1) There are a lot of ideas I have for blog posts that never see the light of day for one reason or another. Instead, they fit partially finished and unpublished on the dashboard until I get motivated to follow up on them. For instance, I got it into my head to do a series called Big Beer Week where I’d write about a different high-alcohol beer each day.

2) I wrote the first post and then forgot about it, mainly because I realised a week of posts about high-alcohol beers would be pretty dull. Each post would be either “hey, you can’t taste the alcohol at all” or “wow, this is really boozy” And who wants to read that? Not me.

3) Another idea that never came to fruition was to write about beers you used to drink but now overlook in favour for the newest, shiniest thing. I was going to write about one of them and then create a special day where everyone could go back and drink one of those old beers and then post about it on social media. Was going to have a hashtag for it and everything – maybe #forgottenbeers. But that didn’t happen either.

4) I did get as far as choosing the beer I’d write about – Hoegaarden – and buying a four-pack. I drank that four-pack, didn’t write a post, but then went and bought another four-pack. And then another one. And another one. Because I remembered something – I really bloody like Hoegaarden and was a fool for ignoring it for so long.

5) It’s lovely and soft on the palate and throws bits of clove and orange peel and perhaps even a smidge of banana-hefeweizen characters. It’s slightly spritzy, tingly on the tongue and absolutely lovely on a warm summer’s day. Which is why I’m going to buy some Hoegaarden this summer. But I’ll also buy it in spring, winter and autumn too. Because this beer is frigging delicious.

Free or paid for?: I forked over the cash for every single four-pack of Hoegaarden. And will surely buy some more this summer.