Hey Guys! Anyone finding it difficult to keep coming up with creative things to do at home? We’re finding our biggest joy each week is placing a pick up order of new brews from some of our favorite local beer stores (#supportlocalbusinesses). Literally, Friday’s are how I judge my weeks these days… beeeeeeerrrrr tiiimmmeeee (please read in a Blues Clues “Mail Time” voice). Weekends have been filled with bonfire chats or competitive, hour long bags games (otherwise known as Cornhole for you non-Illinoisans), but what does one do when Mother Nature doesn’t want to cooperate with your plans and keeps you extra contained? Fight boredom with board… games. And have I got the game for you: Unlabeled.
Put simply, it’s a blind tasting beer game, testing some of those most refined pallets. Never fear though, you don’t have to be a beer connoisseur to play. In fact, we’ve played with novice to advanced beer tastebuds, and verdict denotes a great evening activity (or afternoon, or morning. No judgement here).
We each grabbed a few different beers, a variety of types and breweries (no peeking by your fellow players though). Then, after setting up the board, one person goes and pours his/her beer into flight glasses, one for each player (if your pour just so happens to tip into a glass for yourself, well then that’s what we call referee participation). After everyone gives it a little swish and spit (kiddddddinnnnggg, we’re not tasting grape-based drinks here), they submit their guesses by moving their game piece barrel to the:
- Category – they believe it falls under (Wheat Beer, Stouts, etc),
- Beer Type – if they feel confident, they can narrow down to a beer type (Witbier, Oatmeal Stout, etc) and take their chance for more points
- Exact Beer – Or if you have Hermione Granger level confidence, you can guess the exact beer
Keep going round and round and round you goes, when you’ll stop no body knows! Well, when the beer runs out. Then you stop. So come prepped with a variety pack… YOU’VE GOT THE POWER!
I’d say that some of us went in believing it would be a slam dunk, hat trick, home run, (I’ve run out of sports terminology synonyms, but you get the gist) but NO SIR. Funnily enough, some couldn’t even recognize a Buoy Beer*. Some learned about ones we may have liked better than a staple. Some of us learned we really just don’t care for the sours as much as we really try. Some tried new flavors that have never even graced our lips. But at the end, we all found a new beer that we liked and enjoyed a game revolving around our favorite topic – beer (if it wasn’t clear). Soooo if you’re looking for something to do this Friday night, check check check it out: Unlabeled.
*Buoy Beer – A beer that one goes to when there is nothing new to try on tap. A tried and true, never gets old, and always a savior when the options are slim or the ability to be adventurous only exists in another world, or bar.**
**This is in no way a legitimate thing, just a term I coined. So if you’re a novice, don’t expect others to understand if you start throwing it around all willy nilly. Or you can. And help me make Buoy Beer a thing. Kinda like Gretchen and fetch. Keep trying to make fetch a thing, Gretchen!
