Madam Hops patch, Vice Keggle, distinguished bloggers, fellow brewers:
Three years have passed since I first addressed you in this blog. In that time, the state of flocculation has been tested by hops shortages, increases in the cost of grain, and the relentless attacks by those who seek to do brewing harm. In the face of these trials, I can report that the State of Flocculation is strong.
The values that we as brewers espouse; cleanliness, fiscal restraint, mild beer guts, and a general sense of beer snobbery, have continued to hold true. While there are those who fight good brewing with mischief, attacks and plain old bad brewing, brewers have found ways to connect and improve the art of homebrewing.
Our reputation on the Internet has seen unparalleled connections to fellow brewers with programs like Fermentation Friday, beer trades and guest blogging. At the same time, we’ve blazed trails to try new brews and techniques that further the cause of homebrewing. We have added tools to help us spread flocculation throughout the world and I can say with great confidence that God is on our side with this endeavor.
As we move forward, there are many challenges that we can and must overcome. The economy will force us to make difficult decisions about our hobbies and priorities. The shortage of hops will continue and challenge our ability to replicate our favorite recipes. And those brewing hacks that seek to do the hobby harm will not stop, so we must take the war to them.
The secret of our strength, the miracle of brewing, lies not in the ingredients that we use to brew, but in the spirit and determination of every brewer. By trusting brewers, our homebrew forefathers wagered that flocculation could be built on water, malted barley, hops and yeast. That regardless of the origin or price of our supplies, great beer could be made.
And so long as we continue to trust the brewers, craft brewing will prosper, our beer will be secure and the state of our flocculation will remain strong.
So tonight, with confidence in beer’s power and trust in the brewers that make it, let us set forth to do our brewing. God bless homebrewing.
Ok, I find this hillarious. Good job!
Wow, thanks for the bevy of incoming links. Doing your part to further the black hat SEO goals of your superiors in the South, huh?
We will fight you in the caves and in the mountains where you hide. Those states that harbor beer-tyrants will be held responsible for their actions and they too will be seen as beer-tyrants.