This time a year ago, I was living in Ireland. If that doesn’t speak volumes about why I am writing about beer for fun, you are very much out of the loop. I studied and worked in the Land of Eire for about four months. And I drank beer. I’m sure that makes me sound like an alcoholic, but I assure you, I’m not.
Acquiring a taste for Guinness did not come easily for me. Pre-Ireland, I fit pretty perfectly into a college girl stereotype: I didn’t love beer and drank the really cheap stuff if it was all that was available. Once I landed in Dublin, I was ready for the experience of my life with gorgeous, green rolling hills, shoe-breaking cobblestone and dark, heavenly stout. It became a personal mission to break my former nonchalance about beer and to really start to like it. I knew Guinness was my Everest and I had many mountains to climb before that.
As proof of my accomplishment, I’ve now decided to blog about my beer experiences. By this I don’t mean trying to put the pieces of my 21st birthday back together. I plan on writing about what I drink – the good and the bad. I happen to live in Boston, a beer capital in its own right, so this wonderful location will probably factor into what I write about. And finally, I’m a girl. Apparently, at some point history, ladies were steered to drink cutesy and fruity cocktails ending with “tini.” This is not to say that I don’t enjoy a pomegranate something or other ever so often, but beer is my normal preference.
Here’s my disclaimer: I will never claim to be any sort of a beer expert – just a beer lover. My purpose in writing about beer is to share my ideas and suggestions with the world. And one last thing, I don’t condone underage drinking. I think that covers it. Happy Happy Hour!
5 Comments
February 29, 2008 at 12:48 am
I spent an incredible week in Ireland last year, mostly in Dublin. I spent a fair amount of times in the pubs–Brazen Head, Stags Head, The Celtic, etc. It was a fantastic experience. Visiting the Guinness Brewery was almost a religious experience for me. I’m looking forward to reading about your beer experiences.
February 29, 2008 at 2:04 am
Thanks so much for reading! Any chance you went to O’Donoghue’s? It was my favorite! Cheers!
March 1, 2008 at 2:05 pm
Was it down near Merrion Square? If so, I think so. I think I liked Stags Head the best, although if you entered it through the alley off of Dame Street you risked running into some sketchy characters tucked in those doorways.
March 4, 2008 at 4:26 am
dear ms. laroche,
i’m a regular obsessee of your insightful and handy blog who was curious what kind of beer you would choose to describe your personality. also, i was wondering if there is any equivalent in beer-world to slapping the bag.
March 27, 2008 at 10:36 pm
[...] the wrong choice. Natalie received a lot of vocal badgering when she was walking around the famous Stag’s Head (thanks for the comment that reminded me of that wonderful place, mbillard) with a mini-Guinness. [...]