Q & A with Pete Brown (Author)

Over the last several years Pete Brown has travelled the world and drank beer. The fruits of his labors are two extremely entertaining books; Man Walks into a Pub and Three Sheets to the Wind. Currently, while running his own marketing consulting firm and also keeping up his beer blog, Pete is writing another fascinating book about beer (IPAs in particular). That is obviously a lot of work (almost all of it devoted to beer no less!) so I am thankful that he was nice enough to take some time to answer some of my questions.

Cheers Pete!

(RHP) Your career is pretty much centered around beer, both as a writer and a marketing consultant, when you have a chance to unwind on a Friday evening what is your beer(s) of choice?

(PB) The first pint on a Friday would ideally be a well-kept Timothy Taylor’s Landlord – just a perfect session pint, not too strong, perfectly balanced. It goes down so well it virtually evaporates from the glass!

(RHP) In Man Walks into a Pub, you really did a lot of soul searching for the British beer drinking populous. What do you think was the most interesting thing you learned about the history of beer in the UK? Anything odd?

(PB) There were so many. When I started Man Walks into a Pub I was only going to do a couple of chapters on the history of beer, and then spend most of the book talking about modern-day advertising campaigns. But the history just kept growing until it took over the whole book.

Overall, I was fascinated by the role that beer plays throughout our entire history – how it helped win and lose wars, build industry, drive technology, and keep us alive.

(RHP) Three Sheets to the Wind was a great read as both a travelogue and a history guide, you definitely went a lot of places but were there any that you wish you could have added to the quest?

(PB) I had a much longer list of countries I wanted to get to but I ran out of time and money. The three places I was really gutted about missing out were Russia, Brazil and Nigeria. I’ve since been to Russia, but only overnight, and I got to spend a week checking out Brazil as part pf my next book. But the Guinness drinking culture in Nigeria is something I’m still looking forward to experiencing one day.

(RHP) As an American, I'm always interested to learn another perspective on our beer culture and how it compares to others. What do you think are some of the biggest difference between our two beer drinking cultures?

(PB) From a global perspective our two cultures are more similar than most – we have similar attitudes to beer and alcohol in general. But the biggest difference would be around ale and craft beer. The American scene is so optimistic and forward-looking, and so you get ale being quite cool and fashionable, and lots of experimentation taking place by brewers. Here ale was a tradition that almost died out, and we fought to preserve it, so the industry is still quite backward-looking – it’s all about keeping old traditions alive. This makes us less experimental. And we have a downer on our own old traditions – so a bottle of Bud here would be regarded as far higher quality by many drinkers than, say, a pint of Landlord or a Sam Smith’s Oatmeal stout. The Bud would certainly cost a lot more. The craft brew movement in the US took its inspiration from British ale brewing – now we’re starting to see some signs that Britain is finally starting to learn from the US.

(RHP) Your trip to the US in Three Sheets to the Wind had you visiting NYC, Milwaukee and Portland, Oregon. Were there any beers that you had over here that really stood out in your mind?

(PB) Bridgeport IPA was my first love. I know there are better IPAs out there and more extreme IPAs out there, but Portland was the first time I ever experienced that piney, grassy, citrus fruit hit of North American hops, and something like that never tastes as good as it did the first time. Nowadays I’m a huge admirer of what Dogfish Head are doing – I just wish we could get their beers over here!

(RHP) I've heard that you are writing a third book to do with beer. What is that one going to be about? Any idea when it will be availble?

(PB) It’s my epic recreation of the voyage of India Pale Ale, from Burton-on-Trent to Calcutta by sea, via the Cape of Good Hope. I did the travel between September and December last year and am now deep in to finishing off my first draft. As well as the travel element, I’ve been into the archives and I’ll be dispelling a few myths about IPA, telling the story as it’s never been told before. Hopefully this one will get a US publication deal, and we’re looking at spring 2009 as a release date. Hope it all works out because I’d love a reading tour across the States, trying as many IPAs as I can!

Pete Brown's books:

Q & A with Joe Sixpack (Philadelphia, PA)

Joe Sixpack is a busy man these days. He is a beer writer for the Philadelphia Daily News, a contributing writer to both Beer Advocate Magazine and Draft and he's just finished a new book! If you haven't seen the AP article, Joe's hometown of Philly was recently dubbed America's Best Beer-Drinking City. Not a bad place to be writing about beer!

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Name: Joe Sixpack (a.k.a. Don Russell)

Blog: http://joesixpack.net/blog/

(RHP) Where do you live and what are some of your favorite local places to get a beer? 

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(JS) Philadelphia. My favorite places are wherever I can find good people drinking great beer, maybe with a beer engine, certainly within a short cab ride from my home.


(RHP) What made you decide to start a beer blog?

(JS) I've been writing about beer in newspapers for 30 years. Writing a beer blog seemed to be the next logical step. Unfortunately, it's a pain in the ass because it cuts into my drinking.


(RHP) Other than blogging, how else are you involved with your love of beer?

(JS) Writing about beer is my fulltime job. In addition to my weekly newspaper column, I contribute to several magazines, I conduct beer tastings and produce videos. I've written two books on beer and organized Philly Beer Week, a 10-day celebration of America's Best Beer-Drinking City.

(RHP) If you could visit one brewery, that you've never been to, which would it be?

(JS) The Tun Tavern, circa 1775. (RHP - not the one in Atlantic City)

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(RHP) What comes to mind when you think of Maine?

(JS) Lobsters. And that big ass snowman they built in Bethel.

(click above for details)

Don Russell (a.k.a Joe Sixpack)'s new book

Q & A with Maureen Ogle (Author)

photo by Ngaire West-Johnson

Maureen Ogle is the author of Ambitious Brew: The Story of American Beer. She's not a beer writer by trade, she's an historian. This background has allowed her to write a very comprehensive and digestible book about the last 150 years of brewing in America without any leanings within the industry. I give Maureen a lot of credit for tackling a subject that can be a bit touchy nowadays.

Maureen took some time to answer some questions I posed to her about this recent release. Thanks for your time Maureen!

Cheers!

(RHP) You probably get this question a lot, but based on the other two books that you've written did you ever think your third book would be about the history of beer in America? What was it that really spurred you to take on that subject?

(MO) Until the day I saw that beer truck (as I mentioned in the book's intro), I had no idea I'd be writing about beer! I didn't drink it and knew nothing about it. But I was trying to think of a new book topic, and my brain was open to any idea. As soon as this one came into my head, I knew it was a winner. It had all the "right stuff": lots of oversized personalities, lots of conflict and drama, and, best of all, beer is something that, as I soon found out, many Americans hold dear to their hearts.

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But the subject also allowed me to continue what I think of as my "larger" project as a historian: I used beer as a lens through which to view American society and culture. In the beer book, as in my two previous books, I'm exploring questions related to who we are as Americans: What does it means to be an "American"? How do we use our national identity to shape the world around us? (This is also the "larger" topic of the book I'm working on now, a history of meat since just after the Civil War.)

(RHP) What do you think was the most interesting fact that you learned when doing the extensive research for this book?

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(MO) Ooohhh, boy! So MANY facts! But I think what intrigued me most was just how quickly some of the German immigrants turned what had been tiny family businesses into huge corporations. What became Pabst, for example, was a truly tiny shoestring operation in the 1840s. By 1890, it was the largest brewing company in the world. But I was also amazed by just how much impact Prohibition had, not just on brewing, but on Americans' attitudes toward all alcohol. I'd always thought of Prohibition as a stupid idea that only lasted a few years. Boy, was I wrong!

(RHP) I see that you reside in Iowa, what is your favorite local beer?

(MO) To be blunt: we don't have any local beer in Iowa. This is pretty much a brewing wasteland. Yes, there's Millstream and some of the national chain "microbreweries," but mostly we don't have a lot of local brew.

So I know, I know: what's my favorite beer? The serious answer is: whatever I'm in the mood for and whatever I think will taste best with what I'm about to eat. So I can't really pick just one "favorite" beer. Although there are days when I think Abita Turbodog is possibly the best beer on the planet. But I had some Russian River Damnation a few months back and it was fabulous. And then there was the bottle of Sand Creek Cranberry Ale I had awhile back........... And then there's......... and ...... and.....

(RHP) Who were some of the modern brewers that you got to meet and speak with while writing the book?

(MO) I knew I couldn't interview EVERYone. I had to come up with a short but comprehensive list, so I stuck with the brewers who have had some historical impact on the industry.

That, however, was still a pretty big list (especially given how long each interview took to arrange, conduct, and transcribe):

Fritz Maytag, of course. Ken Grossman at Sierra Nevada. Jim Koch at Boston Beer. Dick Yuengling (one of the coolest guys I've ever met). Jack McAuliffe, who founded the first microbrewery. Jake Leinenkugel and his father, Bill. Nick Matt. Don Barkley, who I believe has been a working brewmaster longer than anyone else now working in the industry. Larry Bell of Kalamazoo Bells' Brewing. I also interviewed a lot of people who were connected in some way with the "real beer revolution" (like Fred Eckhardt, Charlie Papazian, Daniel Bradford,etc.)

(RHP) How has the "good beer society" in America accepted you and your book?

(MO) The brewing industry has received me with warmth and open arms. Beer people are some of the best people I've ever met in my life: funny, smart, loving, and wide open to the world around them. They've been supportive of both me and the book.

Reactions from beer drinkers, on the other hand, have been a mixed bag. Some have been very kind and supportive, but others have been, well, hostile. Many many beer geeks (and I use that term with all due respect) simply reject my research. They just can't and don't believe, for example, that American brewers started using adjuncts like corn and rice back in the 1870s. Others were annoyed that I didn't devote the book to bashing Anheuser-Busch. (Indeed, I'm amazed at how many people in various beer forums have insisted that the company MUST have paid me to write the book. I wasn't paid by anyone to write anything!)

I think their reaction stems from the fact that they don't understand that I'm not a "beer person." I'm a historian. So I approached the topic as any historian would: with an open mind and without a preconceived agenda. And that makes beer people unhappy: they have this idea in their head about how beer's history unfolded (big bad corporate brewers ruined American beer). And then I went out and dug up evidence that contradicts their beliefs. But...... whaddya gonna do? I have to do my job, and I know I can't do my job AND make everyone happy!

(RHP) What comes to mind when you think of Maine?

(MO) Cold winters, cool summers, and David Geary.

To read my review of Ambitious Brew go HERE!

You can get a copy Ambitious Brew at:

Amazon

BeerBooks

BOOK FACTS:

Title: Ambitious Brew: The Story of American Beer

Author: Maureen Ogle

Publisher: Harcourt Books, 2006

Q & A with Lew Bryson (Langhorne, Pennsylvania)

Lew Bryson is a cool guy. He's written a number of guide books about beer in the mid-Atlantic region, he writes articles for a number of beverage publications, he does freelance beer writing, he maintains lewbryson.com, a website about malt beverages (both beer and whiskey), and he blogs about beer. Lew Bryson describes himself as "the award-winning, beer-drinking, whiskey-sipping, brewery-visiting, cask-tapping, thirst-creating drinks writer." How great is that! Lew pretty much bleeds beer.

Lew fits the definition of a prolific beer writer and I was lucky enough to start out a series of Q&A's to fellow beer bloggers with him.

Thanks for your time Lew!

Name: Lew Bryson
Blog: lewbryson.blogspot.com

(RHP) Where do you live and what are some of your favorite local places to get a beer?

(LB) I live in Langhorne, Pennyslvania, about 15 miles north of Philadelphia. Best places outside of Philly, local to me? Isaac Newton's, in Newtown, PA. Triumph Brewpub in New Hope. In Philly, my top five are probably the Grey Lodge Pub, Monk's Cafe, Standard Tap, McMenamin's Tavern, and Nodding Head brewpub.

(RHP) What made you decide to start a beer blog?

(LB) It was easier than keeping up my website, but it's really about promoting my name and my writing. Marketing, essentially.

(RHP) Other than blogging about it, how else are you involved with your love of beer?

(LB) I write about beer for trade and consumer magazines, I have three brewery guide books out (4th in press), and I do tastings and beer dinners. I also consult for retailers and wholesalers.

(RHP) If you could visit one brewery, that you've never been to, which would it be?

(LB) Two: Moortgat and Dupont. Duvel and Saison Dupont are two of my favorite beers, have been for years.

(RHP) What comes to mind when you think of Maine?

(LB) Lots of things: my first sight of Bar Harbor on a glorious summer day, my first sight of Portland on a gorgeous June day, blueberry muffins at Moody's Diner, watching the rain lash down on the Androscoggin River while enjoying a pint of pale ale on the deck of the Sea Dog in Topsham, stumbling across Sunday River while taking a wrong turn, hanging out with Rob Tod after closing hours at Allagash about ten years ago, the heavy wood tables at Gritty's (that always look best with a Blackfly Stout sitting on them), Dave Geary asking if I were "the fucking idiot who drove all the way from Philly just to get lobsters" and then grinning and shaking my hand, strolling the beaches and realizing how good women look in shorts and sweatshirts, L.L.Bean and Harraseeket Lunch, the Porthole, the Maine Diner, Sebago IPA, oh yeah, and lobsters...my daughter wants to move to Maine, and it wouldn't take too much for me to say yes.

Oh, and all THIS!

Don't forget to check out these books by Lew Bryson:

Pennsylvania Breweries

Virginia, Maryland and Delaware Breweries

New York Breweries

Q & A with Andy Crouch (Author)

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.

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?

(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.