If you’re in Baltimore already or coming later this week for the annual meetings of SBL, AAR, IBR, ETS, and all of the other annual conferences, do come along to a craft beer reception that I am co-organizing with my colleague and office-mate, Christopher Brewer (isn’t that name just perfect?! The Christ-bearing Beer-maker). The reception will be held at Christ Lutheran Church near the inner-harbor (701 S Charles St, Baltimore, MD 21230), which is about a fifteen-minute walk from the Hilton. The event is absolutely free, thanks to our sponsors at Fortress Press, but we ask that you bring along some craft beer to share from either your local context or from any shop around town in Baltimore.
Here is a promotional video that Chris and I made back in March.
The real beauty behind the rationale for our meeting is that by bringing thousands of international scholars to a central location this provides the perfect setting for people to try a wide variety of otherwise inaccessible beers. I’m excited already to hear about people who are bringing beer from all over the world, including Australia, as well as some homebrews!
Of course, there are many wonderful receptions each year at the conferences hosted by various Universities and Publishers. But most of these events merely have the sort of light lagers that torment me during nightmares. Since these receptions are free those hosting have to purchase something cheap and those drinking the beer can lower their standards without feeling robbed. However, I just can’t bring myself to do it. I don’t care if it’s free. If it’s bad, it’s bad. For me, part of the reason why I wanted to put on this reception is because I do not believe in drinking alcohol for the sake of drinking alcohol. Some people like to add vodka to Orange Juice (a screwdriver), but I say, why add alcohol to a perfectly good thing of Orange Juice! Please, only drink alcohol if it’s good, and if you want some good beer in Baltimore, come hang out with Chris and I on Saturday night.
As Benjamin Franklin definitely did not say, but truer words have never been uttered, “Beer is proof that God loves us, and wants us to be happy.” Falsely attributed words? Surely. False words? Surely not. May the one that has ears to hear, hear. And may the one with refined buds (taste buds) come along with their good buds (friends and colleagues) to share some delicious beer (not Buds).
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