The passing of a legend: Jonny’s Ale.

New Belgium, the leading CO. micro-brewer (if we can still call them that) started a line of beers based on their employees’ recipes.

The latest beer is a dark ale (Sara’s Ale, I think), but the one that was just replaced, Johnny’s Ale, was probably the best thing I have tasted out of NB in a long time.

I am not 100% sure of what the beer was but it tasted like a Grand-Cru’ed version of Trippel. This beer was so well crafted so district that I hated it at first. But after a couple goes I was in love.

I sobbed when It was gone. Rejoiced when I found Steakout (a local bar) still had it on tap. And will weep again when I know I have tasted it for the last time.

Everything is right on queue from the aroma to the taste to the after taste. I felt I was drinking flowers and I loved it.

It is as if I knew someone for a long time but only really got to know them right before they left my life forever. I may spend the rest of my life trying to find what I once had, wandering in the eternity of limbo like a lost soul. Maybe I’ll find it, most likely I won’t.

This seems like a perfect interaction to also say goodbye…at least for now.

My journey reminds me of a story I once heard. Socrates was talking with a friend who had just come back from a long journey. As they strolled along the cobble stone path under the Mediterranean sun his friend said something along the lines of ‘I am the same man you knew before I left’. To this Socrates replied ‘then you have learned nothing and it would have been better for to have never gone.’

As I sit punching in these last lines I think Socrates would be proud of my journey into the wilderness of brew. I don’t know everything, in fact now I realize how little truly I know. But I do know more than when I left and I will continue to learn and teach others.

Thanks for reading (Sara and Jeff Browne).