Find out if you truly appreciate the wonder of a good, quality craft beer.

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Portland on Tap Manchester is coming to the Cross Insurance Arena on Saturday, Jan. 30. We know how much you love craft beer, but how do you really know if you have a passion for brews? Let us help you out.

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 1  You can’t even taste “normal” beer

There you are at a party and the hosts are handing out the usual selection of mainstream beers. You smile and accept another bottle knowing full well that this watery brew will do nothing for your tastebuds. You long for a craft beer because anything less is like drinking straight from the water fountain.


 2  You love craft beer more than people

Your craft beer has never let you down. People come and go, but the many beers in your life will always stay by your side. Those bottles and cans contain more love than any human could possibly imagine.


 3  You can’t even remember how many you’ve tried

The goal each week is to try a new brewery, or explore further options from one you’ve already tried. Mission accomplished. But now the amount of beers you’ve tried has exceeded your mental capacity to recall the whole list. You always say you will keep track of each new brew, but somehow that is always forgotten after a few bottles.


 4  You don't chug. You taste.

Your buddies are pounding their drinks with reckless abandon and there you are just enjoying the subtle flavors hiding in each bottle. The idea of merely “chugging” your beer seems so wasteful, and the idea of merely shotgunning an excellent beer is cringeworthy.


 5  You have encyclopedic knowledge of craft beer 

Your friends say they know a thing or two about beer, but can’t explain the difference between an ale and a lager. How about the attenuation or a beer, or how flocculation occurs? They look at you like you are speaking another language, which you basically are. It is the native toungue of a craft beer-lover.


 6  There are no commercials for your favorite beers

The greatest beers don’t need amphibians or charming men to gain a loyal following. Your favorite brews are shared through word-of-mouth and are praised for their quality, not the ad campaigns. You are a walking spokesman for all of the best craft beers available.


 7  You describe your craft beer as you drink it

Every new batch of craft beer has a story to be told, and you are going to be the one to tell it. The details of this story must be told in between sips and shared with your captive audience. Your “normal” drinking buddies need to know about how the bold flavor matches well with the spices mixed into this brew.


 8  You know what craft beer pairs with meals

Other folks will just slap any ol’ beer with their meal, but not you. You know that, like a fine wine, the choice of beer pairing can make or break a dining experience, That light-colored lager will pair perfectly with the fish, while that stout would compliment the blue cheese on your plate.


 9  You check out what everyone else is drinking

Admit it. You pay more attention to the beer someone is drinking than what they are saying. That isn’t a bad thing because what a person drinks says a lot about them. The wrong brand in the hand could be a sign of a severe lack of good taste.


 10  You brew your own craft beer

You love craft beer so much you have decided to make some of your own. This is the sign of a true fan who would go to any length to sample that perfect brew. Maybe one day you will open up your own brewery and amass a legion of beer-loving followers. One day...

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