It was such an amazing night. I do wish my energy was up, but I was unfortunately pretty zapped form the conference. Regardless it was amazing to meet Emily, Rebecca, and Steph. I love how beer may have been the conversation starter, but we really had so much in common and to talk about from work to movies, books, and video games.

I can’t think of a better way to toast Women’s day than with these great women!

Back in January my mother asked if I wanted to go to QuiltCon with her, which I thought sounded like an excellent idea!

My mother has always had a way with fabric. When I was a child, she would make a lot of my clothes. Today she spends a great deal of her creative time quilting. My mother has a mathematical and scientific mind, in addition to an eye for beauty. These attributes are clearly expressed in her creations.

Inspired by our impending adventure and her many works of art, this month I was moved to pair quilts with craft brews.

One of my all-time favorite food combinations is beer with cookies! So naturally, I’ve been wanting to do a beer and Girl Scout Cookie pairing for a while. Since Girl Scout Cookie season is upon us, here you go!

I love learning about companies that align with my interests, and I love even more telling others about them. I was thrilled to discover Beer to Bags about a month ago. This is a company and product I can really get behind. It combines two of my favorite things: beer and sustainability!

Beer to Bags is based on a brilliant yet elegant concept: upcycling spent grain bags from breweries into usable totes for brew enthusiasts, like me.

This year, Mac and I got to squeeze in a date night. I had gotten several recommendations to check out Last Wave Brewing Company in Point Pleasant. It wasn’t too far from where we visit, so we decided to check it out.

I was curious to see what the other Belle and Sebastian fans would be like. They were both fabulously interesting and incredibly diverse, especially when it came to age. It was perfect, because it was one of the few “all ages” shows listed on the venue’s website. Though they started late, I did not mind in the least. You never know when you go to see a band, if they will be as good live as they are on the album. Belle and Sebastian were even better. The first few songs were some of my favorites and I was awestruck! It took me a bit to come to grips that I was actually seeing them! I could not believe that Stuart Murdoch’s voice was real! Seeing that sound coming out of a real person, blew my mind. Furthermore, the band is incredibly talented with the breadth and depth of the instruments they played. They were charismatic and really connected with the audience. We were fortunate to be in front, which amplified the experience.

I greatly appreciate the band’s humanity, especially on that day.

From here we headed to Free Range Brewing. This was my favorite brewery we visited. I loved the atmosphere and they had truly lovely beers. It felt very female centric and very safe. I could see this being a perfect hang out for my girlfriends and I. I loved that you could see the brewing tanks right there in the taproom. The ladies working behind the bar were fun, knowledgeable, and extremely helpful!

Mac suggested a weekend away with girlfriends. I wanted to go somewhere with breweries that I had never visited before. While I had been to Charlotte, NC before, it was generally for a concert or doctor’s appointment, not a situation where I had a chance to explore much of the city. After having that delicious Pink Robot beer from Birdsong Brewing, I started looking into other breweries in Charlotte. There are A LOT!

I already loved MoonPies. Now I was crazy about the MoonPie stout story. So, let me tell you about the beer experience…

One of my goals in starting this blog was to find other Brew Flowers like myself. I am also on the hunt for spots we would appreciate and brews we MUST try. In a little neighborhood in a busy city, I found the perfect Brew Flower spot! I’m not sure how I found this gem, but I remember reading about it somewhere and immediately putting it on my brew list.

Without even expecting to set up a pairing, I started going through my beers to see what might complement the flavors in my oh so pink strawberry cake. I immediately gravitated towards a pint of orange blossom braggot. I wanted something sweet, but not too sweet or sour as to overpower my strawberries. I had never tried a braggot, but I like beer and I like mead so it seemed like a win-win.

So I started my blog and along with it, my Instagram. Needless to say, I have been overwhelmed by fantastic diversity in the craft beer community on the photo sharing platform. I have learned so much so fast, though I still have a long way to go. I have discovered women making beer, women creating brew centric art, and lots of fellow female craft beer drinkers! I have really enjoyed connecting with different people (male, female, non-binary) who are just kind and encouraging. Believe it or not craft beer people have greatly helped to restore my faith in humanity. Furthermore, this brew inspired quest has given me the strength and fortitude to be there for others while somehow being able to fill my cup even more. I would like to take this opportunity to share some amazing moments with you in hopes that you may want to pass on the light I have found.

It’s important to make time for one another. When you live far apart and your lives get busy and there is a global pandemic this can be very hard to do! Fellow Brew Flower, Dr. Hazy Daisy, in her infinite wisdom reached out and made a plan! Hazy Daisy suggested we meet somewhere we had both never been, but wasn’t too far for each of us. She suggested the Boojum Brewery Taproom.

Well, I found myself standing near our messy “landing pad” near the back door morning and night. The pile of coats, bags, and shoes had become more than I could stand. We don’t have a coat closet near the back door (which we use more than the front door), so I came up with the idea of an armoire to hang our coats and hide the mess.

When life hands you lemons, grab your family, go to a brewery, and sip some sours (or IPAs or Triples)!

I have lots of guilty pleasures. This project combines two of them. Firstly, I love to peruse the internet checking out DIY before and after makeovers. Something about seeing how far something has come and the efforts people put into them, make me happy. Second, I do love to look for cheap furniture to fix up. It’s kind of a problem.

2021 Holiday Gift Guide for the Brew Flowers in your life!

The term “self-care” gets used a lot. To be honest, the first time I heard it I thought it was something else to placate our “Selfie” society. This is FAR from the case. Self-care is not the same thing as self-improvement (thought it may lead to it) and it is also not being selfish. Self-care is actually VERY important and has more to do with awareness and efforts in your overall well-being, especially its effects on your mental health. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, self-care can be treatment for physical and mental health disorders.

This week Nutrition on Tap and BrewFlowers would like to encourage you to set a self-care goal around: Practicing Mediation, Treating yourself to some flowers, Spending Time Outside, or Choosing a Positive Affirmation.