Cryptobrewology Then and Now
Cryptobrewology began with one idea then shifted to being a how-to website, and has spawned different side projects and ideas generally built around homebrewing, wine making, and other kitchen hobbies like cheese making, cooking with beer and the occasional Cindy recipe.
We have created a video series called "Road Trips and BrewPubs" in which — with our little travel trailer in-tow — we seek out cool towns, interesting things to do, and great breweries and pubs around the US and Canada. You can find the videos here at Cryptobrewology.com, or at the Cryptobrewology YouTube Channel.
The homebrewing angle has kind of faded, and I don’t see many how-to style articles in the future. But Road Trips and Brew Pubs has been revived and will continue as a beer-centric travel blog of sorts as my wife, Cindy, and I travel around seeking out small scale craft breweries and pubs, interesting places, and sharing our travel stories with you.
The Original Story:
You may have heard tales of Bigfoot…
"It was about 8 feet tall, covered with hair. And it stank!"
"It left 20 inch footprints across my front lawn!"
"It ate my dog!"
We love big beers, but if they’re covered with hair and stink we won’t be drinking them!
Cryptobrewology (the First and Original) was born in 2004 (This is what we looked like back then) when two homebrewers were standing around a boiling brew pot talking about those mystery monsters and unknown creatures like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster, which happen to belong to a field of study known as Cryptozoology.
As the discussion drifted from Bigfoot the elusive hairy upright walking ape, to Bigfoot the somewhat less elusive Barley-Wine Style Ale from Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, there was a moment of revelation. Frantically swallowing a gulp of his beer one of the brewers waved a finger and sputtered, “Cryptobrewology! Cryptobrewology! A website dedicated to the largest and most elusive beers in the world!”
His fellow brewer friend smiled and remarked, “That’s a cool idea,” then, after a swig of his beer, he turned and tossed a handful of hops into the brew pot and the idea simmered for awhile before finally resulting in this website.
Why connect beer and mysterious elusive monsters? Why not? Some beers are just as monstrous and mysterious as their folkloric counterparts; Heady Topper for instance. Though the science is better understood these days, the art of brewing has shared a connection with the mystical and mysterious for centuries. Breweries have been paying homage to the sacred and strange for decades. It’s part of the art.
And so Cryptobrewology.com was born. While we absolutely love legend and lore, creepy tales and mysterious monsters, we don’t focus on crytozoological related beers exclusively, but we do acknowledge and honor the sacred and mystical thread that runs through the craft-micro-brew beer culture.
So, follow our story as we explore interesting and sometimes strange places, and seek out some of the coolest micro-breweries, brew pubs, restaurants and bars across America and beyond…
Thanks for stopping by, and don’t forget to Find us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter.
Regards, and Happy Brewing!
— Drew