CLEVELAND -- If you follow me on Instagram -- and odds are, you don't -- you've probably noticed that I've been taking part in Winking Lizard's Tour of Beers this summer.
On an almost weekly, and sometimes daily basis, I'll post a picture of a new beer to my Instagram story, which have all been documented in the app's highlight feature here.
For the uninitiated, the numbers often accompanying each beer might be confusing. But I can assure you I'm not trying to keep myself accountable -- at least not on most nights. Rather my intent is to document my climb to what I hope will be 150 different beers by year's end.
On several occasions, I've had friends and/or co-workers inquirer about my chase, particularly following weekends in which I've made significant strides. Since I've had to explain so many times -- and because the day after the MLB All-Star Game is universally known as the slowest day in the sports world -- I figured I'd put together a guide of just how the Tour of Beers works as we enter the second half of 2018.
How it works
Winking Lizard's Tour of Beers is designed to take advantage of the restaurant's vast menu selection, which features hundreds of bottled, canned and draft selections at any one time. Each new beer chosen from the list counts once toward a participants total. Although ordering 100 different beers between January 1 and December 31 constitutes finishing the tour, prizes exist for 50, 100 and 150 beers.
What are the prizes?
50 beers: a wooden set of Winking Lizard coasters.
100 beers: Tour of Beers jacket, $20 Winking Lizard gift card and an invitation to year's end finisher party, which is hosted at several Winking Lizard locations throughout Northeast Ohio.
150: Tour of Beers 1/4 zip.
What does it cost?
It costs $20 to sign up for the Tour of Beers. There's also a free app that lets you keep track of your beers.
Why is it fun?
Initially when I signed up this year -- after past years of saying I would and never doing it -- I was eyeing the jacket. I'm not going to lie, it's pretty sweet. Without having a particularly advanced palate when it comes to beers, I figured it'd be easy to find 100-150 light-ish beers I could stomach drinking in lieu of my usual Winking Lizard brew of choice, Yuengling.
Nearly seven months and 85 beers through the tour, that proved harder than I thought -- and that's a good thing. In the process, I've learned a lot more about what my favorite kind of beer actually is (IPAs) and have tried some of the best local brews in Cleveland.
There are also "beers of the month," which often come with other cool prizes -- usually glasses or mugs. In June, when it was Bell's Pooltime Ale that was highlighted, I got not only a cool commemorative glass but also a beach towel.
If nothing else, it's a reason to enjoy a beer or two on a random evening and feel as if you're accomplishing something.
For more information on the Tour of Beers or to sign up, check out WinkingLizard.com.
