What a time to run a social club for Beer Moms! We can't meet up, socializing activities are cancelled, kids are at home 24/7 (going on 75 days straight)!! Ugh! But there is a silver lining to Covid 19 'Stay at Home' orders. For example:
Of course, I'm joking...sort of... The only thing I drink every single day is coffee (and a lot of it), but the frequency of consuming beer has increased quite a bit the last few months, as it has for many of you, as you have confessed to me. But hey! We are just doing our part to support the local beer economy in these trying times, right?!
Which brings up some more silver linings: We now have curb side pick up and beer delivery! Even the Utopian ideal of an ice cream truck version of beer delivery has become a reality in some places! Breweries who dreamed of delivery, or their own canning capabilities, souping up their online and website capabilities and even tackling some remodeling projects, have had every excuse to do it right now. And who would have predicted the hottest swag of the beer industry this year would be face masks with brewery logos?!
The creativity and adaptability has been inspiring.
Face masks with a hole or zipper for drinking:
Zoom happy hours:
Finding new ways to drink together, safely:
(credit Lad Baby on YouTube
Plus, we now have virtual based (at home) drinking festivals for all, which allows Moms to participate and not pay for a baby sitter! Tours of breweries and industry leader interviews on Instagram and Facebook Live has increased awareness and many learning opportunities. And we can now enjoy new world beer events like this gem:
We all got to make Facebook avatars and it even comes with a beer sticker option!
And I've had time to make new Swag! Including a collaboration with 122W Brewing Co. in Bellingham, WA. Check out that up-cycled growler tote! And I've moved our Swag over to Facebook Shop for easier browsing and buying.
And probably most importantly I've had time to expand the Beer Mom Community with Beer Moms Social Club! We've gone global ya'll! Now you you can invite and socialize with Beer Moms across the globe!
But! That doesn't mean I have abandoned the PNW Beer Moms! It's quite the opposite!
I've had to say good bye and grieve many plans I had for PNW Beer Mom events this year. (RIP St. Paddy's Day Parade and Meet Up, Easter Beer Hunt, Mother's Day Beer Mom Brunch, and volunteering and drinking at many beer festivals) But that doesn't mean we don't have things planned for the future; Covid 19 or no Covid 19!
So here's what I have in the works for the PNW Beer Moms, as well as Beer Mom Social Club:
We will continue weekly Zoom Happy Hour(s) each Wednesday until we can meet in person. It has been really great getting to know more of you at a personal level through conversations on Zoom including silly drinking games, especially you Beer Moms who live father away.
I'm still holding out for a late summer camping trip, a Beer Moms Weekend in Bend sometime this year, a family BBQ for our kids and significant others to meet, and resuming monthly meet ups (with social distancing in place of course)!
I have an 'Intro to Brewing' seminar in the works, followed by brewing a PNW Beer Mom collaboration beer with a local brewery, which I hope becomes an annual thing!
We're looking into hiring the Bellingham Brew Bus to drive a bunch of us to Seattle/Ballard to visit some of the areas best breweries!
And just in time for hop harvest (fingers crossed we can gather by then) we will tour Atwood Ales brewery and farm in Blaine, WA.
We're considering holding a large garage sale at a brewery to support charities that have taken a big hit this year. After all we have Marie Kondo-ed the sh*it out of our houses and no place is accepting donations!
I'm going to spend personal time with Oregon and Eastern Washington Beer Moms and help establish larger chapters there!
And I'm working on removable beer glass decals for your 'drinking during a pandemic' safety needs. It will make since once you see them.
So stay tuned! And thanks for joining me in this crazy Beer Mom life. I hope you love it as much as I do!
Cheers!
Shanna
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