How it Started
Like so many couples these days, our story begins on a dating app. Ryan had just updated his search criteria from 29 to 30 year olds when he stumbled across Daniel's profile on Hinge. Meanwhile, Daniel (admittedly picky) had already passed on everyone in his feed. But one day he opened the app to find something different: a message from someone named Ryan, who had liked one of his photos. Daniel responded with a simple "Hey :)" and the conversation took off from there.
Curious, Daniel asked Ryan if he was new to town or had just recently joined the app, since he hadn't seen his profile before. Ryan explained he wasn't new to the area and had been on the app for a while, but had recently expanded his age range. From that point forward, Daniel would joke with Ryan about how he had to expand his age range just to find him.
Anyone who knows Ryan knows about his love of beer and soft pretzels, so when it came time to plan their first date, the choice was obvious: World of Beer in Middleton, Wisconsin. They had beer. They had a giant soft pretzel. What more could you ask for?
Daniel and Ryan hit it off immediately, spending hours chatting and sipping beverages. (Fun fact: this was also the first time Daniel tried Peach Cider Boys, which would become a favorite.) As the evening went on, World of Beer transformed into a "night club," and they were given a choice: pay the cover or head out.
In the parking lot, Daniel worked up the courage to ask for Ryan's number. Then, wanting to make sure they were on the same page, he asked if the past few hours officially counted as a date. Ryan laughed and said yes. He still teases Daniel about it to this day.
