Earn Your Booze - Interview
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GeneralWe've been following Earn your booze for a while and we love the concept of earning our booze, so we spent some time with Justin from EYB to find out how we can keep brewing for longer.
Tell me all about earn your booze?
Earn Your Booze is a concept that I have been working on for a few years. I have always been into lifting and fitness but I have also always been into boozing. When I made the decision to open a beer business a few years ago I started to brainstorm ways to bridge the gap between fitness & beer etc. I first started with a concept called Brewtrition but my buddy Elliott @apartment_bartender said “earn your booze” at the gym which caught my attention. I started saying Earn Your Brews and we started talking business.
We decided to table Brewtrition for the time being and start a company behind Earn Your Booze since “booze” covers everything from beer, cocktails, wine, shots…
EYB can be different for everyone but the main theme of EYB is “earning” your drinks.
Lots of people drink but haven’t put much thought or effort into earning their drinks. EYB can be your reminder to earn it.
People on the other end of the spectrum (bodybuilders & competitive athletes etc) can use EYB as their excuse to relax and enjoy a drink every now and then.
We want our drinking friends to pay a little more attention to their health, live longer, be happier and enjoy more booze!
Earn Your Booze: Your excuse to enjoy your booze and your reminder to earn it.
We are currently updating our website to have a ton of unique info about how to earn your booze and show the world how people from all walks of life earn it. We are going to feature bartenders, crossfitters, brewery owners, business pros etc. The website will have some great video and photo content from our EYB events as well as cocktail recipes and workout guides. Unique, entertaining content for booze & fitness lovers!
How do you earn your booze?
I typically hit the gym 5 days a week and dedicate a 6th day of the week to other kinds of training such as boxing, bouldering, hiking etc. I have been involved with the fitness industry for a few years as a 1st Phorm Legionnaire and I managed a nutrition store for a while. I am big on teaching people how to use the right kind of supplements to achieve their goals without wasting money. The supplement industry is full of mis-information and the fitness industry is full of a lot of snobs so I am doing everything I can to help my beer and booze families get in shape!
How you got into home brewing?
I got into home brewing about 3 years when my partner and I decided to open a brewery. I am the type of person who insists on getting my hands dirty and knowing everything possible about the things that I get into. I went to The Bearded Brewer in Quartz Hill, CA and asked the owner Dillon to get me right into all-grain brewing. I started with a BIAB kit and the rest is history. I know brew at home on a 3 vessel, 3 propane burner, 1/2bbl system with glycol chilled conicals for fermentation. Brewing is one of my favorite things to do and I love serving my beer to friends and family.
And what about fitness?
I got into lifting weights in middle school cause I was a tall, skinny kid. I played a little baseball but primarily spent years in the weight room trying to figure things out. When I joined the Navy I really started to figure things out and I have been addicted to lifting every since! I pride myself at working hard in the gym and earning my booze and cheat meals.
What was the biggest lesson you learnt with regards to your home brewing?
Biggest lesson is that this hobby is never ending and always requires more room in the house and more things to add on to the brew system. I love to experiment and try new processes/tools/techniques but that leads to the house nearly being overrun by brewery equipment haha.
This not meant to discourage anyone from getting into brewing. I highly recommend BIAB. It does not require much equipment and you can make some great beer!
We love brewing and I wonder if there a few things we should be doing for our health that’ll keep us brewing longer, what would you suggest?
Glad you asked! Get yourself into an “earn it” mentality. We know that beers, burgers and pizza are not the best for our bodies (although they are the most tasty).
People can earn their booze many different ways. Ask yourself “what physical activity do I enjoy the most?” (sex probably shouldn’t count).
If you like to lift weights, run, hike, crossfit, swim, workout at home etc start with that.
I suggest choosing an activity that you can do 3 days a week then dedicate 45 minutes to an hour each of those 3 days to get physically moving. A lean body burns more calories and fat while at rest, so I believe the goal should be to reduce body fat and increase lean muscle. With that being the end goal, making the decision to start right now with some sort of movement 3 days a week will get you on the right path! When you are into lifting weights and beating your body like I do on a consistent basis, you want to make sure your nutrition is on point (for the most part) and you are taking some basic supplements to ensure that you are recovering from your workouts and continually improving while staying healthy.
For example: Everyone should be taking a gender-specific multivitamin and fish oil every day. Those are basic supplements that promote overall health and reduce inflammation etc.
After a strenuous workout isolate protein and glucose are the absolute best supplements to help you recover. You will be less sore, your muscles will get the nutrients they deserve after a tough workout and you’ll be ready to train again sooner.
What advice do you have for someone homebrewers who want to earn their booze? How do they do that especially if they haven’t done any exercise over the last few years?
Not the most fun answer, but if your drinking habits are high, cut back a bit. Dark, heavy beers typically have higher calories than lighter color beers. You probably don’t need that extra pint of chocolate stout or DIPA at midnight before bed. Grab a taster or halfpint every now and then. I am not telling anyone to stop drinking. Shoot me if I ever do say that. Just be aware of how much you are consuming and find ways to cut back a little (or a lot if you drink heavily). Also, keep the “earn it” mentality. If you crushed your fitness goals all week, go HAM on Saturday with the boys and have a good time. If you skipped your cardio and workouts, you should feel guilty and have less brews and skip the damn pizza.
That leads me to food. Beer itself is usually not the issue. What we eat when we drink is what leads to body fat and poor health. We are all guilty of smashing entire bags of Doritos and falling asleep drunk while still chewing pepperoni pizza.
Have a plan when you know you’re going out to drink.
Eat protein and skip the carbs when you are drinking. Order a spicy chicken wrap instead of the bun, eat wings instead of pizza and remember to hydrate with water while you drink.
As far as exercise refer to the previous question, send me a DM and watch Earn Your Booze for tons of unique, relevant content in the very near future!
I am headed to Helton Brewing Co as we speak for some pints! Cheers!
Justin Cross