Since the earliest days, humans have craved awards and trophies which recognise their achievements in life. From the winner’s olive wreath at the ancient Olympics through to the kind of gold Olympic medals today, people understandably enjoy being recognised for their talent, work and/or genius.

It is Accepted Beer Wisdom (ABW) that every fundamental problem facing the world can be solved at the pub if people just drink beer and talk about the issue very loudly and for a duration usually in inverse proportion to the participant’s knowledge of the subject matter. Here are some real world examples from Malthouse:

I have been writing about beer for so long that I was there when Tap Takeovers started to become a Certified Thing in New Zealand. [1] At the time, they were described as revolutionary, controversial and just a little bit naughty.

I have been accused on numerous occasions of sporting a “stupidly happy grin” while drinking enormously hopped beers. [1] This is true and has been verified by noted scientists

On Tuesday I had the pleasure of attending the British and Irish Lions match live at Wellington’s Westpac Stadium. The crowd was loud and largely happy as the gallant men in red shirts fought for a right honourable draw – 31-31.

The title of this post is a quotation from no less than the Dalai Lama himself. He wrote “I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe.”