DRINK WITH THE WENCH PRESENTS:

The Beer Blogger Interview Series

Curious what goes on in the minds of your favorite beer bloggers? Well, The Beer Wench is and she has embarked upon a mission to interview as many beer bloggers that she can — from all over the world. Are you a beer blogger? Do you want to share your story? Send me an email!

Welcome to the first of three beer blogger interviews in a series featuring the brilliant (and ultra sexy) minds behind one of the hottest internet beer-themed video podcasts: New Brew Thursday.

Each and every Thursday, the boys from New Brew Thursday take their thirsty viewers on an adventure through beer geekdom. Some how, the boys seem to get their hands on some pretty rare and unique cult beers — and we are all forced to live vicariously through their video podcast tastings. Expect to see The Wench on a few of their shows in the very near future!

INTRODUCING: BRAD KOHLENBURG

Beer Blogger Interview

Full name: James Bradley Kohlenberg
Twitter handle: bradkohl
Name of blog: New Brew Thursday
Current location: Costa Mesa, CA

Background “Snapshot”

1. Where did you grow up?

Tampa Bay, FL; Atlanta, GA; Santa Barbara, CA; San Diego, CA

2. What sports if any did you play growing up, through college and beyond?

Soccer, Track, Surfing, Snowboarding, Badminton, Cheerleading

3. How old were you when you had your first beer?

17

4. If you can recall, what is the story of your first beer? Where did you have it? What style and brand was it?

I can’t recall the first but I do remember having sips of American Lagers like bud or something growing up as a teen and I always remembered those tasting like bitter sorrow, I also had my fair share of Coronas going to high school in San Diego but the first real beer that stands out in my memory was a strawberry Blonde in London, that was the day I fell in love with beer.

5. Where, if applicable, did you go to college? What did you study? What additional activities, organizations, sports did you partake in during college?

I went to UCSD, I studied bioinformatics and in my spare time I interned in labs, got published for some work I did on the human genome, and was the Editor in Chief of “The Mother Fucking Koala” a humorous student publication.

Craft Beer Epiphany

Every craft beer enthusiast has at least one pinnacle craft beer experience that completely changes ones perspective on beer. I refer to this mind-blowing moment as a “craft beer epiphany.”

1. What was your first craft beer epiphany? Recall as many details about it as you can:

As I said before it was in London. I was 18 and taking full advantage of the lower drinking age laws. I found myself in a small place for lunch and was presented with an extensive beer list. I had never tried a strawberry blonde and figured it was probably a girl’s beer but I might as well try it since I was blonde. It was such a pleasant surprise that I had to order another, it changed my whole view on beer, from one of avoidance to one of keen interest and curiosity.

2. Have you have additional craft beer epiphanies since the first? Detail as many of them as you wish:

Since joining newbrewthursday I have had many, pairing beers with foods opens up a whole new world of potential epiphanies. Additionally, the collaboration beers I’ve been trying as of late and the stone brewery 10 year tapping event opened up my pallet to agree I never dreamed possible.

Beer Blog Background

1. How long have you involved with New Brew Thursday?

Almost 2 months

2. What inspired you to join the cast of New Brew Thursday?

Steve and beer

3. What are you personal goals for New Brew Thursday? What do you hope to achieve with it?

True love

4. What is one of the coolest things that happened to you as a result of being a beer blogger?

Getting hooked up at remote locations

5. What are you top 3 favorite beer blogs/beer websites?

New Brew Thursday, Beer Advocate, Stone Brewing Company

Beer Talk

1. What are your top 3 favorite beer styles?

Belgian, Stout, Brown Ales

2. What are your top 3 favorite breweries?

Stone, Ale Smith, Dogfish Head

3. If you could work with or for any one brewery, which one would it be and why?

Stone, I like gargoyles

4. Are you a homebrewer? If yes, what is the most unique and interesting beer recipes you’ve brewed as a homebrewer?

No

5. Do you have any beer certifications (BJCP, Cicerone, Siebel, American Brewers Guild)?? If so, what are they?

No

6. What is your favorite beer and food pairing?

So far the Cheesecake with the Victory Baltic Porter

The Personal Side

1. What is your current day job?

Web developer

2. If you could change your career at this very moment, without any restrictions on what you could do, what would you want to do and why?

Consult companies on how to posture themselves to take advantage of or invest in future technology

3. Are you married? Children?

No and No

4. Outside of beer and video blogging, what are some of your other hobbies?

Surfing, building and riding skateboards, snow boarding, tinkering with technology, video games, drawing.

Off The Beaten Path

1. If you were a style of beer, what style would be an why?

A nut brown, I’m nutty but sweet.

2. You were caught smuggling beer illegally, which has now been made punishable by death. Right before you are sent to the executioner, you are offered one last beer. What beer would you chose and why?

Something made by Victory brewing company, just for the irony.

3. If I contracted you to brew a beer (or design a beer recipe) called “The Beer Wench” — what style would you chose and what, if any, extra ingredients would you add?

An English ale with ridiculous amounts of California Hops.

4. If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?

The ability to completely control everything in the universe and a molecular level. (Dr. Manhattan style)

5. What is one of the craziest things you have ever done and lived to tell the story?

Burned my face off, ran from the cops, jumped off two story building, jumped off a house boat, surfed with sharks, motorcycle crash on the freeway, skateboarding crash on a hill famous for killing skateboarders, skydived and had to cut the chute when it didn’t deploy and pull the reserve.

6. What are your thoughts on bacon?

It’s way over hyped.

SPECIAL THANKS TO BRAD FOR AN AWESOME INTERVIEW!

CHEERS!