Drink, Eat, Live.

We define ourselves, first and foremost, as parents. This is what brought us together initially, although it is difficult to remember our first meetings now. Our children play together, and we eat great food, try new beers, and learn to live life all over again. We do not live our parental lives in the mold of what I was brought up to think a parent had to be. We are trying to have more than that, and this is the point where we find ourselves now. When the kids are in bed, our nights rarely end up how you might think they would. There is always a great deal of laughter, sometimes a little crying, and maybe even a heated discussion or two. Throughout our visits however, there are always two constants: the kids and the beer. We do not pretend to be beer connoisseurs. Instead, we have established as our tradition to try as many different and interesting beers of every variety and brewery. Sometimes we hit, and sometimes we miss, but it is always an experience worth talking about.

Your Travel Guides

Rick- I discovered real beer later in life. In fact, in my younger days I rarely drank beer at all. One day my brother decided he wanted a beer while watching football, and it has been all over but the crying since. In the beginning I stuck to the major breweries, but soon I went looking for a beer that I wanted to drink more for the taste than the buzz. That moment came when I was introduced to Boddington’s. I was immediately in love with Boddies, and to this day I enjoy a nice traditional English Pint. After trying Boddington’s, my brother was also interested in expanding his beer drinking horizons. I now look forward to trying a new beer, and the experience of that first sip is something that is truly incredible. The best part about a glass of beer is the friends you drink it with.

Dan- The first beer I had (other than a sip from my dad’s glass) was a warm Natural Ice that I stole from my college roommate. Needless to say, I don’t think I had another beer for a couple years! When I finally recovered and was ready for another drink of beer, I made a wiser choice and reached for a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. At that point, I realized that I was into beers that were hoppier, and I started branching out into smaller microbrews. Once I became interested with microbrews, I started expanding the range of beers I was interested in from only IPAs, to virtually any kind of beer. (I admit that I am still trying to appreciate a wheat beer. I’m not there yet though.) I love the quest to find that perfect beer or that great new brewery, and it is a privilege to do it with such great friends.

Heather- My love for craft beer began in Michigan during my grad school days. As college life usually involves social gatherings, I soon discovered that all the nearby bars actually had a lot of local beer on tap I’d never heard of. I even sooner discovered that it was pretty much all quality beer! This led to my first obsession: Arcadia Ales‘ India Pale Ale. As for ales, I had only had pale ales before then, so this was a new and wonderful experience. During my two years in Michigan, I tried as many different breweries (there are many in that state) and brews as I could,and I always discovered something that I not only liked but loved. Now, with the help of my friends, I get to continue this craft beer journey.

Adriana-  I am the odd man out in a group that loves beer. While I am not a fan of the brew, at least we always have a designated driver! Sheena and I became close friends while pregnant with our first and second babies respectively. We decided to get our husbands together. After 3 years of trying it finally happened and Extended Pints was born. So while I don’t enjoy a good beer, it has extended my family.