The (New Orleans) Beer Writer's Annual Calendar

Beer: The Reason For The Season!

As pumpkin beer season fades and Thanksgiving beer pairing season looms, I was just thinking about how much repetition there is in the kinds of articles beer writers are called upon to produce. In New Orleans, especially there are some sacred cows of seasonality that cannot be messed around with.

January:  What Beer Pairs Best with King Cake; Winter Beers to Drink Now That It's Actually Pretty Cold Outside

February: Best Canned Beer For Mardi Gras; Where to Find Decent Beer on the Parade Route; Romantic Beers; Best Beers Paired With Chocolate or Despair

March: Strategies to Bring Enough Craft Beer to a Crawfish Boil All Season Long Without Going Broke; St. Patrick's Day Shenanigans; Beer to Drink to Forget That Football is Gone for Six Months

April: How To Smuggle Craft Beer Into Jazz Fest Because All the Beer There is Really, Really Terrible; Places in the French Quarter to Get Non-Abita Beer for French Quarter Fest

May: Kicking of Summer Beer Season Because Seriously, It's Hot Now; What Beers Go Best With Maternal Guilt and/or Brunch

June-August: Whatever Dudes, It's Really Freaking Hot Outside, Just Stay Hydrated, OK Buddy? All The Beer Dinners All Year Are Crammed Into The Summer Months Because Local Restaurant Business Is So Slow And They Figure It Can't Hurt To Try

September: Let's Bitch About Pumpkin Beers Because It's Still Really Hot and We're Kind Of Cranky About It; Where to Go For Craft Beer Now That Your Local Has Been Overrun With Returning College Kids; Something Something College Football; WHO DAT

October:  Begrudging Acceptance of Pumpkin Beers; How to Find the Craft Beer That Best Compliments Your Halloween Costume; YES, THE SAINTS WILL WIN THE SUPERBOWL THIS YEAR (If You Drink These Beers During Games)

November: Beers to Complement (or Counteract) Tryptophan; Best Beer To Make the Lions Thanksgiving Game Interesting; Writeups of All The Beer Events that Are Happening All At Once Because It's Nice Outside Finally but The Holidays Are Coming Up

December: Beers to Pair With Gumbo; Winter Beers for Weather That's Not That Cold; How To Match the Perfect Craft Beer to Everyone on Your Holiday Shopping List

And then it starts all over again!

Updated to add: hat tip to Brendon Day aka the Ale Runner, that reminded me of the stories "How Do I Make All The ACBW Events in May and then all the LCBW Events in September"