99 bottles of beer on the wall…99 bottles of beer…
My guess is you do not fully appreciate, or for that matter do not even know, there is a direct correlation between Wyoming’s water towers, craft beer, and homebrew.
Say what???
But, I’m really sorry. My mind is rather murky from that 18-pack of commercial beer I’ve been slugging. Craft beer, and homebrew. Please explain?
Sure thing…but first…grab a craft beer or homebrew…or two…or three – ah hell, make it a six-pack – and let’s take the “Say what?” one GREAT beer at a time…
Water Towers
Let’s start with the basics. To make beer you need water.
And Wyoming produces water. Millions and millions of gallons of water. In fact, it is the headwaters for the Missouri, Columbia, and Colorado River basins, three of the great river basins in our country. These headwaters are Mother Nature’s water towers.
Simply put, elevation drives that. For if you ever want to get high, and not get busted, do so in Wyoming. Once you cross the State line, no matter which lat/long you make entry, you start high and you just keep getting higher and higher and higher! Wyoming style!!!
Wyoming style because mountain ranges across this great State reach to the stars. Many of them poke upward to over 12,000 and 13,000 feet above sea level, forcing Mother Nature to drop water from her clouds over the land. That precipitation then feeds streams and rivers that cascade downhill on their return journey to the oceans (recall from elementary school the water cycle).
Enter craft beer, and homebrew…
As of today RateBeer indicates there are 29 craft breweries in the Great State of Wyoming.
Map of Wyoming breweriesAnd scattered in the juxtaposition of those craft breweries are hundreds of home brewers (myself included 😀 ).
And each of those great craft breweries and home brewers tap (no pun intended) into those water towers to make their suds for your enjoyment. They tap the water towers of the Greater Yellowstone Area. And the Absarokas, the Bighorns, the Medicine Bows, the Tetons, the Gro Ventres, the Snowies, and the Winds.
So the next time you have a toast with friends and family, no matter where that may be, and your beer of choice is a Wyoming craft beer or home brew, give thanks to YOUR public lands. For it’s those public lands where the water towers reside. And it’s those water towers that provided the water that went into that beer that satisfies your thirst and enriches your relationships!
Until the next time…as I sit here and write, sipping a saison home brew…
Prost to one and all!!!
