This is my first time participating in The Session.
On the first Friday of every month, a whole bunch of beer bloggers from around the world blog about one particular topic relating to beer, picked by that month’s host. August 2013 belongs to James Davidson of Beer Bar Band fame and he flicked me an email ages ago asking if I wanted to participate this time around. With two hours of my Friday to go, I decided I might have something to say.
The topic? Your Elevator Pitch for Beer:
You walk into an elevator and hit the button for your destination level. Already in the elevator is someone holding a beer…and it’s a beer that annoys you because, in your view, it represents all that is bad with the current state of beer.
You can’t help but say something, so you confront your lift passenger with the reason why their beer choice is bad.
30 seconds (or 250 words) is all you have to sell your pitch for better beer, before the lift reaches the destination floor. There’s no time, space or words to waste. You must capture and persuade the person’s attention as quickly as possible. When that person walks out of the elevator, you want them to be convinced that you have the right angle on how to make a better beer world.
Walking into an elevator and finding someone holding a beer – any beer – represents hope to me. If someone likes beer, no matter how boring, eccentric, pretentious, offensive – they like beer. And if someone likes beer, they have the capability to enjoy good beer and the community that surrounds it.
After a smile and a quick question or two about what they’re drinking and why, I would provide this simple advice: experiment.
There is an unimaginable range of beers available on the market these days. There are countless different styles, different flavours, different textures. There are beers that are made using vegetables, coffee, oysters. I’ve had a beer that tasted exactly like marshmallow banana lollies. Another like manuka-smoked bacon. And yet another like a slightly sweaty forehead with a hint of lemon. I’ve liked them all. Fizzy, flat, syrupy. Sour, bitter, sweet. There is no limit when it comes to beer. So why limit yourself?
And why not tell people about it? Talking about beer is a passion of mine – I like talking about beer about as much as I like drinking it, actually. And wherever there is a range of beer available, there are people who like to discuss beer, brewing, and their experiences.
There’s a whole world of beer out there – why not open yourself up to it? Experiment.
*****
Check out all the other elevator pitches here: http://beerbarband.com/2013/07/09/the-session-no-78-announcement-your-elevator-pitch-for-beer/
Someone holding a beer on an elevator? Sounds like they’re open to bending the rules a little. Might as well bend their will toward some good beer.
Cheers!
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If my recent trip to NZ has taught me anything…it’s that experimenting is VERY EASY there. Lucky! It was very satisfying to see the extensive ranges of local beers from all ends of the scale available pretty much everywhere around Wellington!
In Melbourne, we may have some good bars and bottleshops that make experiementing easy here and there, but they are still few and far between. In Wellington, we could walk into any bar or liqour outlet and have a choice of something different to try. Good times!
Here’s my Session Roundup post : http://beerbarband.com/2013/08/20/the-session-78-roundup-you-pitched-you-scored/