Bach & Beers? What a cool Gen X idea

If nothing else, Generation X have been curators and purveyors of culture. Growing up in a time of stagnation and stale thinking coming out of the 70s, Xers charted a course in pursuit of experience and lifestyle when they began entering adulthood in the late 1980s. Truly a pop culture generation with eclectic tastes in music, art, and entertainment, Gen X can be credited with the rich artisan world of today. While the craft beer industry and the resurgence of wine and spirits are associated with a hipster mentality linked to Millennials, the age of most producers indicate this cultural renaissance to be much more of Generation X movement. And, the fusion of ideas with an innovative "Why Not" spirit is an apt characteristic of X. A great example of that is happening this week in Denver with the pairing of craft beer and the music of Johann Bach at a brewery in the River North (RiNo) neighborhood of Denver. Here's some info from a great piece by Denver Post writer, Jenn Fields:

River North Brewery Goes Bach in Time by Paring Beer with Cellos

Two classic art forms will come together on Friday at River North Brewery — cello solos from Johann Sebastian Bach, and well-crafted beer. “The whole idea behind Bach and Beer is to get the audience to look back at these old traditions, and see how both Steuart as a musician and how the craft brewer is incorporating these traditions for the modern listener, or the modern beer drinker,” said Michelle Pincombe, who has been touring the country with her husband, Steuart Pincombe, for the past year. On Thursday, Steuart will come to River North to sample the wares and choose three beers that match three of the Bach Cello Suites from his repertoire. On Friday, concert-goers can have a glass of the paired beer in hand as they listen to him give a concert. The concert is name-your-own-price; the beer is not.

I love this idea, and would certainly put it on my agenda for this weekend ... but, alas, I have already made plans around the first World Series game at Wrigley Field in 71 years. That said, I will be on the look-out for more innovative cultural mergings like this. And, I might even just have to host a party like this in the future.