Featured Beer Blogger: JEREMY LABADIE

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!

INTRODUCING: JEREMY LABADIE

AUTHOR OF: THE BEER BUDDHA

Beer Blogger Interview

Full name: Jeremy Labadie
Twitter handle: @TheBeerBuddha
Name of blog: THE BEER BUDHA
Current location: Panama City Beach, Florida

Background “Snapshot”

1. Where did you grow up?

I was a military brat so I’ve lived in lots of places. Mostly grew up in Virginia though.

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

I played all sorts of sports growing up from football, basketball, baseball, soccer, wrestling, etc. Focused on football and baseball in high school and after a short stint playing football in college at Tulane decided on playing rugby instead.

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

16

4. If you can recall, what is the story of your first beer?

My friends and I just decided we wanted some beer so we had a Marine(we lived on base) take our money and buy us beer. He brought out Schlitz 40oz.

5. Where did you have it?

Basketball court on the base.

6. What style and brand was it?

Schlitz 40oz

7. Where, if applicable, did you go to college?

Tulane University.

8. What did you study?

Social Science

9. What additional activities, organizations, sports did you partake in during college?

Drinking heavily.

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:

I had just turned 21 (1996) and I decided I was going to stop drinking shitty beer since I could buy my own now. I went to the store and was walking the aisles when I saw this cool 22oz bottle that had a skeleton sitting on a barrel. I thought it was a cool bottle so I bought it and from then on I was always on the look out for new beer. It was Rogue Dead Guy.

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

Every new beer I try is an epiphany in one way or another.

Beer Blog Background

1. How long have you been writing THE BEER BUDDHA?

A little over a year.

2. What inspired you to start writing your blog?

I wanted to learn more so I felt writing about beer would help that along and no one else was blogging about beer in New Orleans.

3. Why did you chose the name of your blog?

I was at a party where I was talking about beer and a lady said that I was so into beer that I treated it like a religious experience. She looked at my svelt figure and said, ” You’re like the Buddha of beer.”

4. What are you personal goals for your blog?

I’d really like to become a better writer and maybe perhaps get into video blogging cause I think I really have a face for TV.

5. What do you hope to achieve with it?

I know I should write how I really want to become the next Michael Jackson and travel the world writing and teaching about beer but really I just want free beer.

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

I got free beer at McGuires because the brewer read my blog. That and meeting The Beer Wench.

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

• Beeradvocate.com
• Two Beer Queers
• Drink With The Wench. NO really. It is.

Beer Talk

1. What are your top 3 favorite beer styles?

Saisons, American Wild Ales, DIPAs

2. What are your top 3 favorite breweries?

Stone, NOLA, Saint Somewhere

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

I worked for NOLA already so maybe Stone because it just seems like a pretty fun and kick ass job.

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

I wish I had the time.

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

I’m working on hopefully getting the Cicerone thing. Maybe BJCP.

6. What is your favorite beer and food pairing?

Funny thing. I don’t like pairing my food with beer. I like each to be completely seperate. I know. Blasphemy.

The Personal Side

1. What is your current day job?

I’m the Beer Operations Manager at Chan’s Wine World in Destin, Florida.

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?

I’d like to own my own beer store/beer bar.

3. Are you married? Children?

Yes on both.

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

I enjoy movies. I’m a horror movie freak. I also like long walks in the park, snuggling with my wife in our matching snuggies and taking long baths with aroma therapy candles all around the room.

Off The Beaten Path

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

Stout. Cause I’m fat.

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?

Whatever the executioners favorite brew is because he might be a pretty cool cat and be all like hey man we gotta let this dude go. He’s awesome. Or something along those lines.

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?

American Wild Ale cause you are one wild chick!

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

Mind control powers.

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

Uh, I fell out the back of a truck once. I lived.

6. What are your thoughts on bacon?

It’s the cure for swine flu and an ingredient in Buddha’s Temptation at Avenue Pub in New Orleans.

SPECIAL THANKS TO JEREMY FOR AN AWESOME INTERVIEW!

CHEERS!