Having Couch Beers is a great suburbs drinking pastime.
I don’t like to admit I live in the suburbs. While I am, in fact, in the middle of the city, it is still the suburbs. It’s much cooler to be in “the city” or whatever.
Main drawback: I don’t live downtown next to a cool brewery.
Hell, I don’t even live by an industrial park where new breweries seem to live.
Boring suburbs or not, that doesn’t mean you or I can’t have a good time with a nice beer in our neighborhoods. We just have to plan.
I have some initial thoughts that popped in my head to help you drink good beer while living in the suburbs:
Beer runs. Stop off at a brewery at some point in your week. Load up as much as your budget allows because who knows when you’ll make it back down here.
Ship it good. The Pandemic did at least one good thing and loosened up the beer shipping restrictions. Many states allow you to get beer shipped to your house directly from the brewery – as long as you’re still in the same state as the shipper.
A solid grocery store. If you are lucky enough, you have a grocery store with a decent Craft selection. This is the one thing I am lucky to have (although it is two blocks away [sighs in beer nerd]).
I will be honest with you, the main thing I do is get beer from a nearby grocery store. It is the most boring of ways for a beer geek to get their beer, and I do it often. My street cred fades day by day.
Today I went to my only nearby bottle shop/beer bar. That is something, anyway. At 3:30 in the afternoon, it was pretty packed with all sorts of people. grabbed my five overpriced cans and left without even so much as having a taster.
You see, if I have one, then I want more and I can’t do that again. People expect me to be at home most of the time, so I can’t trust myself to start up.
Tangent Warning! You have to be careful with your suburban drinking as a parent. Parents from your kid’s school are everywhere!
Yeah ‘cause, you think you’re safe at your neighborhood Mexican restaurant bar gettin’ stupid, but unknown to you little Tommy’s mom for the PTA was sittin’ in the corner the whole time watching you throw back Modelos (because it is the only drinkable beer this place has) and can’t wait to tell everyone at the next meeting how obnoxious you are and (worse) your taste in beer sticks!
[not that that has happened to me or anything]
There is a lot to unpack in this beer geek sub-genre. Definitely more to figure out on how to drink good beer while living in the suburbs. I’ll dig deeper in future post and on my newsletterfor sure.
Hey, I seriously wanted to find you the best outdoor games to play in a beer garden or just some dang grass or cement somewhere.
I have searched the Internet. I have played some outdoor/lawn games. I drank beer at outside parties. All so I can write this post. Alright, well, not ALL so I could write this post, I also had fun.
But what are the best outdoor games for a beer garden or backyard? You are here for this, so I put together to the top games I would buy for my backyard (if I could afford them all) and/or the games I would expect to see at my local beer garden.
What are good games to play outside for adults or families?
In some states, you are not allowed to operate a beer garden without one of these human-size giant connect-four style, games. At least that is what I hear. They are fun to play for a bit with the kids, as I have done this at multiple beer gardens. It gives you (and whatever child is around), a solid activity. It’s simply a must-have.
I imagine you can play this in a basement or a yard somewhere (no beer garden or taproom required).
If you want to keep it classy for your nice backyard, I suggest checking out this one.
We Are Putting On Beer Cans On This
The deadly game of Giggle and Go
I don’t like the name so I am not going to even say it.
But, yes! Finally, a game that can involve our beers. Screw the picture with the water bottle, we all know we are using our beer cans. That can get pretty high stakes too if you have a real craft beer sitting on top that you really don’t want getting busted all over the ground. High Stakes.
Again, Giant Jenga is another must-have for your “kid-friendly” brewery or your own personal use. I like to tackle a giant Jenga like it was a running back – I don’t know why, it’s just fun is all, okay? You’re okay with FUN, aren’t you? Sometimes I hurt myself, does that make you feel better? Good.
Oh hellssss yeah! I didn’t know they had a giant Yahtzee set thing. I feel like this could get annoying to the people in the beer garden who are NOT playing as they will randomly hear someone cry out “YAHTZEE!” (or Yardzee in this case).
But screw them. They are just jealous they aren’t playing. I think I will be getting this one for the house, actually:
If you want to get some custom bags for cornhole, check out my friends at Local Bag Co.
A Pool Table But Golf
Until I started researching for this post, I had no idea this was something that existed. It looks damn fun. The drawback would be needing a large flat and hard surface. And yes I see that it is made for indoors but it looks like I could place it in my backyard or driveway for the day and it would be fine.
Looks like you can play it drunk. With kids. Alone. All the things.
The only question is, would I play golf pool better while buzzed like I do when I play regular pool? Must find out.
Giant beer pong. Yep. Somebody made this. Of freaking course somebody made this. Hey, it’s probably damn fun. Why not? Beer pong is a fun party, lawn game, or drinking game.
I am not sure where I would store this though. But if you have the space…
Pop-A-Shot Official Dual Shot Sport Arcade Basketball Game
Of all the items on this list, this may be the one I would like at my house the most. I literally put it on my personal Amazon wishlist after looking at this one.
Lots of game options. After looking at all that Amazon offers in this category, it looks the best for the price. It would be bold-ish to have bought this for a beer garden – just because it might get messed up. It would be fun while it lasted though.
Alright, well, now we know some cool games to get for outside and big-ass spaces
Yes, the basketball game is top on my personal list. But all of these outdoor games look rad and I kinda want them all. Seriously. Give me a couple of good beers (even if the beers make me sleepy) and one of these games and it will be a good day.
But anyway, I think those are enough things to get you on your way to a playful beer garden or backyard or NYC apartment rooftop.
Let me know in the comments what is your favorite thing to toss in your backyard is.
A patio beer while I listen for reasons to drink it
I came up with my own beer drinking game. Would you like to know it?
Alright, good.
It’s simple. It’s nerdy. And it requires you to be outside – not the best time of year for this, I know. No, this is not something like the best games for playing in a beer garden or outside, it’s something else. Something for sitting.
My favorite part might be that you can play it by yourself, if you want. Plus, it’s good if you drink beer in the suburbs or in an apartment with a good window seat.
If you are a dork like me that enjoys sitting outside, relaxing with a beer, maybe listening to music, writing in a beer notebook and watching the clouds go by, have I got a drinking game for you!
It is a simple observational drinking game.
This is for beer because beer rules. But hey, I am not the drinking police – use this game with whatever drink you need to.
Here are your Beer Drinking Game For Sitting Outside, prompts.
Drink when you:
See a squirrel.
See or hear a plane.
Hear a car stereo.
Hear your neighbor fumbling around (sweeping, taking garbage out, ect.)
See a bird (one type per session).
Hear or hear a pine-cone, branch or leaf fall.
See a different squirrel.
Hear a train (two drinks).
See a rainbow (down the whole beer).
Hear wind chimes.
Hear a lawnmower.
See a different kind of bird.
Hear a leaf-blower.
Hear kids playing (one session only).
Hear a car horn.
Hear a gunshot (actually just go back inside if that happens).
You could add your own prompts too then print it out – if you have managed to keep a WORKING printer – printers are not easy to keep working.
On a nice spring day, you could get pretty lit playing this Beer Drinking Game For Sitting Outside.
(this game needs a real name)
Anyway, you can play at night too!! Because I also have a NIGHTTIME EDITION!
I mixed in some of the appropriate daytime edition prompts with additional nighttime ones that start at the top of the list.
Take a drink when you:
See a satellite.
See a shooting star (down the rest of your beer).
Hear a bat, owl or any bird, actually.
Hear a cricket (once a session only)
See your FIRST firefly of the night (regional).
Notice a light get turned on.
See or hear a plane.
Hear a car stereo.
Hear your neighbor on their patio (or balcony for apartment dwellers).
Hear a pine-cone, branch or leaf fall.
Hear a train.
Hear wind-chimes.
Hear a gunshot (get back inside until you hear the police sirens).
Remember to hydrate. Eat some snacks. Stock up on hangover preventives.
But most of all, have fun!
Cheers!!
(If you play this and have the time, I would love to hear about it in the blog comments!)
Maybe Imperial Stouts will have a comeback this year, like this Fifty Fifty Totality Stout
I don’t know what beer style will emerge (if any) this year. In fact, I predict NOTHING will. It will get so fucking boring that old styles will get a bump.
Stouts will make a comeback. There. I said it. Remember it. Stouts.
I am not even rooting for it. I Just feel the Stout category is so quiet these days, it is bound to have a comeback. Yeah?
Well, I am not here to make predictions, actually. Nor am I here to play the best games for a beer garden. I am here to pour out some good beer drinking tips to focus on this year. This is for me as much as it is you.
Drinking even MORE West Coast IPAs. I went strong with Westies last year and I don’t see that letting up AT ALL this year. Around these parts, Westies have made a bit of a comeback from the haze craze days and I will continue to support that. #clearbeer
Trying a seasonal beer in every season. Even if the beer style is not my thing, focusing on, at least having ONE beer that is known for the season. Setting aside the cost of buying one, it can’t hurt, yeah? Tastes change so could end up realizing I like a style that I didn’t before.
Visiting taprooms a little more. I say only a little more because I am big on having beers at home. But I could use more time in a beer garden AND definitely more brewery beer to take home.
Not opening another beer when already hella sleepy. What good is wasting half a beer and not really enjoying the other half because you’re falling asleep in a chair with your beer next to you? Training to cut myself off.
Normalizing lunch beers. I feel like 30 years ago, having a beer at lunch (during a workday even), wasn’t a big deal. Why not have ONE (maybe two if you’re low on the alcohols) with your lunch before heading back to work? Tell your boss I said it was okay.
Drinking water before sessions. Loading up on water and making sure I eat before a drinking session prevents hangover. When I get one, I didn’t do one or both of those things.
