Bottle Conditioned

I was reminded again today why I spend a good deal of time every week producing a podcast and blog about craft beer.

This afternoon, as I meandered my way toward lunch, I dropped by the bank to deposit a check. The check was from a sponsor on our podcast, and I was depositing it into the bank account dedicated to the show. As I handed the bank teller the deposit slip and check, she noted the name and inquired about it: “Davis On Draft? Does that have something to do with drafting?” I paused for a moment, wondering if I ought to delve into explaining what a podcast is, and why it’s about craft beer, but I went ahead. “Actually, it has to do with craft beer”. Instead of being puzzled, she seemed satisfied and said that she was going to guess that next. I went on to explain podcasting and what we do, which launched us into a fairly in depth discussion about craft beer. This mildly shocked me as the otherwise monotone middle-aged woman sprang to life in the context of this conversation.

After a few minutes of conversing about craft beer, microbreweries, and The Great American Beer Tour, I left in pursuit of my lunch. As I walked toward my car, I starting thinking about our conversation and how interesting it was that the subject of craft beer had sparked such an interaction.

It turns out, this isn’t all that uncommon. Mollie and I attend monthly networking meetings for entrepreneurs here in Nashville, and I’ve seen the same thing happen here. As we walk around and talk to people at these meetings, everyone is business-focused and serious, trying desperately to make contacts and generate leads. However, as soon as we mention what we do, a different side of people pops up and a relaxed and fun conversation about craft beer ensues.

Talking about great beer excites people. It brings out the relaxed, fun side of people, and can bridge the gap between two people who otherwise would never come together. Not only that, but people want to learn about craft beer. They want to tell you about great beer they’ve had and learn about the beer you’ve had. They want to ask questions about different styles, where to buy it, and how to drink it.

People simply want to know more about beer - and they’re everywhere. From bank tellers to CEOs, there is a common need and desire to learn more about the better beer out there. Find someone this week and strike up a conversation about great beer. Chances are, they’ll tell you about a beer they had while they were traveling, or a beer that one of their relatives or friends love. They may even tell you that they brew their own beer - or that they host a podcast about it. Either way, there’s a little bit of beer lover - craft beer lover - in almost everyone.

And that’s why we do this.

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