Even if you don't know who Andy Crouch is, you owe him a big thank you. Andy put a lot of miles on his car and drank quite a lot of beers just so you could know a little something about every brewery and brewpub in New England. You see, Andy is the author of the The Good Beer Guide to New England and as I've mentioned in a previous post, its your bible to good beer and beer travel here in Maine and the rest of New England.
(AC) Whenever I tell people that writing about beer is work, they generally laugh it off. But I'm serious. Writing the guide required a lot of non-drinking research and travel planning and hundreds of hours of driving, interviewing, and reporting. The book tells the story of the people behind beer in New England as much as it does about the beer. Staying motivated was a challenge at times but I knew I wanted to complete the book in a very short timeframe (7 months from the start of research to the completion of the first draft) so that its content would be as fresh as possible.
(RHP) What was the most unique experience you had while "researching" for the book?
(AC) I really enjoyed meeting the quirky, benevolent people who make beer in New England. From Andy Hazen's small brewery in a barn to Steve Gorrill's small brewery in a barn, and all the mega breweries by way of comparison, each had an interesting story to tell. Personally, I was totally unprepared for my first visit to Opa Opa is Western Massachusetts. The decor, service, food, and beer all blew me away.
(RHP) During the day you practice Criminal Law down in Boston. Is it hard to balance a serious career with your other "job" as a beer writer?
(AC) I've been a professional freelance writer for a little longer than I've been an attorney so the two have always coexisted. While I love my legal work, it's sometimes nice to put aside the complicated nature of my practice and enjoy the company of people who love beer. The two jobs seem to complement one another well.
(RHP) During your visits to Maine while writing The Good Beer Guide to New England, did anything stick out that made Maine brewer/breweries at all different than those in the other New England states?
(AC) Maine is a really quixotic brewing state, filled with a lot of small, cottage breweries. Maine is a state defined by rugged individualism and that trait continues in the field of brewing, with a dozen or more breweries and brewpubs run by headstrong, hard-working, and dedicated individuals. There is very little flash to most Maine beers, just solid quality, mainly in the English style. The brewing community is also very tightly knit, which I greatly respect. The brewers get togethers at the Southwest Harbor festival are a great example of their comaraderie.
(RHP) What are some of your favorite beers from Maine?
(AC) I enjoy many of Allagash's beers but I don't really consider it a "Maine" brewery as its focus is so often out-of-state. I enjoy the HSA, Coal Porter, Brother Adam's Bragget, Atlantic SOB, Cadillac Mountain Stout, Andrews Golden and Pale Ales, Geary Porter, and many of the excellent American-style beers produced by Sebago. I also think that the Kennebec River Brewery makes some very underappreciated (and under sampled) beers in a beautiful setting.
Below were some questions I posed to Andy recently, to which he was nice enough to respond.
(RHP) In The Good Beer Guide to New England, you pretty much visited every brewery in New England. How did you stay motivated to keep going to one brewery after another? How long did it take to make the rounds?
(RHP) In The Good Beer Guide to New England, you pretty much visited every brewery in New England. How did you stay motivated to keep going to one brewery after another? How long did it take to make the rounds?
(AC) Whenever I tell people that writing about beer is work, they generally laugh it off. But I'm serious. Writing the guide required a lot of non-drinking research and travel planning and hundreds of hours of driving, interviewing, and reporting. The book tells the story of the people behind beer in New England as much as it does about the beer. Staying motivated was a challenge at times but I knew I wanted to complete the book in a very short timeframe (7 months from the start of research to the completion of the first draft) so that its content would be as fresh as possible.
(RHP) What was the most unique experience you had while "researching" for the book?
(AC) I really enjoyed meeting the quirky, benevolent people who make beer in New England. From Andy Hazen's small brewery in a barn to Steve Gorrill's small brewery in a barn, and all the mega breweries by way of comparison, each had an interesting story to tell. Personally, I was totally unprepared for my first visit to Opa Opa is Western Massachusetts. The decor, service, food, and beer all blew me away.
(RHP) During the day you practice Criminal Law down in Boston. Is it hard to balance a serious career with your other "job" as a beer writer?
(AC) I've been a professional freelance writer for a little longer than I've been an attorney so the two have always coexisted. While I love my legal work, it's sometimes nice to put aside the complicated nature of my practice and enjoy the company of people who love beer. The two jobs seem to complement one another well.
(RHP) During your visits to Maine while writing The Good Beer Guide to New England, did anything stick out that made Maine brewer/breweries at all different than those in the other New England states?
(AC) Maine is a really quixotic brewing state, filled with a lot of small, cottage breweries. Maine is a state defined by rugged individualism and that trait continues in the field of brewing, with a dozen or more breweries and brewpubs run by headstrong, hard-working, and dedicated individuals. There is very little flash to most Maine beers, just solid quality, mainly in the English style. The brewing community is also very tightly knit, which I greatly respect. The brewers get togethers at the Southwest Harbor festival are a great example of their comaraderie.
(RHP) What are some of your favorite beers from Maine?
(AC) I enjoy many of Allagash's beers but I don't really consider it a "Maine" brewery as its focus is so often out-of-state. I enjoy the HSA, Coal Porter, Brother Adam's Bragget, Atlantic SOB, Cadillac Mountain Stout, Andrews Golden and Pale Ales, Geary Porter, and many of the excellent American-style beers produced by Sebago. I also think that the Kennebec River Brewery makes some very underappreciated (and under sampled) beers in a beautiful setting.
Andy's freelance beer articles have appeared in numerous publications and he currently writes a monthly article for Beer Advocate magazine called Unfiltered and a bi-monthly column for Beverage Magazine.
To read my review of his book go HERE!
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