The Session, a.k.a. Beer Blogging Friday, is an opportunity once a month for beer bloggers from around the world to get together and write from their own unique perspective on a single topic. Each month, a different beer blogger hosts the Session, chooses a topic and creates a round-up listing all of the participants, along with a short pithy critique of each entry. Rebecca, of the great blog The Bake and Brew, hosted the 83rd session which was a spirited discussion on popular beer and community hype. You should check it out!
We, as beer bloggers, tend to get caught up in this beer appreciation thing, forever chasing an invisible dragon of taste, doing our best to catalog our experiences on the page or in a database. We get obsessed with the idea of quantifying our experience – either so we can remember specifics ad infinitum or use the data as a point of comparison for other beers – and often forget that beer is just as much art and entertainment as it is critic-worthy foodstuff.
So for my turn hosting The Session, I ask all of you to review a beer. Any beer. Of your choosing even! There’s a catch though, just one eentsy, tiny rule that you have to adhere to: you cannot review the beer.
I know it sounds like the yeast finally got to my brain, but hear me out: I mean that you can’t write about SRM color, or mouthfeel, or head retention. Absolutely no discussion of malt backbones or hop profiles allowed. Lacing and aroma descriptions are right out. Don’t even think about rating the beer out of ten possible points.
But, to balance that, you can literally do anything else you want. I mean it. Go beernuts. Uncap your muse and let the beer guide your creativity.
I want to see something that lets me know what you thought of the beer (good or bad!) without explicitly telling me. Write a short story that incorporates the name, an essay based on an experience you had drinking it, or a silly set of pastoral sonnets expressing your undying love for a certain beer. If you don’t feel like writing, that’s fine; plug into your inner Springsteen and play us a song, or throw your budding Van Gogh against the canvas and paint us a bubbly masterpiece. Go Spielberg, go Seinfeld, go (if you must) Lady Gaga. Show me the beer and how it made you feel, in whatever way strikes you most appropriate.
Was there something you always want to try or write, but were afraid of the reception it might receive? This is your chance. A no judgement zone. I encourage everyone who sees this to join in, even if you don’t normally participate in The Session, or aren’t even a beer blogger. This is an Equal Creation Opportunity. All I ask is that you not be vulgar or offensive, since this blog is officially rated PG-13.
My goal is to push you out of your default mode, to send you off to explore realms outside of the usual and obvious. I want you to create something inspired by beer without having to worry about the minutiae of the beer itself. Don’t obsess over the details of the recipe, just revel in the fact that you live in a place where you have the luxury of indulging in such beautiful decadence.
Post your responses in the comments of this post on Friday, February 7th, or tweet them to @OliverJGray. I’ll do a round up on the 14th so if you’re a little less than punctual, no worries.
I’m really looking forward to seeing what everyone creates. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me in the comments, on Twitter, or at literatureandlibation at-sign google mail dot com.
“Sameness is the mother of disgust, variety the cure.” -Petrarch
Tagged: alternate reviews, art, beer, beer blogging friday, beer reviews, craft beer, music, the session, video, writing
Literature and Libation 
That’s excellent! I can’t wait to read people’s responses!
Something like this perhaps? http://www.pivni-filosof.com/2014/01/noteless-brevnovsky-benedikt-imperial.html
Something just like this! Although, even this is a bit more review-y than I was thinking 🙂 Definitely a strong example though.
Will a whiskey blogger work??? 😉
I think this just might get me into “Session”ing!
Glad to hear it, Ryan! Looking forward to your creation 🙂
So, a brewer pal sent me over here, thinking I might enjoy this non-review. I’m no good at waiting, so I’ve written one. Does this fit the criteria? I had a blast doing it, so I hope so.
http://camerondgarriepy.com/2014/01/11/new-fiction-brewing/
Also? Love your space here!
I’m no good at waiting either, so you’ll hear no complaints from me 🙂 I’ll take a gander tomorrow (and leave a comment). Thanks for participating, and for stopping by!
It will be interesting to see the submissions. Although with some in this group, this might be a project best served with a written disclaimer and a release form.
I’m getting back into this blogging thing. I love the concept and look forward to participating. I’m so glad I stumbled onto your blog via Stan.
Here’s my Sessions post, thanks heaps for the unusual topic. Had a lot of fun.
http://beerisyourfriend.org/2014/02/07/5148/
My contribution is here. Cheers.
http://fbte.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/the-session-84-alternate-reviews.html
http://bmorebistroandbeers.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-session-84-alternative-beer-reviews.html
Link will be live at 6am. Oliver, thanks for hosting this month. I had a true blast participating. Best Session Theme Ever!
My response for this month’s session:
http://www.10thdaypublishing.com/anti-review/
My first Session post.
http://onegallonbrew.wordpress.com/2014/02/07/the-session-84-alternative-review/
And here’s mine:
http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2014/02/beers-among-berbers.html
Thanks for hosting!
My (well, not really mine) alternative review:
http://drunkenspeculation.com/2014/02/07/session-84-alternative-reviews/
I REGRET NOTHING: http://bit.ly/1bvPnbT
Thanks for hosting, Oliver, and coming up with a topic that has us thinking in an alternative way. My post:
http://appellationbeer.com/blog/the-session-84-drink-with-your-eyes/
Prosit – Stan
Session 84 post is up and live http://bierbattered.com/2014/02/07/the-session-84-a-savage-journey-into-soho-in-the-00s-and-goblins-ok-no-goblins/
Cask ale! Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life!
Here goes nothing. Thanks for hosting: http://beerbrarian.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-anti-beer-review-westbrook-gose.html
Here you’ve got mine http://www.pivni-filosof.com/2014/02/the-session-84-alternative-reviews.html
Hope it’s non review-y enough.
It been a while since I’ve done a session and how could I resist the no-review review? Thanks for hosting! http://pintwell.com/2014/feb/07/drinking-coors-extra-gold-wine-glass/
It’s been a while since I’ve done a session and how can I resist the no-review review. Thanks for hosting. http://pintwell.com/2014/feb/07/drinking-coors-extra-gold-wine-glass/
Here’s my post. And I’m telling you now, I don’t care if you like it. http://growlerfills.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-session-no-84-alternative-beer.html
Here is my addition: http://www.beersearchparty.com/session-84/
Great topic! Can’t wait to see all the posts. Here’s mine:
http://beer-runner.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-session-84-autism-in-glass.html
Thanks for hosting and cheers!
Derrick
Here’s mine, its a bit different…. http://www.beeroclockaustralia.com/2014/02/the-session-84.html
Thanks for hosting! Here is my post: http://beerblog.genx40.com/archive/2014/february/session84alt
Late, but I was busy busy at work on Friday…and also too damn hot.
I may have taken the “easy” approach, but here is my offering:
http://beerbarband.com/2014/02/08/alternative-reviews-the-session-no-84/
Thank you so much for posing this topic! Excellent concept. I want to write about beer in this way much more.
Awesome topic, look forward to reading all the entries! Here’s what I’ve got (a little past midnight, but close enough!)
http://mouldsbeerblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/session-84-alternative-beer-review.html
A day late, but one hopes not a single bean short. Here you go:
http://theaposition.com/tombedell/golf/lifestyle/5037/the-session-84-hefeweizen-sort-of
Hi Oliver, thanks for hosting! My contribution for The Brew Site is here:
http://www.thebrewsite.com/session-84-alternative-reviews/
Cheers!
– Jon