Out there

Your opportunities to enjoy Universale increase by the day! It’s now available at locales as close as the Fremont Dock, kitty-corner to FBC (don’t knock the food – I can personally recommend the refreshingly un-mayonnaisey Cesar salad) and as far-flung as The Roanoke on Mercer Island. In between are the Pacific Inn Pub, The Dray, The Park Pub, Naked City, The Local Vine and soon Duck Island Ale House, the Latona Pub and where ever else Matt can charm his way into during his rounds tomorrow. See the Find Our Beer section of the site for links and more current updates.

The Phinney Neighborhood Association Summer Beer Tasting on Saturday was a lot of fun! The PNA and its “beer committee” (as fundraising gigs go, I’d say that’s got to be one of the funner ones!) put on a stellar event – great diversity of breweries, festive yet not yahoo scene, and tasty, alcohol-mitigating snacks. Too bad we didn’t win any awards. Thanks for the invite, Chardell!

It's weird to shift into the actual selling of beer. Every new account is a celebration and it was thrilling to deposit a thousand bucks today. Is this what writers experience when they finally see their novel on the bookstore shelf (that's me!)? For me personally, it's about our private life -- Matt's ambition, my hope, his talent, my fears – resolving itself in the public realm, that's the weird part. It's been like a season of Domestic Boot Camp, with early episodes including lines from me like: What do you mean you want to quit law? Um, who's going to pay for this? If I wanted to go into small business, I wouldn't have wasted my time being poor in academia and public service. I'm more into wine. I'd rather do something Meaningful.

Well, I've found meaning in this journey and Matt has followed his passion and this is our little IPO. This must be what it feels like to be in a bar where people know your name.

Cheers!