Day 360: Say goodbye

Said goodbye to Chicago and all my friends and classmates tonight at the debut of our newest home brew, Pork Fat Pale Ale. You’ll remember that our first beer, Rough Draft, debuted on Day 213. PFPA is an American pale ale with dried orange peel and coriander, that actually has no swine-inspired flavorings. The name refers to the relationship between Chicago and Cincinnati (where I’m moving tomorrow), and the battle they had over slaughter yard dominance back in the early to mid 1800s. Both cities dubbed themselves “Porkopolis”. My friend and fellow brewmaster, Chris, decided the name was appropriate considering the cities tumultuous relationship, and my conflicted feelings at at leaving one and calling the other my new home. But enough about the name. You’re wondering how it tasted.

And the answer is delicious. The majority of comments on our last brew were along the lines of: “this tasted like beer.” Tonight’s brew actually had flavor, depth, complexity. A hint of orange was noticeable among the bitter – making it the perfect beer for the beginning of fall – and if I had any clue what coriander tasted like, I’m sure I would’ve noticed that too. We’re quite proud of this one, and it’s only the beginning of what I hope to be a long line of more adventurous home brewing experiments.

But really, the beer aspect was all just a facade, acting as an excuse for a get together so I could exercise my last goodbyes. I prefer to be unsentimental, sticking with the mantra “High fives, not hugs.”  If I ever need a place to stay in a city where some member of my Medill family resides, you can guarantee I’ll come knocking. Goodbyes are just a brief comfort for the time in between.

Until next time, for Medill Reports, this is Tyler Moss.