For those of you who don’t know the Art of Manliness, it’s one of my favorite websites. Since I discovered it last year, I’ve wanted to write something manly for AoM as it’s called. The dedication to the lost arts of manliness is admirable in this day and age.

Well, the opportunity arose, and the Growler is officially part of the AoM archives.

Here’s a snippet.

It could be said that beer was the downfall of the hunter gatherer, the man of the woods, mountains and streams, the man with spear in hand whose need for meat was matched only by his need for shelter. After all, it was likely the propagation and harvest of the materials required to make beer that caused the famous bipedal wanderer to settle in one location. Or, you can think of it like this: Beer changed the world.

Read the entire Beginner’s Guide to Craft Beer here. And spend some time checking out AoM for all kinds of tips on everything masculine.

Betty’s For Beer, this does not necessarily exclude you. AoM is a great place to find gift ideas and a good, basic understanding of the things that influence men.

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GG

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Guess what, you can.

Alix just sent out a notice that the Big Sky Brewing Co. holiday beer dinner, this Thursday, will be offered to non-Betty’s, which is great for the rest of you. If that’s not temptation enough, take a look at the menu.

Six Course Small Plate Beer Dinner

Course One: Sausage Stuffed Crimini Mushrooms

Paired with Scape Goat Pale Ale

Course Two: Autumn Salad

Paired with Trout Slayer Ale

Course Three: Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Paired with Extra Special Bitter

Course Four: Roast Turkey Breast with Apple, Onion and Sage

Served with Stuffing and Glazed Carrots

Paired with Moose Drool Brown Ale

Course Five: Bacon Wrapped Pork Loin with Cherry Sauce

Served with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Mashed Potatoes

Paired with Powder Hound Winter Ale

Course Six: Moose Drool Ginger Bread Cake

Paired with Ivan the Terrible Imperial Stout

The Betty’s for Beer Dinner is open to any women interested in learning about food and beer pairings. The Dinner takes place at Big Sky Brewing Company on Thursday November 19 from 6-8PM. The 6-course meal will be catered by What’s for Dinner Missoula and paired with Big Sky Brews. The cost is $45 and in addition to the great food and beer, each person will receive a recipe book of all the courses (see below). A vegetarian option is also available, please inquire if you are interested in the alternatives.
Stop by Big Sky Brewing Company or call 549-2777 ext. 120 or email alix@bigskybrew.com to sign up, space is limited to 15 people.

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I popped into the Big Sky Brewing Co. taproom last night, and Alix told me the Betty’s for Beer reunion and beer dinner is filling up fast. If you’re a Beer Betty, don’t forget to drop by and sign up.

November 19: Betty’s for Beer Dinner/Holiday Class for Alumnae. If you have already taken the first series, sign up for this great 6-course small plate beer dinner! Email alix@bigskybrew.com or call the Taproom at (406)549-2777 ext. 120. The cost is $40 and is from 6-8PM.

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Calling all you Betty’s for Beer grads. Big Sky Brewing Co. is putting together a sweet beer dinner and holiday class for you. The prerequisite is that you have to have completed an original Betty’s for Beer class, and I know there are a lot of you now. Call or E-mail Alix in the taproom to reserve your place.

Trust me, this beer dinner will raise your beer game another dozen notches or so, plus, you’ll get to meet all the other Beer Betty’s out there.

November 19: Betty’s for Beer Dinner/Holiday Class for Alumnae. If you have already taken the first series, sign up for this great 6-course small plate beer dinner! Email alix@bigskybrew.com or call the Taproom at (406)549-2777 ext. 120. The cost is $40 and is from 6-8PM.

Can’t wait to catch up with all you ladies soon.

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GG

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Or do you know of one?

Big Sky Brewing Co. and Hawthorne Suites are hosting another round of Betty’s for Beer Sept. 15, 17, 22 & 24 from 7-9PM. The classes include a tour of the brewery, specialized tastings designed to educate about the brewing process, different styles of beer, seasonals and a discussion about the health benefits of beer.

Compare beer to wine and find out how the similarities between the two beverages translate into food pairings. Hang out with other women interested in learning more about beer, and spend some quality time with the staff and brewers from Big Sky Brewing Co.

Call the taproom, 549-2777 ext. 120, to be added to the waiting list.

Check out videos and insights from past Betty’s classes here.

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I’ve been reluctant to publish this bit of information, because the Betty’s For Beer classes, put on by Big Sky Brewing Co., are so popular, they fill up fast. However, I believe in the product, as they say, so here’s the info for any of you Grizzly Growler lady fans or for you guys who want to treat your wife, girlfriend or acquaintance to something special.

The Women’s Beer Education Class will have another session September 15, 17, 22 and 24. The four class series will take place at the Wingate Inn from 7-9PM. Betty’s for Beer classes are informational beer tastings where you can interact with other women who share the same passion for beer. Big Sky Brewers teach about a wide variety of beers and what to look for when trying new styles. If you are interested in signing up for the next course, just call the Taproom at 549-2777 ext. 120 to be added to the waiting list. The classes usually fill up right away, so act soon!

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To steal a title from Big Sky’s beer education page, beer betty’s are the topic of today’s post.

Why? Well, women usually have a unique take on any given subject. I should know, my wife always has a different take on whatever subject we’re discussing.

We had some good friends in town this week. They are beer lovers like me, and we got down to the subject of how my wife learned to stop worrying and love beer. This having happened since we moved to Montana of course.

For my part, I learned that not all women simply think beer = carbs = fat thighs. In fact, my friend’s wife, we’ll call her Annette, likes motor-oil stouts as much as she likes a summertime Kolsch. Oh, she also likes sour beers of all things, so I had to put a lock on my beer cellar.

Turns out my wife’s palate is more sensitive than mine, something I’ve heard that is actually true of many women when compared to guys.

So, I’ve learned to trust my wife’s palate when it comes to tasting peculiarities and commonalities in our beer selection.

One of the things I love to do when it comes to finding out what women think about any one beer is to visit A Beer Sort of Blog, and Beer for Chicks. For one thing, A Beer Sort of Girl, being in the advertising industry, has some interesting insights into beer marketing. That and she’s really fun to read. And Christina Perozzi, the blogger behind Beer for Chicks, well, she’s just awesome. Her quest to educate the world about beer as a sommelier and beer writer is not only admirable, it’s working.

I guess the reason I’m writing this is because we, as guys, don’t include women in the beer conversation very often. And this is pretty bad because beer shouldn’t be sexist just as wine shouldn’t be snobby.

Take your girlfriend, wife, sister, mom, daughter (provided she’s 21) out for a beer or pour one with dinner and see just how much they have to contribute to the beer conversation. I guarantee it’s a lot more than you think.

Women are being marketed to more and more as the principle beer buyers in many households. This being the case, advertising is going to change, and brewers may start brewing more styles that accord to marketing research about womens’ tastes in beer.

I’m tired of sitting at a brewpub only to hear a woman ask the guy, “What kind of beer do you think I will like?” Every time that happens, he scans the list for the lightest thing available. Barring that, he inevitably orders her a hard lemonade or some such alcapop.

Given the same exposure and respect for her individual ability to taste beer, she should be able to enjoy a wider range of beers than he ever will. It’s no secret that women often branch out, while men tend to find a particular style and stick to it.

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GG

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This is the final installment in the Betty’s For Beer series. My thanks go out to Letty Hingtgen for all her hard work in putting together these videos and to Big Sky Brewing Co. for allowing us access to the Betty’s classes. Check back often to find out for upcoming Betty’s for Beer classes at Big Sky and other beer tasting opportunities.

Without further ado:

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Sorry for the delay. We’ll round out this collection of vids with the final episode soon.

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Sorry it’s late.

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