Blogmas 2021! Is that a thing? I don’t know.
Here’s the thing. I failed wildly at Nanowrimo this year. Like, to the point that it was good that I didn’t announce it because I would be embarrassed at my numbers. But, I had my Masters convocation, looked after Rylee for a week, got insanely sick for the first time in two years (not COVID) and got cast in a play. So I was doing all sorts of good things. But now that things have slowed down… now is the time to really work on developing a daily practice of writing, even without a set word count.
So, I’m going to do Blogmas! Like Vlogmas, but written down.
(Note: while writing this blog post, I actually bothered to google something and have determined that Blogmas is, in fact, a thing and that people still have blogs in 2021. This pleases me.)
I can’t guarantee that everything I write will actually be Christmas themed, which is apparently the point of the challenge, but it’s December and I’m writing and don’t complain, damnit!
Beer Exchange Day 1
Okay, here’s something fun and festive! This year, my amazing friend Megan organized a 12 Days of Christmas beer exchange. You know, a beer exchange. The thing where you get 12 people together and they each buy 12 of a different beer and wrap it up, then you have surprise 12 beers. It’s one of those things that people always talk about but no one actually gets organized. And that means that I have 12 fun different beers to write about throughout Blogmas (yes, that’s cheating but I don’t care, beverages is my brand).
For Day 1, Megan provided us with the Kinabik Pilsner from Snake Lake Brewing Company out of Sylvan Lake. To explain the name, which I absolutely love, here is the copy from the beer can:
Early settlers knew Sylvan Lake as Snake Lake, taken from the Cree name “Kinabik.” Garter snakes would swarm around its shores, especially at Jarvis Bay. As the human population grew, the snakes gradually disappeared. In 1903, the town’s name was officially changed to Sylvan Lake.
(Snake Lake Brewing Company, 2021)
I love the copy on alcoholic beverage containers – we used to have a whole bit about that on MOA.
I enjoyed this beer while watching Season 41 of Survivor (obsessed, totally Team Erika, loved the tribal council tonight). This was wildly appropriate because… snakes. (You know, snakes and rats? Survivor Borneo?)
The Kinabik is super drinkable, very crisp, and only a tiny bit hoppy. Just enough to give it a bit of complexity. It’s a 5% alcohol with a 25 IBU and those are the only stats I care about because I’m only a tiny bit knowledgeable about beer.
Megan tipped her hand that there were some very complex and a little crazy beers included in the 12. I’m excited about that, but I’m also always here for a solid Pilsner.
Apparently most people plan their Blogmas post calendar ahead of time and don’t just randomly decide to do it on the first of December. Hahaha. Classic Erin.
What sort of posts would y’all like to see in this Blogmas I did not plan? Do you have any special things lined up for your December?