The first release in the Speaker for the Dead series is the second beer we ever released as an actual brewery. Our first release was Close Your Eyes (and count to funk) with Sam from Sawdust City. The second was Pulp with Barncat Artisanal Ales. The release of Pulp, looking back on it, feels like a high point for craft beer in the Tri-Cities area, but I have some personal skin in the game. Great beer was being created, and people were excited and wanted to be involved. There is obviously a little sorrow in this post as the craft beer industry had a difficult 2023 (to put it mildly), but this series isn't intended to be negative. Instead, it's more of a reminder of good things, good beer, and good people.
The idea for the series had been rolling around in my head for a little while, but what really made me move forward with it was the release of Reducto. I was quite happy that the release of Reducto was met with some interest, and I honestly forgot what that felt like. 2023 was such a flaming piece of sh*t for the beer industry that that felt like an odd thing that happened totally by fluke (timing is a weird thing). So, of course, we shall capitalize on that fluke!
... It sounds bad when you say it like that but, in essence, the statement isn't untrue. I have been struggling with writing this blog post to lay out the new series I've been working on and why I chose to call it Speaker for the Dead—any sci-fi nerd worth their salt knows the reference. If you don't know the reference, though, it's ok; it doesn't matter. It's just kind of a cool beer series name for a brewer making beers and lamenting the loss of breweries and beers he has enjoyed over the years. I want to raise a beer for them and celebrate their accomplishments, and hope that you'll join me in doing so with the upcoming releases.
To Evil, my friends,
Rob
