On the wall of the Sapporo beer factory, in northern Japan, these words are painted in English: As long as man has been civilized he has been brewing beer. Now it doesn’t get more profound than that. It feels good to think of beer as a civilizing force. More often it’s part of recreation. Beer is great when you’re outside, when you’re grilling, when you’re at the beach, when you’re on a boat. Beer goes well with relaxation. Unfortunately it also goes well with keg parties, but you can’t have everything.
One of the first things I wrote for this newsletter was The Beer Commandments, which felt very important at the time. Well, it’s still summer, and I’ve been thinking a lot about beer. So it’s time to expand the list.