{"id":5205,"date":"2018-09-10T05:31:02","date_gmt":"2018-09-10T05:31:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beer-syndicate.com\/blog\/?p=5205"},"modified":"2018-10-07T17:53:01","modified_gmt":"2018-10-07T17:53:01","slug":"brewer-quit-drinking-beer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/beersyndicate.com\/blog\/brewer-quit-drinking-beer\/","title":{"rendered":"The Brewer Who Quit Drinking Beer"},"content":{"rendered":"

I love beer.\u00a0 I brew it.\u00a0 I write about it.\u00a0 And on occasion I have been known to enjoy a pint or two.<\/span><\/p>\n

So why stop doing something I love?<\/em>\u00a0 I know what you\u2019re thinking: because I have a drinking problem.<\/span><\/p>\n

Well, I suppose if I\u2019m being honest, there were a few times in the past where I admit I did have a drinking problem, but I can truthfully say that I\u2019ve become more responsible since then, and today I always make sure that I have enough beer around so that I\u2019ll never have a problem drinking again.<\/span><\/p>\n

And just in case you were wondering, no, I\u2019m not Catholic, so I\u2019m not giving beer up for lint (I\u2019ve already got plenty of that in my dryer).<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m not quitting beer because I got fat (I\u2019m cursed with the metabolism of a hummingbird), I didn\u2019t just have a kid and suddenly get the urge to be Capt. Role Model, nor did I just recently drink too much only to swear off booze until the next time.\u00a0 So why quit?<\/span><\/p>\n

I guess for me, it\u2019s a self-control thing because proper beer contains alcohol and alcohol can be addictive (allegedly), so testing the old willpower now and again by abstaining from beer and alcohol in general could be a good thing.\u00a0 Or maybe it\u2019s a terrible idea.<\/span><\/p>\n

Only one way to find out!<\/span><\/p>\n

Also, I\u2019m only quitting for a month.\u00a0 (I\u2019m stupid, not crazy.)<\/span><\/p>\n

Predictions<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Aside from the obvious reduction in fun, here are a few predictions I\u2019ll make about my month with no beer:<\/span><\/p>\n

1.<\/strong> Unforgiveable financial damage to local breweries from me not buying their beer which in turn will hurt their families, babies, and their cute little puppies and kitties.<\/span>
\n2.<\/strong> Less beer cans and bottles being recycled which will increase global warming and melt the ice caps, thus forcing polar bears to join ISIS.<\/span>
\n3.<\/strong> Fewer hangovers.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Plan<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I sometimes get the feeling that my brain likes to think of drinking beer as a reward, so I\u2019ll keep the drinking part, but just swap out the beer with another beverage I also enjoy, in this case tea<\/em>, and hope my brain doesn\u2019t catch on.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s right, the old Pavlovian Switcheroo.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s just hope that my brain is stupid enough to fall for my sneaky little ruse because if it gets wise, there\u2019s no telling what it might do…<\/span><\/p>\n

A Month Without Beer<\/u><\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Day 1<\/strong>: \u201cNo drinks for the month starts today!\u00a0 Cheers!\u201d was the text I just sent my buddy who said he\u2019d also attempt to go dry with me for the month. \u00a0I\u2019m not sure if it\u2019s important to mention this, but the first time my buddy and I met years ago, he told me that he had just quit drinking.<\/span><\/p>\n

To his credit, I will say he is pretty experienced at quitting as he\u2019s quit drinking about a dozen or more times since then.\u00a0 Who better to have on my team than this seasoned pro, right?<\/span><\/p>\n

The truth is, it does make it a little easier going cold turkey when you have somebody in your corner who\u2019s going to tough it out with you too.<\/span><\/p>\n

Just got a text back: my buddy is headed out to the pub for a pint.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve gotta hand it to him, he quit quitting drinking on the same day.\u00a0 That is some next-level quitting.\u00a0 I told you he was a pro.<\/span><\/p>\n

I, on the other hand, am not a quitter.\u00a0 Well, except for quitting beer for the month.\u00a0 And then quitting this whole dumb personal experiment at the end of the month.<\/span><\/p>\n

Day 2:<\/strong> The day before yesterday was my \u201cFat Tuesday\u201d, the day you\u2019re supposed to indulge in a bit of gluttony that will hopefully sustain you for the next 40 days of trying to be good before you can start being bad again.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s the day I enjoyed the last beer I\u2019d have for a month.\u00a0 It was a tasty German Hefeweizen I brewed that was just coming into its prime.\u00a0 I also had a Miller Low-Life with a slice of lime, a bottle that was left over from a party from the month before.\u00a0 (See, I\u2019m not a beer snob because I discovered that almost any otherwise undrinkable beer can be choked down with a squeeze or three of lime!)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Yeah, so two measly beers.\u00a0 Fat Tuesday<\/em>\u2026 more like Dangerously Emaciated Tuesday.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Day 3:<\/strong> Two thoughts come to mind: (1) This ex-beer-iment is masochistic and dumb, and (2) I really miss that German Hefeweizen.<\/span><\/p>\n

Time for a pint of beer<\/span> tea.<\/span><\/p>\n

Day 4.<\/strong> Here\u2019s the problem with having beer as your only hobby: you have a lot of free time on your hands when you quit.\u00a0 The question is what to do with all the free time.\u00a0 I guess I didn\u2019t think this whole thing through.<\/span><\/p>\n

Day 5:<\/strong> \u201cHere’s to alcohol: the cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

~ Homer Simpson<\/span><\/p>\n

Day 6:<\/strong> It just dawned on me that I\u2019m doing a sort of reverse AA (Alcoholics Anonymous): I\u2019m counting down the number of days until I\u2019ll get to have another beer instead of the days I don\u2019t.\u00a0 I also just realized that the reverse of \u201cAA\u201d is still \u201cAA\u201d.\u00a0 It also just dawned on me that the increasing application of facial recognition software courtesy of Facebook, Apple and Amazon, might just be helping to take the \u201canonymous\u201d out of Alcoholics Anonymous (and everything else, for that matter).<\/span><\/p>\n

Facebook<\/u><\/strong>:<\/span> \u201cThe Cloud just tagged you in a photo walking into an AA meeting!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

You<\/u><\/strong>: Nervously awaiting likes & comments from friends, family and co-workers.\u00a0 (Stole that idea from an episode of Black Mirror, Season 6: Booze Clues<\/em><\/span>.)<\/span><\/p>\n

Day 7:<\/strong> \u201cLike a camel, I can go without a drink for seven days— and have on several horrible occasions.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

~ Herb Caen<\/span><\/p>\n

Day 8:<\/strong> I think this spot is about deep enough in the article where I\u2019ll have lost most readers so I can actually be honest about something.\u00a0 I sort of stole this idea.\u00a0 Well, not the idea of quitting something I like doing for some pre-determined amount of time.\u00a0 That\u2019s basically a form of fasting, and fasting\u2019s been around for thousands of years (re: most major religions).<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

What I\u2019m doing is a purely personal and secular form of self-denial.<\/span><\/p>\n

The part that I stole was from an article I read a while ago\u2026 maybe years ago\u2026 that essentially did what I\u2019m doing now: give up alcohol for a month and write about it.\u00a0 (Did I forget to mention that was one of my other intentions?\u00a0 To have a little semi-provocative writing fodder for when the idea mill hit a lull?)<\/span><\/p>\n

But I like to give credit where credit\u2019s due, so let me just provide a link to the article that sort of inspired me.\u00a0 It should be easy to find… it\u2019ll probably be the only article that pops up when I google \u201ca month without drinking\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Huh.\u00a0 So it turns out that there was more than one article about quitting booze for a month.\u00a0 Google returned more than 400 million search results.\u00a0 Did not<\/em> see that coming.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Apparently there\u2019s even a recently invented \u201cofficial month\u201d for not drinking called \u201cDry January\u201d<\/a><\/span> that seems to have originated in the U.K. around 2013.\u00a0 (Note to self: Visit the U.K. in January– the drink specials must be insane.)<\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, four pages deep into the search results and I gave up trying to find that one article that inspired me.\u00a0 Thanks, Obama.<\/span><\/p>\n

Day 9:<\/strong> With over 100 different beer styles<\/a> <\/span>and easily over a quarter million commercial examples of those styles, a major allure to beer is exploring all its variety and versatility.<\/span><\/p>\n

Similarly, there\u2019s a vast landscape of tea to discover.\u00a0 With over 3,000<\/u><\/a> <\/span>different varieties in the world, tea, in all of its various incarnations, should keep even the most ferocious curiosity busy for at least a month.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are just a few I recommend:<\/span><\/p>\n

Detox Teas:<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a># 1: Dandy Live Detox<\/a><\/span><\/u><\/strong>: Unlike roasted<\/em> dandelion root tea which has a watery coffee and Cracker Jack character, this dandelion tea is very approachable yet flavorful, slightly fruity, and well balanced. 5\/5 stars. (Contains milk thistle seed, lemongrass leaf and a blend of other tasty stuff).<\/span><\/p>\n

By the way, not all dandelion teas are the same and most contain additional ingredients other than just dandelion.\u00a0 For example, EveryDay Detox Dandelion<\/em><\/a> <\/span>from Traditional Medicinals has a dominant black licorice<\/u> anise character to it, which might be a good substitute for those trying to go a month without ouzo.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a># 2: Detox Herbal Supplement with Green Tea<\/a><\/span><\/u><\/strong>: <\/span>Although this tea from Lipton contains dandelion and nettle, it also contains grapefruit<\/em>, which is by far the star of the show.\u00a0 If you like grapefruit, this is the detox tea for you.\u00a0 Not only that, but just one bag is powerful enough to make a pint of tea.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other Highly Recommended Teas:<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Tulsi Sweet Rose Tea<\/span><\/a>:<\/span><\/u><\/strong> If you\u2019ve ever seen a cat devour a rose bud, you\u2019ll know why after you try this gentle sweet rose tea from Tulsi.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/u>\"\"<\/a>Yogi Mango Ginger and Lemon Ginger<\/span><\/a><\/u><\/strong>:<\/span> Both of these fruity-ginger teas pack big flavor and nail the balance between the fruit and the ginger.\u00a0 As a bonus, only one bag of either of these blends is strong enough to make a respectable pint of tea.\u00a0 (Chai tea<\/span> is another example of where you can easily get away with one bag per pint.)<\/span><\/p>\n


\nDay 10:<\/strong>\u00a0 I started to notice that I\u2019m not feeling as full from a pint of tea as I do from a pint of beer.\u00a0 Hmmm\u2026 I need to google something. Be right back.\u00a0 Okay, so I\u2019m not sure if this has anything to do with it, but it turns out that google says a pint of beer has 208 calories, while a pint of tea has approximately 0-6 (and roughly 20 with a teaspoon of honey).<\/span><\/p>\n

Analysis<\/strong>: Need to double<\/span> quadruple-down on the tea. \u00a0Might also pick up some Whey Protein for some shakes while I\u2019m at it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Day 11: <\/strong>I forgot to mention that I was being a little strategic about when I decided to go dry.\u00a0 No birthdays or any big beer events I could think are going on this month.\u00a0 Well, aside from packaging a bunch of beer, writing about beer every day, and living in a house that\u2019s swimming in what even the most liberal alcoholic would call \u201ctriggers\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

But here\u2019s the point: if you want to give this awful month-long experiment a try yourself, you don\u2019t have to be a trend-bot and get in line with all the Dry Januaryists.\u00a0 Do whatever month or 30ish day period that works best for you and have \u201cfun\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Day 12:<\/strong> Today I realized that despite my bragging about being strategic with regards to when I chose to abstain from the drink, if I were more strategic, I would have chosen February to go dry (fewer days).<\/span><\/p>\n

Day 13:<\/strong> \u201cAlcohol is the anesthesia by which we endure the operation of life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

~ George Bernard Shaw<\/span><\/p>\n

Day 14:<\/strong> It\u2019s been two weeks with no beer or alcohol in general.\u00a0 I lost 10 pounds, went down a belt notch, and got thinner in the face.\u00a0 Yep, you\u2019ve probably heard that alcohol can puffy up your mug like a milder version of pregnant-face.\u00a0 According to a British dermatologist, this happens because alcohol causes peripheral blood vessels to expand and widen (puff-face), which allows more blood to flow through our skin, also making the skin appear redder.\u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Science aside, my working hypothesis is that if you lose 10 pounds through dieting, some of that weight is probably going to come off the face.<\/span><\/p>\n

Day 15:<\/strong> Speaking of oft mentioned benefits of quitting booze, I was really looking forward to the mountains of money<\/a><\/span> I\u2019d be saving after going cold turkey.<\/span><\/p>\n

In my case, it just so happens that I probably already spent the same if not more on alcohol this month in anticipation of next month when I\u2019ll be celebrating my accomplishment of the month that I didn\u2019t drink any alcohol.<\/span><\/p>\n

Day 16:<\/strong> \u201c<\/strong>Alcohol gives you infinite patience for stupidity.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

~ Sammy Davis, Jr.<\/span><\/p>\n

Day 17: <\/strong>\u201c5 women reveal the pros and cons of not drinking alcohol for 30 days\u201d is the tagline of the currently top-ranked article on google<\/a> <\/span>when I search \u201cnot drinking for a month\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are some word-bites from that piece and some reactions:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI spent more time with my daughter connecting, not battling.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t have a daughter, but if I did, I would like to think that whether I was drinking or not, I would still have the courage to face her on the field of battle.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI saved money and lost weight\u2014but friends pushed me to sip.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t save money, but I lost weight.\u00a0 My friends didn\u2019t push me to sip because my friends weren\u2019t birthed out of the devil\u2019s butthole.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c[Not drinking] helped my anxiety and depression, and I couldn’t stand being around drunk friends.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Two things: (1) paradoxically, it sounds like alcohol is having the exact opposite<\/em> effect on this person than it does for mostly everyone else (anxiety<\/a> <\/span>and depression-wise<\/a><\/span>), and (2) this person might want to think about picking up some new friends at the friend store.<\/span><\/p>\n

Day 18:<\/strong> “Work is the curse of the drinking classes.”<\/span><\/p>\n

~ Oscar Wilde<\/span><\/p>\n

Day 19:<\/strong> Instead of being known as the person who created \u201cDry January\u201d that encourages people not to drink alcohol for a month, I\u2019d rather be known as the one who invented \u201cJob-Free July\u201d, the month where employers give their staff a paid month off in July.\u00a0 Employees could use that month to enjoy some drinks while really reflecting on the negative effects of working.\u00a0 Bloggers could then write 400 million similar sounding articles about what it was like to give up working for a month.<\/span><\/p>\n

Day 20:<\/strong> “You’re not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on.”<\/span><\/p>\n

~ Dean Martin<\/span><\/p>\n

Day 21:<\/strong> Lurk around any of the alcohol-related subs<\/a><\/span> (chat forums) on the popular website reddit<\/em>, and eventually the topic of \u201cdo I drink too much\u201d comes up.\u00a0 Folks chime in with their own personal yardsticks for diagnosing alcoholism from a certain minimum number of drinks consumed in a week\/month, to throwing up blood.<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

From a medical prospective, alcoholism<\/a><\/span> (which is considered both a physical and mental illness) is said to exist when at least two of the following are true:<\/span><\/p>\n

1)<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 a person drinks large amounts over a long time period,<\/span>
\n2)\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 has difficulty cutting down,<\/span>
\n3)<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 acquiring and drinking alcohol takes up a great deal of time,<\/span>
\n4)\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 alcohol is strongly desired,<\/span>
\n5)<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 usage results in not fulfilling responsibilities,|<\/span>
\n6)<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 usage results in social problems,<\/span>
\n7)\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 usage results in health problems,<\/span>
\n8)\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 usage results in risky situations (drinking and drive, unsafe sex, etc.),<\/span>
\n9)<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 withdrawal occurs when stopping,<\/span>
\n10)<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0 and alcohol tolerance has occurred with use.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s probably just a strange coincidence, but those ten lines were all part of my fraternity oath.\u00a0 Go<\/em> Kappa Epsilon Gamma<\/em> (K.E.G.)!!!<\/span><\/p>\n

Day 22:<\/strong> \u201cAn alcoholic is someone you don’t like who drinks as much as you do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

~ Dylan Thomas<\/span><\/p>\n

Day 23:<\/strong> In case I needed more proof that I\u2019m living in my own private Truman Show, a large study<\/a><\/span> came out today indicating that \u201cthe safest level of drinking is none<\/u>,\u201d suggesting that any level of alcohol consumption increases a range of certain health risks including cancer.\u00a0 Perfect timing yet again, The<\/em> Matrix<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite that report, my best thinking\/total guessing tells me that if by the time I get cancer from alcohol, there should be a cure.\u00a0 Then again, if billionaire Steve Jobs couldn\u2019t beat cancer\u2026<\/em> (Huh, I would\u2019ve thought he had an app for that.\u00a0 Oh well, at least we got the Apple Watch.)<\/span><\/p>\n

Day 24: <\/strong>\u00a0\u201cThe worst thing about some men is that when they are not drunk they are sober.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

~ William Butler Yeats<\/span><\/p>\n

Day 25:<\/strong> There\u2019s plenty of advice out there on how to prep for a month with no drinking including how to reduce or navigate social situations where others might be drinking and even having a few \u201cwhite lies\u201d<\/a><\/span> at the ready like being on antibiotics or finishing up a project at work.<\/span><\/p>\n

F that. I really wanted to test my steel, so not only did I not<\/em> try to avoid situations where people would encourage me to drink, I went head-first into them.\u00a0 I happily served drinks, packaged lots of beer, and gladly gave beer money to urban outdoors men\/stationary non-workers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Long story short, it wasn\u2019t hard to deal with the supposed social pressure.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll have a tea\u201d was the only phrase necessary.\u00a0 (Alright, I didn\u2019t go dry during my birth month, so I guess I wasn\u2019t that<\/em> hardcore.)<\/span><\/p>\n

Day 26: <\/strong>You\u2019ve probably heard of that age old secrete to losing weight: diet and exercise.\u00a0 But there\u2019s an important part that\u2019s missing, namely that diet<\/em> is more critical than exercise when it comes to weight loss, with some folks putting it at 75% diet<\/u><\/em> and 25% exercise<\/u><\/em>.<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In my case though, I lost 10 pounds in 14 days from not drinking beer, but the ratio was more like 110% diet and -10% exercise seeing as how I was probably lazier this month exercise-wise than usual.\u00a0 Nevertheless, weight loss is typical for people who give up booze for a month, as was shown in this study<\/a><\/span> where people lost on average 3 pounds.<\/span><\/p>\n

Day 27: <\/strong>\u201c<\/span>Abstainer: a weak person who yields to the temptation of denying himself a pleasure.”<\/span><\/p>\n

~ Ambrose Bierce<\/span><\/p>\n

Day 28:<\/strong> 28 days.\u00a0 It\u2019s not only the arbitrarily chosen number of days<\/a><\/span> of sobriety used to break alcoholics of their dependency, it\u2019s also the amount of time it takes for England to be totally overrun by a zombie apocalypse.<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Day 29:<\/strong> \u201cIn vino veritas\u201d is Latin for \u201cIn wine, truth\u201d, and suggests that a person under the influence is more likely to speak their unfiltered thoughts.\u00a0 Sure does make you suspicious of all the things sober people really<\/em> think about you but refrain from saying.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Day 30: <\/strong>\u201cWhoever drinks beer, he is quick to sleep; whoever sleeps long, does not sin; whoever does not sin, enters Heaven! Thus, let us drink beer!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

~ Martin Luther<\/span><\/p>\n

Day 31:<\/strong> So here we are.\u00a0 The final day of \u201cDry August.\u201d\u00a0 I suppose there are some people who quit drinking for a month and had some sort of eye-opening, transformative, life-altering, grand revelation about the woes of alcohol.\u00a0 That\u2019s not me.<\/span><\/p>\n

And with that, here\u2019s the sugar-free truth of what a month of not drinking looks like:<\/span><\/p>\n

Cons:<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1.<\/strong> Did the same mundane domestic chores I typically do in a month, but with the added benefit of being able to focus more intensely on the boringness of those tasks.<\/span>
\n2.<\/strong> Experienced reduced buy-in from people when attempting to blame stupid things I say while sober on alcohol.<\/span>
\n3.<\/strong> Found humans more insufferable than usual.<\/span>
\n4.<\/strong> Additional time gained from not going out as much only to be reallocated to staying in and watching mediocre content on Netflix.<\/span>
\n5.<\/strong> Unlike some anecdotal accounts<\/span><\/a> suggest, I didn\u2019t really notice much of an improvement in the \u201cquality\u201d of my sleep. In fact, I was sleepier and found it more difficult to get out of bed.<\/span>
\n6.<\/strong> I might have developed a tea addiction.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pros:<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1.<\/strong> I have to admit that swapping beer for tea really caused me to lose weight and fast. (Note to self: Need to copyright this idea and cash in quick.) In the past, I was under the impression that the reputed \u201cbeer belly\u201d was a bit of a myth actually caused by the additional food people typically consume along with the beer. But I concede, beer seems to contribute pounds to the body.<\/span>
\n2.<\/strong> Not that I had any doubt, but I proved to myself that I had the will power to go without beer or any alcohol for a month (and possibly indefinitely), but I see no compelling reason to punish myself any further.<\/span>
\n3.<\/strong> No hangovers reported.<\/span>
\n4.<\/strong> I enjoyed all the tea, and I\u2019ll probably swap out tea for beer more often.<\/span>
\n5.<\/strong> No breweries in my city filed for bankruptcy.<\/span>
\n6.<\/strong> No polar bears joined ISIS (yet).<\/span>
\n7.<\/strong> And sorry, not sorry, but a month without beer really made me appreciate beer more than almost any time in my life.<\/span><\/p>\n

Last Words<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Tomorrow shall be a glorious beer-filled day—a day that will shake the very foundations of the great beer hall of Valhalla.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sk\u00e5l!<\/em> (Viking for cheers.)
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Hi, I\u2019m D.J. Pander.<\/b>\u00a0 I like beer. \u00a0I also blog. Follow me on <\/span>Myspace.<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n

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I love beer.\u00a0 I brew it.\u00a0 I write about it.\u00a0 And on occasion I have been known to enjoy a pint or two. So why stop doing something I love?\u00a0 I know what you\u2019re thinking: because I have a drinking problem. Well, I suppose if I\u2019m being honest, there were a few times in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[589],"tags":[1137,1139,1134,1142,1135,1129,1131,1128,1127,1130,1143,1138,1145,1144,1136,1140,1141,1132,1133],"yoast_head":"\r\nThe Brewer Who Quit Drinking Beer - Beer Syndicate Blog<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"googlebot\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"bingbot\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/www.beer-syndicate.com\/blog\/brewer-quit-drinking-beer\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Brewer Who Quit Drinking Beer - Beer Syndicate Blog\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I love beer.\u00a0 I brew it.\u00a0 I write about it.\u00a0 And on occasion I have been known to enjoy a pint or two. So why stop doing something I love?\u00a0 I know what you\u2019re thinking: because I have a drinking problem. 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