First lets just get the fact that this title isn’t original out of the way right now. It’s not. I know because I Googled it. In spite of that, I decided to keep the title because by golly it makes sense. Why? There are a lot of you out there that are going to promise to do something new in the amazing world of craft beer in 2017. This post will help you follow through so you’re able to complete the goals you set out for yourself.

Here are a few of the top resolutions people make regarding craft beer each year and some tips on how to make sure you keep them.

Resolution #1: “I’m going to brew a batch of beer this year!”

This may be one of the most common resolutions but it’s likely the one that gets broken the most often. Once people start looking into the equipment necessary to make a batch, they quickly dismiss it as a pipe dream, never to be brought up again.

Here’s how to make sure you follow through:

We wrote a whole article about brewing your first batch of beer that you can read here. The gist is to start out with the right equipment the first time so your first batch isn’t a disaster (no Mr. Beer kits). Set a goal of brewing it by April and get to drinking NOW! You’re gonna need bottles for that homebrew, my friend. Any pop top bottle will be usable for packaging your finished beer and screw tops won’t work. That gives you 3-4 months to drink 50 beers and gather your equipment. It’s definitely overwhelming if you dive right in but pacing yourself, on both the beers and the equipment purchases, makes the end goal much more attainable.

Bonus Idea: Visit a homebrew club to see just how good homemade beer can be. That should get you motivated. There are more than a few clubs in St. Louis alone (Brewminati, Garage Brewers Society, and STL Hops just to name a few) and your first visit won’t cost you a thing.

Resolution #2: “I’m going to a beer release!”

Beer releases are a fun experience. There’s a whole lot of friendship, a whole lot of beer, and at times, a whole lot of weird. If you haven’t been to a beer release, this should definitely be on your resolution list if it isn’t already. But which one should you go to? When should you get there? Are there rules of some kind to follow?

Here’s how to make sure you follow through:

The first thing you could do is follow Saint Brewis. We have an events calendar that keeps track of as many of these releases as we humanly can. We also wrote a blog post about beer releases a while ago with most of the information you need. The second thing to do is follow your target brewery on social media. Twitter and Instagram are the platforms of choice for most breweries. Make sure you turn on notifications for when that brewery makes a post and that will allow you to be on top of everything they’re up to.

When you see the inevitable “beer release” tweet, take note of the date and time. A lot of beer releases are on the weekend which is better than midweek for most people. Some beer releases however happen during the week (Thursday is a common day) so you’ll have to plan accordingly. No matter the time of day listed for the release, show up around a half hour early (more if you’re feeling up for it) because lines form quickly and there’s not always enough beer for everyone.

Finally, pay attention to whether or not sharing bottles is allowed while you’re there. If so, people bring some very, very nice beers to casually share with folks standing in line near them. Feel free to bring anything you happen to enjoy (not everything has to be a “whale”) and make sure you have a cup with you to accept pours of what’s being passed around.

Bonus tip: Bring a bag to carry your beer in. Dropping that $20 beer on your way to the car is a bummer. Some breweries give you the option of buying a bag with your purchase for about $5 more. Do it. It’s worth it.

Resolution #3: “I’m going to try more styles of beer!”

Ah, yes. The “I hate *beer style*, so I’m going to drink more of *beer style* this year!“ That’s not a great idea. Instead of forcing yourself to drink things you DON’T like, find a way to try some completely new beers and completely new styles that may suit your palate a little better. One of those beers may even get you interested in that hated beer style you were planning on pounding for the next 365 days.

Here’s how to make sure you follow through:

Since your goal is to try new and different beers, the simple answer is to get new and different beers in your mouth. In order to do that though, we have two solutions. The first solution is to organize a beer exchange party. We’ve written an article on that in the past so start with that outline but add a twist by assigning a beer style to each person coming. Make sure one of those is your “dreaded” style you were afraid of and you’re killing two birds with one stone.

The second way to accomplish your goal is to organize a bottle share. A bottle share is similar to the beer exchange except everyone brings just a couple beers, the beers are usually nicer than your typical 12 pack fare and the beer is consumed exclusively at the share with no beer being taken home. This would be the time to bring one for the beers you got at the beer release or even that homebrew you made in April.

Bonus Idea: Trade beers with someone out of state. There are plenty of Facebook groups and reddit forums where you can find someone wanting to trade their local shelf beers for your local shelf beers. It’s a fun way to dip your toe in the trade waters and you get to try stuff not available in your city.

Resolution #4: “I’m going to visit a new brewery!”

There are more breweries in the US today than there ever has been so odds are you’ve been to at least one. Then again, we’re not here to judge if you haven’t. Regardless, visiting a new brewery is always a good time so let’s see how we can make sure you get to a few of them this year.

Here’s how to make sure you follow through:

For starters, pick a Saturday in January. Any Saturday you have open. Then, google “breweries in *insert your city*.” Then pick one of those breweries. It’s that simple. But let’s assume you had bigger plans in mind. In the great state of Missouri, we currently have 71 breweries and that number is growing damn near daily. So if you’re looking for a brewery adventure, make a trip out of it. If you start in St. Louis and drive to KC, it’s just under a 4 hour total drive and you’ll have your pick of breweries to visit along the way. Columbia, MO is almost exactly half way to KC, so stop for bite and while you’re at it, drop into Logboat, Bur Oak or Flat Branch. Once in KC, you’ll have a lot more options like Crane, Martin City, Torn Label, Cinder Block, Stockyards and more. When you’re done, sleep it off at a local hotel and come on back the next day. All that fun and you never have to leave the state!

Bonus Idea: Go to the grand opening of a brewery. There are more than a handful of breweries that are opening their doors around the STL area in the next few months. There’s Two Plumbers, Third Wheel, Senn Bierworks, Rockwell Beer, and even the STL location of Charleville Brewing coming soon. Seeing the owner’s excitement as they watch their hard work come to fruition is almost as good as the beer.

No matter what you decide to do this year, good luck in sticking to it.

Cheers!

Do you have a "New Beer's Resolution" that you'd like to share? Email Justin at justin@saintbrewis.com or comment in the link below or on Facebook or Twitter.