Gone Surfing.

I was going to write something cranky about how the BJCP style guidelines long ago departed from any meaningful reality, since they've just added some new weirdness to the already weird. Instead I'll point you to Stephen Beaumont's post. Because I'm a huge Stones fan. "Totally pointless categorization of something that is the same shit – it just depends on how much you lay the backbeat down or how flash you play it." Yeah. What Keith says.

On the other hand: Whenever anyone whines about style guidelines, maybe it's best to put our fingers and our ears and sing, "They're just for homebrewing contests, lalalalala." It's probably a mistake to take them personally just because they fetishize and overcategorize one of the things we love most, a thing that has given us many wonderful memories in many interesting places, a thing that has whispered into our ears with some desperation that it cannot be divided into hermetic definitions, no, it won't be, because it's as liminal and dynamic as all the ideas we share and enjoy and send around the world every day. And it probably always has been that way.

Anyway. The style guidelines are too easy a target, aren't they? There's no sport in it.

Finally: I was also going to tell those of you in Paradise, or planning to visit someday, that you can now find Costa Rica's Craft Brewing drafts in a few places around the country. These include the Black Sheep Pub in Nosara, El Estribo in Santa Ana, and in Escazú at the Time Out Tavern. Which is the closest thing I have to a local, so that works well. So does the pitcher and a pizza deal for $20. The owners tell me the stuff is selling like hell. So that's good news.

The CRCB beers are likely in a few other places by now too. Brandon Nappy, please pick up the white courtesy phone. Feel free to share details in the comments section.

I'm disappearing to the beach for a few days. You're unlikely to hear from me. Enjoy your snow, if you have any.