When I graduated high school, my parents held a big graduation party for me at their house and invited all my friends and family together to celebrate my meager accomplishment. My parents greatly overbought alcohol for the event, leaving an ample supply of Bud and Bud Light (America and America Light for those confused) in the fridge in the basement where I lurked. For the rest of the summer my friends and I whittled away at the surplus, laughing our asses off and putting the empties back in the box in some half-hearted attempt to cover our tracks. Needless to say, it was a great summer.

When I dropped out of college I found work in the restaurant industry which, if you don’t know, is basically one big binge-drinking competition. From there I started a band, a culture in which drinking with reckless abandon is both encouraged and very, very kewl. I am, quite clearly, a party animal. I have since mellowed out a bit, but I still love drinking beer. Here are my eleven reasons why.