The Beer Fridge

The fridge itself is not much. It's a white Westinghouse model, probably from the mid-1980s. It has some rust stains on the front that I just can't seem to get rid of. It was a hand-me-down from our next door neighbors who were getting a new fridge for their garage. But when they offered it to me, I knew it was my chance.

For weeks, maybe months, my wife had been after me to move my "beer selection" out of our fridge in the kitchen. I told her the best way to make that happen was to get me a special fridge just for my brews. She was hesitant at first, but I think she's glad she gave in now.

The fridge has become a talking point whenever we have new people over to the house. It's usually one of the first stops on the tour for the guys, and sometimes for the gals.

When you open the door of the fridge, the first thing that hits you is the sheer amount of beer inside. There are dozens upon dozens of bottles – different sizes and shapes – all full of various forms of delicious beer from around the world. If you asked me to count just how many types and brands of beer I have in that fridge, I'd have to give you an approximate answer. For a while I tried to keep an exact count, for the purposes of impressing people, of course. But that practice ended about a year ago. If you asked me now, I'd tell you that I have about 60-70 types of beers in the fridge. Many of them are singles remaining from cases or six-packs that I just can't bring myself to finish.

The second thing that hits people as they stand in front of the open door is the panic of not knowing where to start. It's a look I've seen many times, mostly from beer fridge novices. Here's my tip to combat that: take the same approach as you would at a beer bar that has a large menu – decide what you're in the mood for and then find the one that best suits your taste for that night.

Next to this glorious fridge of mine is a seven or eight foot tall shelf for warm storage. The shelves are full of beers waiting to join their companions and friends in the cool air of the beer fridge.

You may be asking yourself, "Why the ---- do you need an entire fridge full of beer?" To you I ask, "Why not?" The fridge allows you to find those great beers that you've had at a restaurant, a beer bar or a friend's house and keep them on hand for anytime the mood strikes you. No longer will you have to settle for keeping just a six-pack in the back of the fridge. Look at it this way -- when I come home at night, or when I'm in the mood for a brew on the weekend, I open the fridge and I can have pretty much any kind of beer I want.

So how did I start my collection and what's my favorite beer in the fridge? Keep reading our blog to find out.