Excuse me bud….

My daughter turns 4 this summer and my wife and I plan on holding her birthday party at the pool club we intend to join. Last year one of my board members introduced me to the Swim and Sports Club in Flanders, NJ; the place rocks. The club has a plake, that’s right it’s not a typo. A plake is a pool fed by a natural spring (pool + lake = plake…I don’t make this up). Beyond the plake they also have a clubhouse, picnic grounds, a giant open field, and 2 playground. They allow parties in the picnic area….but never mind that.

I really want to showcase my homebrew this year. Last year I had intended on brewing three to four batches for the party and well never did, and what I did brew, I finished before the party….it was a hell of good IPA.

Now that you have the back story I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about what to brew. I want to try and offer a few selections of beers that would appeal to a wide variety of people and herein lays my conundrum: am I selling out because it’s easier to make beer for the masses then it is to convert them into knowledgeable beer drinkers? Not only that, is it my pride, subconsciously persuading me to make beer that the masses will enjoy which will in turn award me praises? Never have I even once considered making an American Pils until now. I don’t normally even drink pils, any pils, just not my style, and now I’m searching forum after forum, on the verge of emailing the Pope (Jamil) himself for advice on how to brew an American Pils with a Cal Common yeast all because I subconsciously want people to like my beer.

I feel like I’m failing myself. I have never made beer to please anyone but myself, why the sudden change of heart I have no idea? Make no mistake I’ve brewed shitty beer and I know it’s shitty; I’m my worst critic. I’m not running around saying my beer is better than anyone else’s but it makes me happy and that’s what has always kept me going….