Answers to Questions We Never Expected to be Asked

Once upon a time, in the column to the right, you could read the following statement:

Hoosier Beer Geek was created in 2006 as an excuse to drink and rate beer. Using the title "The Knights of the Beer Roundtable", we post about the results of these tastings here for the beer consuming public. Though based in Indianapolis, we strive to maintain the best beer blog anywhere.

There is quite a bit of work that goes into this blog - daily email flurries, behind the scenes negotiations, constant harassment by the police...

The answer to "How do I become a Hoosier Beer Geek?" is simple: If you're reading this blog, you're already a member of the club.

We post our events in the calendar, which is located in the second column to the right - and we welcome anyone who wishes to attend. If you do attend, please don't expect anything formal - we're just a group of people hanging out and drinking good beer. In many cases it might be in your best interest to send us an email or leave a comment to let us know you're coming out, because we look like any other group of people hanging out at the bar. Some times we let the bar know we're coming, but more often than not we just show up.

If your question is "How do I become a Knight of the Beer Roundtable?", that's a tougher answer. Ask yourself the following:

1) Do you really want Mike to send you as many as 25 emails a day, 5 days a week?
2) Do you really have any idea how frustrating it can be dealing with beer people?
3) Do you really want to be part of one of the few places people have to turn to complain at when they're frustrated with anything that ever had to do with beer in the state of Indiana?
4) Do you realize that all of this might mean you've got to deal with loonies?
5) Did you know that 440 pixels wide is the rule?
6) Do you realize how picky Mike is about fonts?
7) Do you know that posting a photo on HBG is a four step process?
8) Do you realize we'll expect you to work on (loose) deadlines?
9) Are you sure you're ready to host 10 people just because one of us (Mike) decided that he wanted to drink a beer that week and he didn't want to do it at his house?
10) Are you aware of how hard it is to keep the Matts in line?
11) Did you know that if we decide you don't fit we'll talk about you in an unflattering way forever and ever, to the point where your name becomes a HBG injoke?
12) Are you prepared to accept that somehow Rodney has become a source of regular google searches?
13) Do you realize that Rodney thinks that this is the most awesome thing to ever happen and that will ever happen to Hoosier Beer Geek ?
14) Did you realize that Jason is always wrong?
15) Do you realize that we do this whole thing out of our own pockets?
16) Do you realize that Mike thinks money is evil and will ruin us all and will fight to keep it out of the site even though it's completely against common sense?
17) Do you know that if you talk too much Chris will turn on you?
18) Do you realize that we consider talking about politics a generally bad thing unless you completely agree with everyone else?
19) You know Jim is Jewish, right?
20) Do you own a van?

There is no leader in the Knights of the Beer Roundtable - it's truly a collaborative effort.

It's much tougher to become a Knight now than it was when the blog was started - we trust each other entirely, and we need to because of the relationships we're building with distributors, brewers, bar owners, and restaurateurs. These relationships weren't there in the beginning; it's only through our dedication to beer and our audience that we've earned them.

Though it didn't start that way, we're a pretty tight little group of friends now - and really the only way in is to earn the respect of us all - first and foremost through writing, and secondly just fitting in with our off-kilter dynamic. We aren't committed to the idea of being exclusive - but we know when something fits.

Thanks for reading the blog - we really are amazed at the response, and we're really grateful to have the audience. We hope that the reading is as rewarding as the writing.

Jason, Jim, Mike, Gina, Chris, Rodney, and Matt
The Hoosier Beer Geek Knights of the Beer Roundtable