National Beer Day: Cheers to Beer!

Justin literally works for beer, well he works for a beer company, a brewery. He is the General Manager and Graphic Designer for Orono Brewing Company in Orono, Maine. This is something that was completely new to me when we started hanging out.

The first time we met was at Nocturnem Draft Haus in beautiful Downtown Bangor. I was having dinner and drinks with a mutual friend. What I didn’t know is that I met my future husband that night, in a place we would eventually frequent.

Justin lives for beer. He loves the taste, the science behind the product, and the industry as a whole. The job he has allows him to interact with a ton of people. He gets to talk to customers on a daily basis. He gets to use his design background bringing OBC cans to life and even gets to name a few beers himself. This makes me happy seeing him do something passionate about.

What I didn’t expect when I started dating Justin was the fact that I would like a few beers along the way. Before he entered my life I did not like beer, at all. I am more of a rum and coke fan, like my dad. However, after trying sips of every beer Justin has had with dinner or out for drinks with friends, I have found a few I enjoy.

The best of all of them is Barrel-Aged Sugar Plum Fairy Saison.

What is a funny connection between Sugar Plum Fairy is the fact that it’s an Orono Brewing collaboration with Nocturnem for their annual Beermas event. Justin’s place of work, the place we first met and the best beer OBC has ever made. A perfect connection!

Additionally, I have like a few All The Way Up Fruited Sour and Gunner’s Daughter Peanut Butter Milk Stout by Mast Landing Brewing Company, as well as Press 2 Mexican Lager from Geaghan Brother’s Brewing Company. I have also been able to experiment with blending Orono’s Golden Grove Witbier with Maine Root Organic Lemonade for a nice summer shandy.

I never thought my life would have so much talk about beer, but I have grown to love it. Our friend group, One Big Hoppy Family, gathers for beer on the regular and it is nice to be able to have a beer or two I can enjoy with them.

Every beer Justin tries, I will take a sip and try to find another beer I will like. However, I likely will stick with my Magners Pear or Ciderboys The First Press cider as my go-to. That is if I Sugar Plum Fairy is not available.

I don’t think I have ever said this, but HAPPY NATIONAL BEER DAY!

Just incase you missed it, we recorded our first podcast this past weekend.
Check it out here.