This blog exists because Jo Wood told me I needed to start one, and when Jo Wood tells you to pull your socks up you have to listen.¹

This whole thing started over a year ago when I began co-writing writing the Beer Column for Victoria Uni’s Salient Magazine.  For several reasons, that finished after only two columns.  Unfortunately however, I’d developed a taste for foisting my opinions on the unsuspecting masses.  I’m back co-writing that again with my colleague Dave the Beer Guy, but it’s only once a month and my need to put pen to paper (or 1s and 0s to silicon) is strong.

The real catalyst for this blog though came from me achieving the impossible: winning an argument on the internet.  You see, in the early days of 2013 I attended a beer tasting.  This one to be exact.  The whole thing was a bit controversial and kicked off a bit of a kerfuffle.² Terms like ‘elitist’ and ‘wanker’ got thrown around a bit and I decided to throw in my $0.02, with what I hoped to be a considered and (fairly) polite response.

Long story short, I found myself with an apology and a deal of notoriety around Wellington.  I was also gathering praise, both from people at the tasting and strangely, people who weren’t   The thing that really got to me though, was the number of people telling me I should take up blogging.

Now I won’t lie, I’ve considered it before.  But it seems like every Man, his dog and his dog’s fleas are writing blogs at the moment.³  So you might understand why I was reluctant to start this whole thing.

The kicker came when Sean from the Thirsty Boys asked me to write a guest entry for their blog (pending).  What is this?  Is the whole world conspiring against me?  To write a blog?  I asked Phil Cook this and he said “Yes, we had a meeting.  It’s been decided.”  Well, ok world.  You want me to write, I’ll write.  Qué será, será.  Just remember world, you asked for it.

I don’t know precisely what form this beast will take.  It’s been suggested I do a beer-for-a-year style thingamy, but I’m reluctant.⁴  I want it to be a beer log-cum-reviewing exercise but who knows?  Maybe it’ll go the way of most other blogs: half-a-dozen updates then eerie silence that makes you wonder it the author died and was eaten by their cat.  I guess it’s time to find out.  Pass me the bottle opener please!