We’ve officially been quarantined for 50+ days here in BC and If you’re like us, self-isolating has freed up time to pursue some new hobbies - hello making sourdough for the first time, also hello eating lasagna in the shower for the first time… weird times people, weird times. It’s also meant we’ve started putting in some hours on that yard work we’ve been putting off, and in particular gardening. No time like a global pandemic to make you think it might be time to start growing your own food! And of course, what goes better with gardening than beer!?
Beer and gardening go together like PB&J, bacon and eggs, fish and chips, macaroni and cheese… you get the gist. It’s the good stuff. Sunshine on your back, hands in the dirt and a cold beer, nothing’s better! Planting gardens or reviving last year's beds has been a big part of many of the OYB team’s quarantine life. And through the process we’ve learned a few tips and tricks to not only make your garden flourish but also, have a damn good time while doing it! So, here are our tips on how to garden OYB style (meaning, there will be beer involved and lots of it):
ALWAYS WEED WITH AN IPA IN HAND
Weeding is hard work so you’ll need a strong one to go with it, like our West Coast IPA or our Regional IPA Mixer.
PICK A SPOT THAT GETS AT LEAST 8 HOURS OF DIRECT SUNLIGHT A DAY
Most plants need full sun to thrive so pick a spot for your garden with enough sunlight. Since you'll be out there working, we suggest using our Old Yale Hydro Flask to keep your beer at the perfect temperature despite the heat. You’re welcome… don’t forget sunscreen, we learned that the hard way.
SIP ON OUR TULIP FESTIVAL SPRING ALE WHILE PLANTING YOUR FLOWER GARDEN
Planting flowers while sipping on our Tulip Festival Spring Ale makes your flowers grow faster. Maybe it’s the sweet visions of fields of tulips you have while sipping on this spring-inspired Ale? We’re not sure exactly why, it just does - trust us.
WATER YOUR PLANTS IN THE MORNING, NOT THE EVENING.
Watering your plants in the early morning ensures the water is able to reach the soil before it is evaporated - beermosa anyone?
PLANT THE TALL PLANTS BEHIND THE SHORTER ONES
Planting taller plants in the back ensures no shorter plants are getting blocked from the sun. This is basically the same rule when it comes to organizing your fridge - bombers in the back, then your tallboys and then your standard cans in the front, so you can take in all of your glorious beers at once. No? Just us?
PLANT STUFF YOU ACTUALLY LIKE TO EAT
This might seem obvious but, don’t plant cabbage if you don’t eat that much cabbage! Plant stuff you actually like to eat. We suggest strawberries so you can use them for this delicious Strawberry Blonde Beer Cocktail using our Knotty Blonde Ale.
GROW HERBS IN AN OLD YALE BEER CAN
Okay, you officially can’t use “living in an apartment” as an excuse not to garden. You can use empty beer cans to make a sweet little herb garden!
BEFRIEND A NEIGHBOUR
You have to water your garden frequently, so if you go away for a weekend you might have to ask a neighbour to give you a hand. We’ve found offering up a 6-pack of Moon Dance Mango Wheat in return works well.
TAKE IN YOUR HARD WORK
This one might be one of our favourite tips… we STRONGLY recommend sitting in a lawn chair at the end of a long day spent in the garden with a brew in hand so you can take in all your hard work. These days we’re sipping on our Gin Fizz Citrus Sour to end the day.
There ya go, our top tips to grow the garden of your dreams and also have a good time while doing it! We’d love to see photos of you gardening OYB style so make sure to tag us @oldyalebrewing on Instagram or Facebook! Cheers, friends!