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
(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.
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
My Favorites from The Morning Tipple
TMT Day 1: You can't beat cheap beer
You're damn right I went to a Wetherspoons. Listen, I just got off the plane not 8 hours ago, so this isn’t a day for complicated decisions. My brain is currently sitting in a squishy, delirious, jet-lagged state where the only decision that can be made with true certainty is to put one foot in front of the other.
TMT Day 2 - The Eagle Ale House
Top bunk or bottom bunk? It’s a cursed choice, really. The top bunk will make doing anything inconvenient. The bottom bunk will make everything the top bunk person does annoying - especially at 1 a.m. just before you get into that R.E.M. cycle. All this to say - I might officially be too old for hostels.
TMT Day 3 - On Running a Tied House
Today was a rather slow one. The morning rain was enough to justify catching up on some sleep in my newly acquired, surprisingly plush bed. Oh yeah, I moved my ass to an Airbnb and slept like a fucking baby. Rash? Yes. Worth it? Yesssss.
TMT Day 9 - The Woolpack
It's the greatest pub in the world. But I knew it would be special. I knew while I was planning the trip. Before I even stepped foot in England. I could feel the warmth of the fireplace between the pixels on my computer screen. We got to The Woolpack in the late afternoon, just as the late November shadows started stretching across the bucolic valley of…
TMT Day 14 & 15 - The Swan, York
After a few nights in Wales, we headed to York, a city famous for having "one pub for every day of the year." I don’t know if that’s actually true, but there sure were a ton of pubs! My first chat was with Paul Crossman, the Chair of Campaign for Pubs
TMT Day 16 - The Final Pub Crawl
It's safe to say that getting drunk with a former member of the U.K. parliament wasn't on my bingo card for 2023. And yet, here we are. This was my last day on the tour through England and Wales—the last day of The Morning Tipple. And poetically, it ended with the same person who started this whole thing for me - Greg Mulholland.
Some Good Reads
Related to my pub endeavors is this article from
- Why Sneer at WetherspoonsThe Balkans’ alternative postal system: an ad-hoc courier’s tale
Looking forward to continue following The Grog in the New Year!!! It just gets better and better!! Always enjoying your perspective, your stories and your writing!
I feel exactly like you do when describing my Substack. It’s about the stuff that fascinates me, and that’s about as precise as I can get.