If you’re interested in the health risks associated with drinking beer, click here.

This article is about taking risks in trying new beers.

In a few days I am flying through the Denver airport.  Man, am I hoping that I’m not going to experience any delays.  I’m hoping even more that I am not going to be like that other airplane and slide off the runway.  Did you hear about the story?  Maybe that slide off drove those people to enjoying some Breckenridge beers in the airport.  Anyway, I heard about the story, but I’m still going through with taking a flight that will be at the same airport. 

Why?  I guess because I still want to see some family members.  I know that flying is actually safer than driving, which we take for granted because most of us drive every day.  But many things in life are risky propositions.  If you seriously consider it, we do a lot of things in the journey of our own lives that can be downright perilious.  Don’t we?

Yet, many of us have some inherent fright of trying something new.  Is this how fear that we should have about dangerous things (which we actually do) expresses itself?  I don’t know.  But some of us will risk our very lives in everyday life in ways that we consider mundane.  We’ll risk our lives but not our palates.  Now the point I’m making is unveiled.

Should we really be afraid to step outside our comfort zones and try a new beer?  Even if the beer is strong or daunting or if we are afraid we won’t like it.  How absurd is it to fear trying a new beer while doing far more risky things in everyday life?  Let’s weigh the level of risk involved in trying something new vs. killing yourself.  Are we really that big of babies?  Or are we just in denial about taking risks?  For those of you who are reading this and thinking that I’m building a straw-man argument or are actually analyzing this from a philosophical framework, let me say two things.  First of all, get a life.  Secondly, I’m just trying to get people to try new beers, so let’s not get caught up in whether either premise is correct…ad nauseum.  Let’s take some risks that really aren’t that risky.