Process Refresh in Beer Land!

I sat on a wobbly bar stool and lit a cigarette. I was tired from all the travel but so energized from my new surroundings that a beer sounded like a perfect way to calm my nerves.

“My wife has gone to bed,” Mike said as he placed a beer in front of me. “She will be up to meet you in the morning.”

I looked the beer. It had to be some kind of IPA. It was a slightly hazy dark tan color with a light tan foam and smelled okay. I took a sip, it wasn't bad. It was slightly sweet, certainly bitter and a touch tannic. From this example, it seemed that they had the basics down, they just needed to brush up on the details.

“Well that's a bummer,” I replied. I was excited to meet her. Mike had explained that he was a writer and had come to Vietnam years ago. He had met his wife, Mai and together they had a son. She was a successful business woman who had come from a family of successful business people.

“This is our new chef, Don” Mike said. “We just imported him from America too. Chicago.”

“So a lady brewer huh?” Don said in a friendly way as he stood and reached out his hand. He was slightly shorter than me with thick dark hair and a matching beard. He was a touch chubby and wore thick rimmed black glasses. He was wearing a black metal t shirt, black shorts and black shoes and socks. “Does that make you the Brewstress then?”

“Brewstress. Ha!” I laughed. “I have never heard that before. Technically women brewers are called brewsters” I told him.

“Ah” he replied. ”I come from the culinary industry. I thought it was like waiter and waitress. Brewer and Brewstress.”

We sat and chatted while Mike poured me the rest of their offerings. There was a Belgian that he said sold well. It was slightly watery but with a little attention, she was sure she could brighten it up. There was a dark malt forward beer that once again was a bit tannic. This told her they needed to give some attention to their grain handling and mash pH levels. Once again, all the basics were there, they just needed to tighten up the details.

“Alright, well that's going to do it for me” I said. It was time to go to get some sleep.

“Whenever you are up in the morning, just come downstairs and Mai will get you breakfast” Mike said. “Do you drink coffee? The coffee here is shit but I know where you can get a decent cup” he told me.

“I do like coffee and that sounds like a plan.” I said goodnight and climbed the skinny stairs to the third floor and my room. After unpacking some clean clothes and figuring out the shower situation, I collapsed onto the bed and fell right to sleep.