Individual Purpose

Individual: of, relating to, or associated with an individual; being an individual – existing as an indivisible whole; intended for one person; having marked individuality

Individuality: the sum of qualities that characterize and distinguish an individual from others

Purpose: something set-up as an object or end to be attained; resolution, determination

Purpose (v): to propose as an aim to oneself

*copyright Merriam-Webster*

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From the craft beer scene in the USofA to the craft beer scene all across the world, people are returning to and reclaiming their own individual purpose. Brewers of beer and the passionately diverse drinkers of beer exemplify this more than any other facet of humanity at this very real time and place of human development. Curiosity drives exploration which in turn inspires worldliness and culminates in a heated passion for uniqueness and diversity.

According to the Brewer’s Association, the official number of craft breweries registered in the USofA currently stands at 1525 and she is still growing. Equally inspiring are the breweries who celebrate multiple years of success as they remain true to artisanal beers of diverse flavors, aromas, and styles to be enjoyed by various individuals the world over with passion and devotion for ingenuity, collaboration, and quality.

Or to put it simply, individual beers for individual people.

Think about it for a moment. If there are currently 1525 craft breweries in the USofA and each brews an average of 5 year-round beers, that makes 7625 different beers for woman and man of all ages, styles, and profiles to enjoy. Take those 7625 year-round beers and add a minimum of 4 seasonal beers per brewery to the mix; that brings our total to 30,500 artisanal beers hand-crafted for the individual who will drink them. (And I’m not even counting the thousands of free-spirited beer geeks who homebrew.) Of those beers, there will be many similar and dissimilar styles which the craft brewer will then brew them their own individual purpose. That purpose? Taste, and as much of it in as many different variations as possible. If you like it, great; if not, there are 30,499 more beers in which to find that special taste just for you.

Just as unique individuals get together to celebrate a shared taste, so too do unique individuals get together to celebrate the beauteous diversity of taste. Real beer is as real as the people who brew and drink them. We don’t need a gajillion-dollar marketing campaign concocted by suits in white shirts huddled around a desk in some removed location telling us how and why. We love the individualism of what we drink as much as we love to debate the individualism of what we drink with others. Why? Because as individuals our tastes and feelings are still our own no matter how they may change, grow, evolve, or stay the same throughout the years.

From now to later, as long as the brewer and the drinker continue to embrace and reclaim their individual purpose, the diverse selection of artisanal beers will grow accordingly. I am me, and as such, no matter where my tastes lie, I want beers to satiate, inspire, and stimulate my own unique person. After all, I don’t want another Kristyn Lier in this world; I am more than enough.

(an original written work by Kristyn Lier. plagiarism is not tolerated)