Salut, ciao and aloha, words that say both Goodbye and Hello. It’s been a bit quiet here on my blog, but in the wake of the news that Beer O’Clock Show / Beerlonging has recorded it’s last episode, I began to reflect on the impact it has had on my own beer journey. Without the Beer O’Clock Show I may never have been introduced to my first Indy Man Beer Con, the festival that really opened my eyes to the world of beer and something that I’ve written about in a previous blog. I, like many others, would regularly tune in for all the latest beer news, interviews with amazing figures in the industry, and to listen to the hosts’ beery adventures.

Being invited to talk on Beerlonging felt like an honour. Having been a listener for many years, I couldn’t believe that I was going to be a guest on the show, despite my imposter syndrome raising its ugly head. Nervously I chatted to Steve, Mark and Rob, well, perhaps more like babbled my way through the recording, before being asked if I would be continuing with my SoBeer Blog. At the time I replied that I would, but since then my site has remained dormant. At a time when the beer world has been hit hard with industry changes and brewery closures, it can be a challenge to find the positive light in the darkness. But then I remembered why I love beer and why I started my blog. I began writing as a way to share my thoughts and communicate with a new group of people as I navigated through this beery landscape.

The legacy of the Beer O’Clock Show / Beerlonging podcast is the community it has built around it, bringing a group of beer enthusiasts together, of whom I now consider great friends. My hope is that this community continues to grow, both online and in real life, and that we get to share a few beers together soon. As for me, I’ll use my writing as a cathartic outlet for my thoughts and to continue championing all the best bits of beer, as reminder of all the positive aspects of a scene that I love.

To Steve, Mark, Martin, Mark Johnson and Rob, thank you, but this isn’t a goodbye, but salut.