No matter when I write, my daily beer drinking has grown into a type of ritual.

First, I tromp down to my basement and spend a few minutes staring at my beer supply and trying to match a beer with my mood. If I don’t feel like writing a detailed review, I try to find a beer with fewer nuances — perhaps a pale ale pulled from a grocery store mixed case? But when I’m in need of a good beer (and those times are many) it can be hard to pick just one bottle from the stockpile I’ve collected over several runs to area beer stores.

Once a beer has been chosen, I chill the beer to an appropriate temperature and take a few photos. Most of my pictures are taken atop a wine cabinet with a flat, white top. That paisley backdrop in many of my photos is actually a curtain pulled across the wall. Classy. It hangs on the neighboring window, and the proximity is fortuitous. Lighting is provided by two clamp lights — one of which is diffused by a paper towel held in place by clothes pins. Even classier!

See, no logo in sight!

The rest is simple — pour, photograph, sniff and drink. My regular readers need no further explanation, because this website documents everything that comes next.

Cheers!

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It starts out so promising… let that be a lesson to us all, never start a relationship with a Corona!

Wondering where the latest updates are at? You’re not alone. It seems life can get in the way — but not in the way of drinking beer. I owe all of you several posts about the great beer I’ve been drinking, and I expect to catch up with some quality posts this weekend.

(Once I get through July 4th weekend, my posting schedule should right itself.)

In the meantime, keep watching BeerADay.net and the BeerADay Twitter account for updates. I almost always post a brief note about the beer I’m drinking on Twitter. If you are on Twitter, please give me a follow. And if you AREN’T using Twitter, my most recent updates are always available in the side panel of BeerADay.net.

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I’ll catch up soon, but in case you were wondering: I had Avery Salvation on Sunday (preview – loved it), and Avery India Pale Ale for IPA Monday. On Tuesday, I had another IPA from Boston Beer Works near Fenway Park — after watching the Boston Red Sox dispatch the Toronto Blue Jays.

Since I am behind on those posts, here’s a quick photo of me and my wife after a long night at the park and one drink at Boston Beer Works.

Not quite an even trade, but hey…

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Yes, I’m talking about our abused livers.

For all that your liver has done for you — and doubtless, for all that it will — now’s your chance to really do something nice for your liver.

What’s that you say? No, don’t buy it a drink! That’s like making dinner for your housekeeper and then letting her to take care of the dishes.

You could give up drinking for a few days . . . but it’s hard to enjoy beer without drinking it, so there’s got to be a better way.

To get to the crux of the matter, now’s where I should introduce my brother-in-law, Mike, who is running the Boston Marathon for his second year in a row. Mike knows how to make a liver feel appreciated. I’ll let him explain how his dedication to Marathon training is connected to your overworked liver:

Saving Our Livers is Hard Core

“I think I forgot how miserable the training can be. Last year, I ran through a hip injury, foot injury, perpetual Achilles tendonitis, chafing and blisters. Oh, and did I mention the lack of social life? A Friday night before a long run in the morning, consisted of pasta and bedtime by 10 PM. On Saturday mornings, the alarm would ring at 6:30 AM. Sometimes, my roommates had only gone to bed a few hours ago. However, I was committed to pounding out footstep after footstep on icy concrete in ridiculously freezing temperatures.

So what was it that made me come back for more? I’m still not entirely sure. There is an incredible sense of accomplishment to run 26.2 consecutive miles in front of a vibrant, pulsating crowd. Race day is unlike any other. I’ve been skydiving, bungee jumping, white water rafting etc. and none of them even compare to the same adrenaline rush in running the Boston Marathon. Even more, every person along the way of the course is praying for you to succeed. You can truly feel the spirit of goodness in people. Above all, I was shocked in the level of support I received last year with both the fundraising and words of encouragement.

This year, I’m hoping to conquer the path from Hopkinton to Boston while supporting the American Liver Foundation. I’m excited to support such a great cause. Although, I tend to complain about the torture, I’m really looking forward to it again. I’ve put my own credit card down on the line and I’m obligated to raise $3,000. From the proceeds, 100% of the money goes to liver disease research, education, and advocacy.

I know the economy is tight, but if you are able to contribute, it would mean so much to me and those affected by liver disease.”

Mike updates a blog about his Marathon training at http://www.runmikerun2.com, where you can keep track of the miles he is running to ensure our enfeebled livers have hope.

To help your liver in the future, and to help many, many people in need today, make a donation at Mike’s page on the American Liver Foundation’s “Run for Research“.

Regarding tax write-offs, the American Liver Foundation is a 501C(3) organization and their EIN# is: 36-2883000.

Your liver will thank you, and so will Mike.

(Good luck with the Marathon, Mike!)

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Just after getting hitched, Marc and Aimee hit the brew room at The Upland Brewing Co. in Bloomington, Indiana.

A few weeks ago, two good friends of yours-truly posted a husband and wife beer review to The Forum. Marc and Aimée had a blast and it shows in their writing, so I invited them to contribute more.

You’ll find their beer and brewery reviews in a special section of BeerADay.net. Just click on “He Said, She Said” from one of the menus at the top of the page.

Their credentials — they love beer, and they specialize in an endearing banter that I believe you will enjoy as much as I do.

A brief example of their enthusiasm for good beer is portrayed in attached photo. Moments after their marriage, on the way to the reception, I drove them both to The Upland in Bloomington, IN where we took over our usual seats, played darts, and drank beer. At some point we were reminded several hundred guests were waiting on us, and if Marc and Aimée hadn’t been serving a couple of kegs of Upland Beer at the reception who knows if we would have ever left.

At least, that’s how I remember it.

Andy with the newlywed Marc & Aimée

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