The festive season is over, and for some, that means a return to work, January blues, and wrapping up warmly as we emerge from our homes into the cold (if you can make it through the snow) . January may be bleak, but with it comes the promise of regeneration and a fresh start in the shape of New Year’s Resolutions. I think almost everyone has made resolutions of the puritan sort at some point: giving up ‘bad’ things, aiming to go to the gym eight times a week, and the like. I think that almost everyone has broken these kinds of resolution too (I know I have) – so, this year, why not join me in making an achievable and enjoyable goal for 2010? I have some beer related suggestions:
• Resolve to enjoy the things you like – in moderation: January is cold and miserable enough without having to give up something you really like. Not to mention the fact that if you cut something out completely, it’ll seem like forbidden fruit and even more tempting than before! So why not aim for moderation? If you’ve decided to take up an active new hobby, such as dancing, you can afford to enjoy a little of what you fancy – 29 minutes of the twist will burn off one bottle of lager, and 22 minutes of salsa will burn off one bottle of ale
• Help out local enterprise: What could be better than making a resolution to support local pubs? Try out new ones in your area – I can’t think of a more fun way to support local business! And if you know somewhere worth shouting about, why not submit your favourite bar or pub to our site to let everyone know why you love it: http://www.bittersweetpartnership.com/favourite_bars/
• Develop a beer-related skill: Instead of the customary evening classes in French and Spanish, why not try a beer related course? The Beer Academy is running beer tasting events where you can learn about beer tasting, food and beer matching, presentation and more. Or if you’d rather experiment at home, you could try brewing your own (more on this later!)
Here at BitterSweet we’re wishing everyone a very happy new year – or should that be ‘new beer’?
