Five Things to Know When Dating a Craft Beer Geek

Craft beer has arguably never been more popular. What was once something of a niche culture has evolved into a massive scene nationwide and beyond. People from all walks of life have joined in on the fun and, truthfully, the culture is a great source for dates. Making road trips to visit breweries or hitting up the local bar for a drink and bite are fun ways to enjoy the company of your better half and your favorite beer at the same time.

Of course, it comes with some "baggage," I will call it. Craft beer geeks are a dedicated crew and often times will let their passion shine through pretty obviously. Believe you me, I had to scale back my craft beer obsession earlier in the year because I was dropping a lot of dime and time on it.

There's nothing wrong with loving craft beer, or dating somebody who loves craft beer. Like I said, at this point, a lot of people are down to try out sours and double dry-hopped IPAs over your go-to Budweisers and PBRs. But there are a few things you should know before you decide to commit to someone who was bitten by the beer bug.

1. Visiting breweries and highly acclaimed beer bars will always be part of the travel plans.

Have a road trip planned to go up to Maine for a long weekend? Don't be shocked if your craft beer obsessed partner wants to make a few stops along the way. Two Roads, Trillium, The Alchemist, and more are technically "on the way" up to Portland, which sports many of its own well-regarded breweries, including Allagash.

The way I see it, they have one of two mindsets about it. One is that they want to stop at some of these more hyped breweries and add a few more cases to their already loaded collection. This could be annoying, as they probably want to be there at an exact time or need to beat a crowd who is shooting to get some of the same beer that they want. As the other person in the relationship, this totally warrants some frustration, as it definitely feels like the other person is engaging in the fun way more than you are.

On the flip side, your partner probably just wants to have a good time and visit some spots they have wanted to for a while with you. Don't be surprised if they want to visit two or three during the trip (they do make good pit stops!), but if they are planning out a good trip, then these brewery and bar visits likely fall in line with your other plans. Besides, you have to eat at some point, so why not venture out to the town beer bar for some vittles?

2. Our homes are packed to the brim with a substantial craft beer collection.

It's like walking into someone's house who is a collector of a certain memorabilia except, instead of pristine baseball cards, Yankees products of all sorts, or action figures still in the box, it's beer. A lot of beer. Craft drinkers will often pack their fridges (yes, they probably have more than one) with beer ready to be cracked open and have a substantial amount put away elsewhere. That's right, we buy this stuff to not even drink it! Right now, I have an old kitchen bureau in my basement with about 30 or so bottles, all awaiting the proper time to open, which could be anywhere from one to five years.

It is definitely a bit intimidating, especially if the collection you have is massive. Even mine is rather small compared to some others I have laid eyes on. It is also a lot of money to be spending on liquid that they are not even going to open for a while. However, odds are that when one of those bottles is opened, it will taste great. I don't really have any great advice for this one, other than to be aware of it and try not to let it scare you off too much.

3. Our collection might start to leak over to your house or apartment.

This part of beer collecting, however, could definitely be annoying. As the collection starts to build up, you might find that a few bottles here and there make their way over to your place. And then a few more. And then some more. All of sudden, the kombucha has been replaced by Sixpoint Resin!

I am guilty of this, although it's just a few cans in my partner's fridge for when I want a cold one (for now anyway...). I could most certainly see this being a negative aspect of dating a craft beer geek. Where the heck are you going to put your groceries and books when beer bottles and cans start soaking up all the room in the refrigerator and the tables?

Make sure your partner talks to you about bringing over some of their beer to your place. It's an easy way for us to start unloading in a new spot. As I mentioned, a six-pack in the fridge probably is not going to hurt, but when you start seeing multiple big bottles appearing where that coffee table book about Claude Monet was, you may want to say something.

4. We probably will ask you to buy beer for us.

I can recall an instance where two bottles of beer I had on hold for me were accidentally sold to another customer. Thinking quick, I called up my girlfriend, asked her to stop by the bar near her house to see if they had the same beer for purchase, and get me two bottles. I distinctly remember asking her on the phone, as she was exiting the subway, that I had a huge favor to ask of her. When she heard what it was, she paused and said back probably the most appropriate response.

"Wait, are you for fucking real right now?"

She was absolutely dumbfounded. I didn't need her to print out a resume for a job interview in the city the next day or pick up a much needed prescription at the pharmacy. Nope, I asked her to buy beer for me (I paid her back, of course).

In the situation where a highly sought after or limited release beer hits the market, odds are the craft beer aficionados will use all possible outlets to get their hands on some. They will use their family members, friends, and likely the people they are dating. Don't be shocked to be bombarded with texts and emails specifying what they want you to buy them (and hope they are like me and pay you back). They may even want you to come along for a bottle or can releases so they can get their hands on more of the beer. And as a side part to this, they may put a good chunk of time into attending these releases as opposed to spending time with you, which could totally spiral into a big problem.

If it is something you both enjoy, then great. But if you find that this part of the hobby is getting under your skin, have a conversation with them. No beer is worth the time you get to spend with your partner, especially if that time is limited.

5. Beer fests are a thing, and yes, we will be drunk.

Craft beer fests are often glorious times for those who love it. Breweries from all over the US come together to pour out samples of their staple brews and special releases. Often times, attendees will bring with them bottles from their aforementioned collections to open and share with friends and fellow festival goers. It's usually a great time, with lots of laughs and new friendships made.

Of course, all of this is driven by beer which, if you haven't heard, has alcohol in it and can get you drunk. Like, very drunk. If you are not into drunken antics, beer on your shoes, and laughter that borders on yelling, you may want to take a pass on attending a beer fest with your partner. Maybe suggest they go at it with some of their friends who share an interest in it or just enjoy consuming heavy amounts of booze.

Otherwise, if you both enjoy attending these, go for it! Like I said, beer fests are usually a good time, especially if you treat it like a bar crawl. If you both tap out at a certain point, make a beeline to your favorite drunk food spot or head on home for an early and well-deserved nap.

At the end of the day, most craft beer fans want to share their fun with whoever they are with. But like all shared hobbies, they should be sure to include you properly and know when to take a step back and remember that the relationship always comes before the beer.