For those who have read our series on Conversion Beers, you’ll know about one of the Matts. No, not the Matt that is a regular contributor here, but the other Matt who wrote Belly Full of Steam.

What y’all don’t know about Matt is that he is an Untappd addict. So here is an ode to Matt, and his Untappd habits.

The thing about Matt is that he toasts other people’s Untappd check ins, and he toasts a lot. By “a lot,” it’s not just that he toasts every check in, he toasts within a few minutes of the check in, regardless of time of day:

  • Friday night drink – Matt toasts it
  • Saturday morning hair of the dog drink – Matt toasts it
  • Tuesday night quiet one – there’s Matt!
  • 3 o’clock in the morning? – yep, Matt is up as well for some reason

Now, this is an “ode to Matt” – we’re not making fun of Matt here for his check in addiction, in fact, we’re praising him! Matt’s check in habit makes him so predictable, it’s as if he’s always there having a drink with you, and that’s what brings the social element into Untappd. Whether you’re having a drink on your own, or with a couple mates, Matt will be there with you.

For the comic book readers out there, you will be familiar with the Flash (AKA the Scarlet Speedster, AKA the Crimson Comet), a super hero with super speed.  Matt is the Flash of Untappd toasting. His speed cannot be matched with a toast. Matt is so fast, very often, your check in will be toasted even before you’ve taken your first sip of a new beer. How does he do this? Nobody knows.

But alas, this is the great thing about having a drinking buddy like Matt, and really the point of this post.

The social aspects of being into beer are just one of the many reasons why being into beer is so great. Characters such as Matt expand beer culture beyond simply drinking and analysing great craft beer. Beer culture starts in the pub and tools like Untappd take the pub everywhere, even when you can’t be with your friends. Craft beer is about sharing experiences, and Matt is always there to share the experience of a great new brew, wherever you may be.

We all have this type of drinking buddy. So let’s all give a toast to Matt and guys like him; a toast both in real life and on Untappd.

To conclude, a poem, entitled An Ode to Matt – hastily written after a few craft beers (all toasted by Matt):

An Ode to Matt

Toasting Untappd day and night,

He’s always there, but out of sight.

Trying a new one, or getting a badge,

Matt will toast

Even if you can’t think of something that rhymes with badge

Browns, reds, and blonds, he loves them all,

He loves them big, he loves them small.

He knows your secrets one star and five

Because he’s watching

A toast to Matt, a really nice guy

Yeah, poetry…

Edit – this post was tweeted just after publishing it, while Matt (@Matthewbeggs) did tweet back with two minutes, The Fermented Follicle (@beardface151) got in there within one minute. Let the showdown begin…