Beer Drinking for a Cause

Not that it’s ever hard to find an excuse to enjoy a nice cold beer at the end of the day – crazy day at work, meeting up with friends, or, maybe, you just darn feel like it.

But, there’s something a little more satisfying about the taste of Allagash white, knowing that it’s supporting a good cause, like the Make a Wish Foundation of Vermont.  On Thursday, MAWV held an Allagash Beer Tasting Benefit at RiRa’s in Burlington.  The event was quite a success, filled with mingling, beer tasting, snacking, as well as an auction and raffle.  The Allagash staff was helpful and friendly, as we made our way through the variety of beers they offered, taking the time to explain the different flavors and their Belgian brewing styles.

The most touching part of the night was listening to a “wish mom” share the experience she and her ill son shared when he was granted a wish from the foundation.  Pulling on my heart strings, her story truly brought home the impact and the joy that Make A Wish brings to so many families with children facing life threatening illnesses.  Just to have one day when the illness can be put aside, dreams can come to life, and memories can be made must be so priceless for the families.  I was so glad that I could be a part of such a fun event for a great foundation. 

And there’s another chance to show support!  This Thursday, St. Patrick’s Day, Make A Wish Vermont will be hosting a fundraiser at RiRa’s.  Breakfast starts at 7am, bands will go from 8am to 2am, and for every Guiness pint sold, $1 will go toward MAWVT!  Hope to see you there! 

Get a Clue!

On Thursday night, Magic Hat hosted their second annual Twitter Crawl - a twist on the traditional pub crawl with a scavenger hunt feel to it.  Proceeds of this pre-Mardi Gras event support the Women’s Rape Crisis Center.  So in other words, I felt like I was drinking for a good cause!

The premise of the Twitter Crawl was seemingly straightforward.  After convening at 156 Bistro for sign in and instructions, Magic Hat would be tweeting out clues to help teams figure out which bar to hit next.  The winner would be chosen at random from a hat at the end of the evening, provided your team proved they made it to all of the correct bars (it became harder and harder to remember to ask for receipts as the night progressed). 

Here’s the thing, the clues were actually much more challenging than I had anticipated.  Among the hints were “This parrot squawks “Slainte!” Don’t get caught in its breathy wake,” and “Can you drink beer?  Yes! Toucan!”  Luckily, there were a few clues that were slightly more my speed . . . “Borough in and toss your dough around,” and “Your 4-person team should connect here if you wish to win.”  Eventually, our team made it to all 10 bars, and perhaps a few extra for good measure.  And though I would have loved to win the 10-person weekend at Smuggs, I was glad to have made it to the end of the night without falling over. (Congrats, by the way, to       Team LittleLebowskiUrbanAchievers!)  Can’t wait for the 3^rd Annual Twitter Crawl next year!