You didn't really think I forgot about you, did you? 

Yeah, I took some extended time from away from these parts--life's been busy. Michelle and I bought a house, one of our kids started school, work's been hectic, yada yad yada. You know how it gets.

But! It's fall now, and Oktoberfest season is in full swing. This year's blog offerings will be few (okay, couple. I'll have two), yet I'll give them the whole John Likes Beer treatment. First up is something that I'm glad is around and I found: Sam Adams' Non-Alcoholic Octoberfest.

This is it--the final day of Dry January. Well, mine's been mostly dry. I had a cheat weekend away with Michelle and had a few drinks when we visited her parents at the beginning of the month. But, that's it.

I don't think I've ever talked about it here on the blog, but I'm a huge Spider-Man guy. The character's been my favorite superhero since I was a kid. When Tom Holland took the mantle as the MCU Webhead, I was impressed with how seamlessly he could be both Spidey and Peter Parker.

When he announced BERO last year, I told myself I'd be on the lookout for it for this year's Dry January. I found a variety pack of the stuff at Target the other week, picked it up, and drank all but one. That's what we're doing today: BERO's Kingston Golden Pils.

Here's one that I hadn't accounted for at the beginning of the month. Hell, I hadn't accounted for it three days ago. A quick search of the blog will show that Athletic's a frequent NA flyer around these parts. Yet, I've never had a crack at their pumpkin beer.

Why? Well, it's price-related. See, for whatever reason, the brewery only drops the ale online. That's fine, I get that. It's a niche beer in a niche market. But, the price is $14.99/sixer and shipping is $5. Suddenly, we're looking at $20 for a single sixer of the stuff. That's not a chance I'm willing to take.

But two days ago, I got an ad on Instagram from Athletic touting a 10% off code. That was the push I needed to finally try Dark & Gourdy. Now I'm sitting here with the beer, which says something about the brewery's shipping. Let's see how it is at $10.

For my second and final Dry January (well, in my case, more like Damp January--I had my planned hiccup weekend and a one-beer, post-moving-out-a-friend unplanned hiccup) post, I'm doing something special. 

I was at a local bottleshop trying to decide what non-alcoholic beer to grab next. The lady working there suggested the Guinness, saying that she's been having customers report to her after trying it, saying "It's as good as the real thing!" With her recommendation (and an observation that it was the cheapest non-American macro option), it was a done deal. This evening, I'm doing up Guinness 0.0.

This month, I'm trying something new. Well, new to me. You see, Dry January's been a concept I've know about for something like five years. I've never done it, but it's always interested me. As a beer blog guy, I've tried to take a step back occasionally to examine my relationship with alcohol. This year, I decided in mid-December, was going to be my year. I'd do Dry January (with a slight, planned hiccup that'll I'll atone for in February).

So far, it's been fine! I've noticed neither benefits nor disadvantages. I'm the same weight, my sleep hasn't improved, my mental health's the same, and my energy level hasn't changed. On the flip side, I don't have any symptoms that would denote a risky relationship with booze. I'm the same, only I've spent a little less this month (craft beer's getting expensive!).

But, I still want to drop in with a blog post. Remember four months ago when I said I'd get to more Athletic brews? Well, here we are: Athletic's Upside Dawn.

Today's post is something of a rarity around these parts: A non-alcoholic beer. The last one I drank for the blog was in February '20, just before the pandemic hit the US. If you'll recall, I enjoyed it.

You ever want a beer but, you know, not want a beer? For instance, after a few drinks you think, "I could go for another but I don't want to feel it in the morning?" Or, are there times when you want to experience the flavors and aromas of a beer without dealing with the alcohol? Now, what if that beer was a stout?

Bonus Háma butt on the left there.

A good non-alcoholic stout is something I've been on the hunt for for quite some time. I work late on Tuesdays and I don't always want an actual beer when I get home. A can of soda's out of the question--that caffeine'll keep me up later than I'd like. Sure, I could do milk or juice or water (or a warm beverage), but, man, I'd prefer a beer! Today, I'm breaking into the first beer I've found that might just scratch that incredibly specific NA stout itch: BrewDog's Stout AF.