Welcome to the New Year chaos! Greg, Flex, and Mel are here to kick off 2025 with plenty of laughs, questionable resolutions, and beers that make us glad our tongues can’t talk back. Flex reminds everyone why Wisconsin is the Fresh Coast (it’s real, he swears), Mel educates us on the dos and don’ts of edibles at weddings, and Greg channels his inner David Attenborough during a stoned encounter with whales. Plus, they’re petitioning to make 2025 the Year of the Gose, debating when craft beer really peaked, and roasting chestnuts—well, metaphorically. Cheers to another year of beers, nonsense, and mildly useful advice!

Beers We’re Drinking:

• Mel: Chestnut Praline Imperial Ale by Southern Tier Brewing Co. – A buttery, praline-filled dessert beer that screams holidays and feels like a warm hug on a cold day.
• Greg: Short Lived Hazy IPA by MadeWest x Highland Park Brewing – Tropical juicy fruit vibes with a silky smooth mouthfeel that Greg calls the perfect California sipper.
• Flex: Fresh Coast Pale Ale by Three Sheeps Brewing – A light, crushable pale ale with bright citrus notes, perfect for any season.

The gang dives into the nostalgia of the “good old days” of 2019, arguing over the true peak of craft beer. Greg and Flex trade stories of hilariously high experiences with THC drinks, including a memorable balcony whale encounter that may or may not have been real. Mel reminisces about her edible misadventures at a wedding, where she learned the hard way to read the dosage warnings.

In a heartfelt New Year’s brainstorm, they pledge to rekindle the camaraderie of the craft beer community, resolve to post on social media more often (no promises), and petition to make 2025 the year of the Gose. And in true CBR fashion, they somehow turn beer reviews into a conversation about roasted chestnuts, door decor, and why juicy IPAs should just be labeled correctly already.

Booze News:

• Craft breweries are closing faster than they’re opening for the first time—so much for new year optimism.
• A woman runs the New York City Marathon drunk. Goals?
• Castle Island Brewing rescues Cambridge Brewing’s IP—because good beer deserves a second chance.
• Diageo considers selling off P Diddy’s vodka. Uh, who’s still drinking that?

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Flex: Instagram: @flex_me_a_beer

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