fund Website):

“The general idea is this: The Beer Bloggers Conference is a great event that will allow beer bloggers to improve their craft: writing better, growing their audience, and having a greater impact on the craft brewing industry. But not every blogger can afford to attend the conference. Hence, breweries, distributors, bloggers, and other industry members can choose to donate to the Beer Bloggers Conference Scholarship, either to the general fund or to support a specific blogger.”

So since I promised short:

If You’re a Beer Bloggin’ Bastard That Want’s To Apply For Scholarship Funding:

Click here for information for beer blogger scholarship applicants

If You’re a Sponsor or Donor & Want More Information On How & Where To Donate (not to mention the benefits to you):

Click here for information for potential donors & sponsors

For More information on the Beer Bloggers Scholarship program itself please Click Here!

Also, if you have any questions or comments for me…as I am after all one of the few people running this thing…please use the comment box below

See? Told you it would be a quick post.

What beer bloggers actually look like in real life...

Blogs. Beer. Opinions. Discussion.

Am I the only one that thinks that those four things come together in a magical way to create some sort of beer lovers paradise?

Um…no. I’m not. I know this because I’m either a genius, or because there are THOUSANDS of beer fanatics that take to blogging…and that do a far better job at it than I do. So I’m not the only one to think “Hey! All of this just meshes perfectly!”

It’s almost certain that if you’re here on Damn That’s Good Beer! and reading this post, you love beer. And I would also venture as far as to say that an overwhelming amount of  those reading this post and these very words right now, are beer bloggers.

You know. People who blog. Blog about beer. Something to do with beer. I like to refer to us all as Beer Bloggin’ Bastards. But that’s just me and my twisted beer obsessed mind.

I’m not going to draw this post out too long (hopefully), because I’m far more curious (actually we all are, not just me) about what YOU have to say than what I have to say. Ya…you right there. I’m looking at you. From that tree outside your window right now.

*Not really looking at you from the tree outside your window. Please don’t bother your local police department with false alarms as they have donuts to eat and teenagers to pull over and harass.

So what am I looking for from you? Why am I trying to elicit a response from you in the first place? Why should you take the time to comment on this post and the issue I’m about to bring up? How many licks does it take to get to the bottom of that tootsie roll pop?

Let’s run through these very quickly and in order, so that you can get to the bottom of this post where the comment box resides. That sly little box that thinks it’s better than anyone else. Why that little son of a….

What am I looking for from you…a fellow Beer Bloggin Bastard?

For the sake of keeping it simple, I’m looking for your response. I’m looking for the reasons, the inner workings of your mind, the motivations, the inspirations, the passions, the true to the core reasons that you started blogging about beer or beer related stuff in the first place. What drives you to blog about beer? Bring your conversations and passions to places like Twitter and other networks? Why?

And please don’t just say “because I like beer.” We know that, and that’s not really a true motivation.

Why am I trying so hard to elicit a response from you?

Because I work for the CBBIA (Central Beer Bloggers Intelligence Association) and we’re trying to weed out the loyal followers of craft beer and do away with the rest in a systemic fashion.

*If you believe the above statement, please go dress yourself in foil, stand next to some sort of antenna and await the mother ship’s arrival.

But in truth, I’m going for something here that’s only leading up to something bigger that I really believe is going to benefit the entire craft beer and beer blogger community as a whole. It’s not enough that we just blog about beer or beer related stuff every now and then. Don’t worry I’m not aiming at some sort of product release that only costs $99.99 if you order before midnight, or increasing your work load.

That AND the fact that I truly want to know the real reasons, and motivation behind what all of us are most passionate about…beer and great people.

Why YOU really should take a couple of minutes to leave your response below.

Simple. Because you doing so will have a direct impact on the entire craft beer “movement” and community in one way or another.

Firstly, you’re not only giving insight into the inner motivations that have propelled you to go after your passions, but you never know how your words…your story could change someone else’s life.

Secondly, you’re only going to become more known as a human being, not just a robotic blog. You know….you. The real person behind the words, videos, charts, numbers, Twitter account, comments etc. People connect with stories, people connect with passion, people connect with REAL, people connect with PEOPLE. Not websites.

You know this already because you’re a human being. If you’re not a human, and a dog or turtle that can log on to a computer, read, type and talk…please email me at ilyafeynberg@gmail.com because I’ve just found a way to get seriously rich at your expense.

So….

I’ve promised to keep it short, and I’m afraid I might have already gone a bit too long with this.

So beer bloggers everywhere…or even those even remotely interested in beer and starting a blog/site about beer….

RESPOND! COMMENT BELOW!

Pretty please with a cherry on top….The beer fairy will leave you a beer under your pillow if you do. Man how I wish there was actually a beer fairy

Some Oskar Blue's Best Brews...

Ok Beerlings…this has been on my mind since a few nights back when I became a witness to beer douchery (that’s Josh’s term from Lost In The Beer Aisle by the way. I can’t take credit for it) at my local Whole Foods Market.

I’m going to try and make this quick….

I think we’ve all been hearing about beer snobs and beer douchery more and more recently. I see it on fellow beer blogs often, and see it in person plenty. What’s shameful is that these aren’t just random thoughts that bloggers are writing about. These are ACTUAL experiences that people witness or hear about first hand. You expect these type of things from wino’s, and even in their culture it’s starting to tone itself down a bit.

So what the hell is going, what was MY experience, and why are you a beer douche if you don’t drink canned craft beer?

First the Experience…

I was looking for Oskar Blue’s Mama’s Yellow Pils a few days back and it was out of stock just about everywhere I went. It hit me that the Whole Foods by me usually has it in stock and so I hopped in my truck and headed over there (and yes, it’s common place for me to spend hours trekking the city looking for a particular beer).

As I walked through the beer aisle and stopped where the Oskar Blue’s stuff usually is I noticed another guy talking to a Whole Foods Market employee. The employee actually knew his stuff and knew his beers well and was giving the other guy suggestions on what to buy and try (per the other guys request of course). When the employee got around to recommending Dales Pale Ale, Gordon and Gubna (all Oskar Blue’s stuff by the way) the other guy was almost taken aback as if he was offended and responded with “no thanks, I’m not spending good money on canned beer!”

With an eye roll and a bit of anger that was only intensified by the fact that this place too was out of Mama’s Yellow Pils…I made my way back to the truck.

It looks kinda dirty.....

What the hell is going on and why you’re a beer douche if you don’t drink canned craft beer…

So whats going on here recently? Why does it seem that everyone and their mother are turning into beer snobs and engaging in “beer douchery”?

It’s nothing new unfortunately, but as more people get online, blog about beer, Tweet and Facebook their experiences, it reaches us quicker and seems to surround us like never before. What’s upsetting is seeing how this has become almost a constant all around us. But then again, such is life.

Pretty, pretty beer in a can!

So okay, WHY the craft beer in can douchery issue?

Easy. This isn’t the first time I’ve been witness to it, but it was the last straw before I had to say something about it.

Look, I’m going to be pretty damn strait forward about it right now…

If you refuse to try any craft beer BECAUSE it’s in a can and you feel that it carries some stigma or some image of a fat man in his boat while on the lake and slamming down another Bud, then you’re simply a beer douche. I’m sorry, I’m not even going to try  be politically correct here.

There is nothing wrong with a guy/gal enjoying a Bud if that’s what they enjoy. Sure it taste like donkey balls, but I’ve tasted plenty craft crap too that’s held up on a pedestal.
…and…

What the hell does any of “part A” above have to with canned craft beer? Get over yourself already, you’re not as special as your mommy once told you.

No one is saying you have to like what you try. But refusing to try beer because it comes in can even exceeds beer douche status…in fact I think it deserves another phrase…a more common term such as “an ignorant idiot”. Ya that fits well. I like that.

There are some seriously good beers out there that come in cans, and there are many advantages to taste, cost, appeal etc to canned craft beer. Of course I love my awesome bottled craft beer, but I think I love the more driven nature behind the canned craft beer movement even more.

So here’s a question too all the Beerlings out there….

Can you really…I mean REALLY and TRULY consider yourself a lover of great beer and love and respect all the passion, effort and people behind the craft beer culture….

…IF you do things like refuse to try beer just because it comes in a can?…

To great beer, in great cans! Cheers!

Not my picture...but we can make a better one tomorrow....

Ok Beerlings!

Here we go AGAIN! Can’t wait!

After a couple weeks of tech. problems, and conflicts in schedules we’re finally getting this one together! AND I’m so happy to report that we have ourselves some new members! Can’t wait to meet all you new Beerling folks!

*If you’re in Austin, love beer and still haven’t joined us, then do so it’s free! Sign up at KaBoga here -> KaBoga Sign up -> Then go here to join our group! -> Austin City Beerlings!

Ok so it seems that mid week is the best time for everyone as a whole to meet, so we’re going to put this one in the books for Wednesday this week, the 4th of August!

Let’s say 6:30pm. I’ll be there just a bit early. I’ll email everyone again tomorrow to let everyone know how to find me. Which just means I’ll be telling everyone what I’m wearing.

Ok guys so a couple of things really quick:

1. PLEASE RSVP if you plan on making it or at least give me a maybe. Just log in and go here and just scroll down a bit to RSVP.

Click Here For The Events Page & To RSVP!

That way I’ll know what size table or patio to get us.

2. Please keep tabs on your emails for anything from Kaboga with all the updates and notifications leading up to Wed. Don’t worry I won’t litter your inbox

As for the cost: As promised and as always…all new members get a free first round on me. Anything else you choose to order is up to you.

The address along with a map of the place is right here on the event page, along with directions etc.

Can’t wait to see everyone there!!!!!

Ilya

*If you’re in Austin, love beer and still haven’t joined us, then do so it’s free! Sign up at KaBoga here -> KaBoga Sign up -> Then go here to join our group! -> Austin City Beerlings!