We met in line at a toy store, two men who had never lost their love of spaceships and lightsabers. We didn’t know it then, back when a mutual friend introduced us, but at some point it happened: John Williams (no, not that one) and I discovered our shared love of beer. It began with casual brewery-hopping and meeting for post-work drinks. Then it turned more serious, with frequent beer trades and international trips together.
While there’s something to be said for large quantities of great beer, as at Oktoberfest, the most fun for us is sipping, scrutinizing, and sharing. We each have tasting strengths and weaknesses, and we have learned and grown together. The beer culture here has grown around us, too. Recently it happened: A brewery opened across the street from John’s house. We knew right away that it would become our new haunt.
During one of our last carefree visits in early 2020, my girlfriend snapped our now-favorite picture of John and me, most likely while we were deep in conversation about action figures. We didn’t realize then that we would go on to spend the next year drinking together virtually, if only a few blocks apart. Thankfully, we’re starting to return to our small shares and brewery visits. It will be great to once more feel as relaxed as we were on that day, back when our biggest problem was deciding what we’d order next.
Photo by Kristine Choy
