It’s time again for The Session, the monthly gathering of beer bloggers around a common topic. I’ve been enjoying writing them, and this month’s is right up my alley. From beer bar band:

Blogging is indulgent. Most of us do it for free and in our own time, with very limited resources and publishing skills. We do it because we are passionate about our blog’s topic, and that leaves us with few boundaries for our posts.

The publishing boundary that I commonly smash with disregard is over-writing. Yes, I’m a chronic over-writer, even though I write for a living and hence I should know so much better. For that reason, I am setting myself and all interested beer bloggers a challenge for the next round of The Session.

What better way to test our writing skills and remind ourselves of why we do this than to post your elevator pitch for beer.

“Elevator pitch” is a term used by marketers, sales people, film/tv makers and the like. It’s the delivery of a short but powerful summary that will sell their idea or concept to the listener in one swift hit.

I am many things, but (at least in writing) “terse” isn’t one of them. 250 words? Last week’s post was 1111 words. The week before’s Risk Legacy roundup? 2352. So yeah, let’s decrease that by an order of magnitude.

I’m going to tackle the concept of “Embeer Buffalo,” our motto. What does it mean, and why should you care? (if you don’t live in Buffalo, swap in your city of choice)

The pitch (already 263 words in)

What do we want for this city? We want it to thrive, to be passionate, to work together.

That’s what “Embeer Buffalo” means. We want Buffalo to be a great beer city in every way it can be. Yes, it’d be great if that happened via drinking lots of Community Beer Works, but we’re active members of the beer community. More great breweries, more great bars, an active and knowledgeable beer culture? That benefits us both as a company and as consumers.

Brewers are the friendliest people I’ve ever met. No other group has been so universally gregarious, knowledgeable and willing to chat. The same goes for homebrewers and beer lovers in general: everyone is always willing, at the drop of a hat, to talk at length about beer. There’s an excitement, a glow, in their eyes as they tell you about the latest great beer they’ve had.

We need more of that. More small, local businesses with people who don’t mind working 12 hour days because it’s what they love doing. Who aren’t out to screw their competitors because their “competitors” are their friends.

A rising tide lifts all boats. Drink locally, or regionally, or hell, from any of the innumerable wonderful breweries around the world. Learn what you love and what you don’t, and then share that love.

We are not trying to be the biggest fish in the pond. We are trying to turn our pond into an ocean.