Bottles of Beer or Museum Relics?

I have begun to notice a growing problem with how I view my beer stash. I have been treating my beer a little too preciously. Like many habits, this practice isn't a bad thing until it gets out of hand. For instance, say its minutes before movie, television show or a game that I've been looking forward to watching. What could be better? Of course! A nice beer to compliment this next hour or so of relaxation and electronic stimuli. I then find myself standing in front of a cold cabinet of proverbial "Do Not Touch" signs pasted over my collection of special occasion beer. Longing to have something that us beer nerds call "Session Beers", I end up settling for something less than satisfying. Usually, one of the Yuengling Lagers or other adjunct lagers usually designated for tailgates or post-lawnmowing.

Which brings me to my new resolution that I have decided to implement. Its as simple as: "Drink your damn beer!" So, today I cracked into one of my most prized finds: Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout. I had no plans for the next couple hours and was looking to enjoy a tasty beer. After an admittedly extended beer porn session before actually drinking the pitch black beauty, I sat down to a variety of college basketball games and just took it in. Every roasty nuance-- every sweet morsel of bourbon, coffee, and lactic sweetness-- every bit of alcohol heat and intoxication just took over my disposition until I had another epiphany. Special occasions don't have to necessarily be celebrated with beer. Instead, beer can command whether an occasion is special or not. If not for enjoying this hand-crafted beast of a beer from Grand Rapids, Michigan, I might have just been mindlessly scouring Facebook or-- more ironically-- surfing BeerAdvocate to read reviews of beers. Instead, this amazing beer helped me truly enjoy an hour of my lazy Saturday afternoon during a miserable, sleeting, snowy fit of whether outside of my windows.