So what's all this, anyway?

We make stuff, put it out there, learn, and hopefully, grow.

Hello friends,

This is Skylar and the year's final edition of The Grog newsletter. A warm welcome to all the new folks who signed up for

The Morning Tipple

(TMT), my pop-up newsletter all about pubs across England and Wales. Since that newsletter is officially over, all new subscribers were moved over to this newsletter.

The last few weeks of my life were essentially consumed by TMT, which is why I've been pretty quiet on this newsletter. On the surface, the goal of TMT was to find the answer to a simple question - why are two pubs closing per day across England and Wales?

I could've dug up some historical texts, scoured the interwebs, asked ChatGPT, had some video calls, and maybe written something up. All from my couch in Seattle. But where's the fun in that? I wanted to experience it. I wanted to live and breathe pubs while sipping on cask ale. I wanted to sit down with a pint and talk to folks who actually run them.

So I did.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect. It was one of my most significant writing/photography projects that turned into a mental and physical challenge, probably more than I initially expected. In the end, I talked to 8 people (brewery owners and publicans), took many pictures, and wrote ~13,200 words, all in service of protecting the pubs. And I'm still not done.

I'm not saying I should be knighted, but maybe? If someone wants to forward that series to King Charles, that would be pretty cool.

If you didn't sign up or follow along with TMT, the archives will stick around for at least another few weeks. Eventually, they'll be stuck behind a paywall. I will also upload some actual recordings of the interviews for those who want even more details. Or, if you're a TL;DR kind of person, I put a few of my favorites down below.

And a big, big thank you to everyone who followed along. Projects like these frankly wouldn't be possible without your support. Doing this type of work is about 50% enjoyment, 25% shouting into the void, and 25% pure suffering. So when people show support in any form, it makes all the downsides of this easier to deal with.

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It's hard not to be a little introspective after a project like that. The Grog has evolved quite a bit over the last few years; it almost feels unrecognizable now. From a silly blog about booze to talking to top chefs in Bogotá to having a pint with a former member of the U.K. parliament. Progress in a good direction, for sure. And, of course, there will be more iterations. We make stuff, put it out there, learn, and hopefully, grow.

But nowadays, I have to give my writing/elevator pitch pretty frequently, and I've found it to be more and more challenging. Is it a travel blog? Meh, that’s not it, too much baggage. A beer blog? Well, that definitely shows up, but not really. A food blog? I do like food...but that’s not it either.

So what's it about?

Maybe I don't know the answer yet. But the through line of it all is trying to sort out what matters. Finding interesting people. Getting into the sticky details. Learning more about the world. An attempt to make sense of it all.

So whatever this is, I want more of it. That’s the plan for 2024.

See ya next year,

Skylar

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My Favorites from The Morning Tipple

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Some Good Reads

Related to my pub endeavors is this article from

Chris Arnade

- Why Sneer at Wetherspoons

Against Innovation

Resisting the Algorithm

Place and Non-Place

The Balkans’ alternative postal system: an ad-hoc courier’s tale