2024, Earthen Ales, and Dry January
It’s the last day of my holiday break—I haven't worked since the 20th—and I find myself wanting to spin a yarn. In truth, I've wanted to for a while and almost did a few days go, but I knew that I wanted to write about Earthen Ales, and I was sick at the time, so I would have had to write the post at home. It didn't seem right to write about Earthen Ales from home, though, so I decided to wait until the sickness was subsiding and do this thing right. I'm here now, with an eight-ouncer of Double Grindstone (their excellent double barrel aged Imperial Stout) on my right and the bar, populated by the usual familiar faces, to my left. It’s finally cold enough to snow again, and it's doing so, beautifully. The flakes are large and fluffy and swirling around the alcove in which the old water tower is nestled.
Per the usual, 2024 was a roller coaster of a year. There are a lot of things I could write about, I'm sure, but there's always a difference between what you can write about and what you want to write about. There's also a difference between a good story and a boring one, although I have no idea which this will be. Some of the highlights that I should at least mention are:
Jenelle and I became closer than ever this year (it only took 16 years). We understand each other better and support each other more. Overall, our marriage is permeated with a feeling of unity and on-the-samepagedness that wasn't there before. I love you, darlin’.
My sons and I continued our tradition of one-on-one UP trips.
My mom and I actually pulled the trigger on one of her bucket list items and went to Chicago to see The Rolling Stones. The highlight for me is still that she wore a custom Rolling Stones shirt she painted at sixteen years old.
My sister and I found a new level of support system between each other and navigated difficult moments together in lockstep. (When we were texting each other about this the other day, I said jokingly that she made it into my "favorites" grid at the top of my messenger app. It's true, though.)
Granny passed away and is finally at peace (this is one of those things Rach and I supported each other through. We even tag-teamed the eulogy.)
My day job brought a lot of wins and successes.
Then there’s this other life I'm trying to live as a writer, and I really kicked it into overdrive this year. I just pulled up the folder that holds all my drafts, and I'm a little shocked by what I found, that is, if the "Created" dates on my files are to be trusted, which I doubt. I should probably start keeping a diary of big writing milestones, but the following are all close enough even if some of it started in 2023:
I took my short story Rue and added 100,000 words to it, thus creating my first novel. I'm now reading the second draft and looking for opportunities to trim the word count down. It's over 112k now, and apparently, that’s “unpublishable” for a new writer. (I’ve got to get it down to at least 95k. Ugh.)
I revised my first novella, The Wheel, and settled on a final draft.
I wrote Gull Island, which turned into my second novel. (I'm dying to read this one. It's the only story I've written that no one has read, including myself.)
I wrote The Water Tower, my second short story, and, I think, my first actual horror story. It's currently out to my group of beta readers, and I'm waiting for their feedback with much anticipation.
I submitted another short story, Eulogy, twice and got two rejections (one of which was implied.) I've since reworked this one a bit based on beta reader feedback. Time to start submitting again!
I started this Substack as an outlet to get the juices flowing when I'm not actively first-drafting another story. Almost all of my posts have been written at Earthen Ales.
That's a lot, and I'm proud of it. I enjoy every part of the process so far (drafting, reading, revising, editing), but the part I'm dreading most is publishing. However, at some point, I need to call these things "completed" and start trying to get them out in the world. That's what 2025 will be about. I was hoping to start searching for an agent for Rue soon, but I'm still pretty uncertain about parts of the story now that I'm reading it again. Oh well…
I said I was going to talk about Earthen Ales, though, so I probably should get to it. The owner (also named Andrew) just walked by me, and I owe it to him, even if he doesn't know I'm doing it.
I don't remember when I first came to Earthen. I'd been here sporadically over the years, but it didn’t grab me back then. I don't know why that was. Maybe because I wasn't a writer yet, also, it must have been winter when I came in the past because I'm quite confident that this year was the first time I had a beer on the patio. That's what grabbed me, I think.
If you haven't been to Earthen before, it's on the back side of the Commons—what was once called the Traverse City State Hospital. Right out the front door looms a rusting, light blue water tower that may or may not be haunted if my own stories have anything to say about the matter. Beyond that is a hill that houses a forest, the graffiti-tattooed cistern, and all sorts of lovely hiking trails. It's one of my family's favorite places to go to get outdoors. The other sides of the tower are hemmed in by buildings, and Earthen Ales is in one of them. I quickly discovered that this was my favorite place to come and write (weirdly, I can focus way better when I'm not at home), but it took me a long time to realize exactly why that was.
It's so calm.
There isn't a major road in sight or even close enough to hear. Unless the patio is packed or there are loud talkers (which usually results in my headphones going in), the only thing you can hear is the air sighing through the trees on the hill. Nature, old buildings, wide open sky, and sunshine: what's not to love?
Then, I started to notice a trend. Each time I came to write (which was usually Friday after work, one of my new favorite traditions), I saw a lot of the same faces. Why is that, I wondered? Sure, the vibes are great, and so is the beer, but why am I always seeing the same people here? It was so consistent that I even remember when one couple arrived with their brand-new rescue dog, Tango, to show him off on the first day that they had him. All the regulars came out to meet Tango and congratulate the new doggie parents. I just smiled from the other side of the patio and kept writing.
Then, the usual bartender called me by my name one day before I gave him my credit card, and I had my first inkling as to why I saw so many of the same faces when I came. I vowed to remember his name as well, and still do, even if Steven (Stephen?) doesn't work at Earthen anymore.
A month or so later, I walked in, and another bartender said, "Hey, Andrew." He hadn't served me nearly as much as Steven/Stephen, so this time, I was taken aback. "How do you know my name?" I asked. He told me he had served me Peirogis from the food truck in the parking lot the other day. I knew he had looked familiar at the time, but, like a dummy, I didn't make the connection even though I had seen him multiple times at both Earthen Ales and their satellite location, Tank Space. His name was John, and I was determined to remember that one as well. (We both wear Santa hats in public around Christmas, so I think we are some sort of kindred spirits, anyway.)
After that, the owner (who I did not know was the owner at the time) said "Andrew" when he saw me one day. He had served me even less than Stephen/Steven or John, but I soon found out why he remembered my name: his name was Andrew, too.
Then Spencer called me by name. Then I met Emily (I'm not sure if she worked at Earthen when she got the aforementioned Tango, but she does now). There is another guy, and I think his name is Will, but I haven't had the guts to try it on for size yet. There is a girl bartending right now whose name I don't know, but I probably should figure it out before I leave, eh?
This is why people keep coming back, I think. Again, the beer and the vibes are certainly a plus, but these people here have a way of making you feel at home, like you belong. I have a sneaking suspicion that it all starts with Andrew and Jamie, the people who own the place. Case in point: my good friend Nate and I came for not one but two vertical tastings1 in December. We bought our tickets online ahead of time, and I beat Nate there. I was talking with other Andrew when Nate arrived for the first one, and other Andrew asked, "Are you here for the tasting?" Nate confirmed that he was, and other Andrew said, "You must be Nate then," and shook his hand. I've been terrible at names for years, and I have reasons for that (some legitimate, some ridiculous), but the people at Earthen Ales have inspired me to be better at it.
We all grew up watching shows where there was some sort of central gathering place. My mind goes straight to Moe's Friendly Tavern of The Simpsons, and for years, I've been searching for my Moe's. Earthen Ales is it.
I had to google this because I'm not a Cheers guy, but I think these three lines nail it:
“Sometimes you wanna go
Where everybody knows your name
And they’re always glad you came”
Earlier this week, Jenelle and I were talking about dry January. I've done this on my own for several years now, to one extent or another. The first time was to prove to myself that it was easy to take a whole month off from alcohol (it was), but since then, they've been "moist" Januarys (usually because my band was active (it's not, at the moment) and why would I say no to free beer during a show at Lake Ann Brewing?) There's always a purpose, though, which is usually some variation on drinking less or changing habits. This year, I was leaning towards a fully dry month again, but before I could even say the thing that stuck in my craw, Jenelle says, "What about Earthen Ales?"
You nailed it, darlin'. What about Earthen Ales? Sure, I can take a whole month off from drinking, but can I take a whole month off from Earthen Ales?
Nope.
So that's what dry January will be this year: no alcohol, except at Earthen Ales. Why? Because sometimes I want to go where people know my name and are glad I came. I want to go where I feel at home and can crank out some writing or reading or whatever it is that I need to do for me at the time. It rejuvenates me.
Alright Earthen Ales. Alright other Andrew, Jamie, John, Spencer, Emily, Will (hopefully), and girl whose name I'm about to learn as I walk out the door, see you next time!2
Happy New Year, and thanks for reading!
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A vertical tasting means trying different versions of the same beer from different years/batches.
She wasn’t at the counter when I actually left, so I guess I’ll have to try again next time.