I waited until after twelve noon to post.
I had a 10:30 appointment to bottle my batch of India Pale Ale. Obviously I'm getting a little more adept at getting the earthy beverage into my increasing collection of big, brown beer bottles, because I was back in record time today. I use a small u-brew over on 20th Street to make my beer. It's a relatively new hobby as this was only my third 36-bottle batch of 650 ml bottles. Julie makes every trip there a true pleasure.
Now the problem is trying to identify and determine the true origins of India Pale Ale (IPA). Should you be persistent enough to try the research, you'll come up with what some call a myth as well as some counter arguments. For the truly uninitiated, the India part of the designation doesn't mean its root lie in the subcontinent; it was simply a colonial extension of British beers shipped by boat. Who knew?
Today just strengthens my developing resolve in the belief that knowledge requires self motivation and research. Therefore, certificates and diplomas bestowed by organizations are really just pieces of paper.