Featured Beer Blogger: MAGGIE HOFFMAN

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: MAGGIE HOFFMAN

BEER AUTHOR FOR SERIOUS EATS

Beer Blogger Interview

Full name: Maggie Hoffman
Twitter handle: @maggiejane
Name of blog:

• I write a weekly beer column for Serious Eats
• I also write for the food blog Pithy and Cleaver

Current location: New York

Background “Snapshot”

1. Where did you grow up?

The suburbs of Portland, Oregon

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

The summer before my junior year of high school, I was an exchange student in France, and my host sister took me out with her and her friends. We drank beer that was mixed with fruity syrup, and I tried (and failed) to keep up with the conversation en français.

3. 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 Princeton and studied American history, specifically 19th centuraly American women’s and religious history. I sang in a coed a cappella group. I ate and studied and hung out at Terrace, which is known as the most grubby and interesting of Princeton’s eating clubs (essentially co-ed fraternities, though only the officers live there full time.)

Craft Beer Epiphany

Every craft beer enthusiast has at least one pinnacle craft beer experience that completely changes ones perspective on beer.

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

I first got really excited about beer when I brought my now-husband (then boyfriend) to Portland and attempted to show him everywhere cool in my hometown. Portland is pretty close to beer-nerd heaven, and we were both totally wowed by all the delicious things we tasted.

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

I continue to have amazing beer experiences—most recently, I was able to set up a pairing session with the chocolatier from Bespoke Chocolates. We found some truly incredible matches and it was eye opening for all.

Beer Blog Background

1. How long have you been writing your beer blog?

I’ve been writing for Serious Eats since early October 2009.

2. What inspired you to start writing your blog?

Serious Eats is a great food site, but they didn’t have a beer columnist. I really wanted to write for them, and I really wanted them to have weekly articles about craft beer!

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

Almost everything on the site is “Serious” something or other.

4. What are you personal goals for your blog? What do you hope to achieve with it?

We’re trying to systematically explore as many varieties of beer as possible, to find as many amazing beer and food pairings as possible, and to encourage readers to try great beers they’ve never had before. Readers of Serious Eats are really into food, but they may not realize how much they’d like beer if they forayed beyond their standard six-packs.

It’s also really great to gather my friends together to have craft beer epiphanies—writing a pairings column can be a revelation for everyone involved. We usually have five or six people over and order a million dishes at a time and just keep opening bottles—they pretty much always go home totally impressed with what we tasted and jealous of my beer-writing gig.

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

One of the unexpected amazing things has been being able to meet the entrepreneurs behind the small breweries. I am so inspired by all the brewers following their dreams, and so glad we can do something to help these small businesses succeed.

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

I love what Lee is doing over at Hoptopia. It’s such a great resource. I also like reading Beervana to hear what’s going on in Portland. For number 3, I usually check Beernews.org to find out about new releases, etc.

Beer Talk

1. What are your top 3 favorite beer styles?

Depends on what day it is! As a Northwesterner, I am pretty loyal to IPAs, and especially love them when there’s a bit of a floral/fruitiness going on. I’m a big fan of American ESBs as well. But I can be impressed by any well-made beer. I’m not a huge imperial porter fan, but maybe I just haven’t found the right one.

2. What are your top 3 favorite breweries?

Oh, that’s hard. Founders, for sure. (Founders? Are you reading this? Come to New York!) Recently, I loved the cans from Ska. And I’ve had such good stuff from Ballast Point.

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

The guys at Fullsteam are so cool, and I’m so pumped about their efforts to make a plow-to-pint brewery. Local beer with local ingedients that’s meant to pair with local food. I’m all about it.

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

I live in a 450 sq foot apartment with another person. Home brewing is NOT a good idea for us.

5. What is your favorite beer and food pairing?

Most recently, we had a single-estate dark chocolate truffle with Goose Island’s Bourbon County Stout. It’s a pretty sexy pairing.

The Personal Side

1. What is your current day job?

By day I design book interiors for St. Martin’s Press. Some of them are cookbooks, some of them are really awful mysteries and “urban fiction.”

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 love to write full time!

3. Are you married? Children?

Newly married! My husband, Matt, is a great asset in beer blogging—he’s great at translating tastes into words, and has an incredible memory.

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

I love to cook, I love collecting cookbooks and magazines. I love to throw dinner parties. And I love to check out new (and new-to-me restaurants in New York.)

Off The Beaten Path

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

Maybe a Belgian Dubbel: a little brooding, a little decadent.

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 with fresh hops, straight from the conditioning tank.

3. What are your thoughts on bacon?

I’m a fan. I like fresh pork belly too. Though I’m also a big fan of guanciale and I’d like to see that become more commonly available. Bacon is so last year.

SPECIAL THANKS TO MAGGIE FOR A KICKASS INTERVIEW. BEER CHICKS RAWK!

CHEERS!