Masters of Beer Appreciation

The other day, I went to a local restaurant called Brixx and enrolled in their “Masters of Beer Appreciation” or MBA program. Essentially, this is a free to join beer drinking club where you drink all 32 beers on their menu, attend a brewery tour and a casking event… and then you receive your “degree.” Obviously, it’s a marketing ploy designed to get you to drink more beer and return as a customer to the restaurant over and over again.

But if you allow yourself to look past the business side of things, it’s a neat idea. Not everyone is a seasoned veteran of the craft beer scene, and this will encourage those who aren’t and want to be to drink 32 different craft beers. The selection is pretty eclectic too. New Belgian, Rogue, Stone, Sierra Nevada, Sam Adams and Port City are only a small cross section of the galaxy of crafty stars that Brixx has to offer.

Brixx is a chain of restaurants located in Virginia, Tennessee and the Carolinas, but the MBA concept is not uncommon. Several brewpubs across the country have similar “try all the beers” gimmicks. Look for one near you.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!