Featured Beer Blogger: BILLY ELLISON

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: BILLY ELLISON

AUTHOR OF: BEERING WITH WD

Beer Blogger Interview

Full name: Billy Ellison
Internet nickname: Wd
Twitter handle: @Wd2048
Name of blog: beeringWithWd
Current location: Springfield, MO

Background “Snapshot”

1. Where did you grow up? Split time between Alabama and Georgia
2. What sports if any did you play growing up, through college and beyond? I was always a fan of Baseball. Played for a couple of years early on, but nothing by high school.
3. How old were you when you had your first beer? Had my first sip when I was about 14. Had my first full beer around 19.
4. If you can recall, what is the story of your first beer? Where did you have it? What style and brand was it? It was a Budweiser, and lasted all of about 2 seconds in my mouth before I spat it out. Still can’t stand that stuff! Eventually went to Michelob lagers for a while.
5. Where, if applicable, did you go to college? What did you study? What additional activities, organizations, sports did you partake in during college? Didn’t really do the whole college thing. Went for a couple of semesters at a local community college. Decided it wasn’t for me.

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: On my 21st, my parents gave me money and sent me on a beer run. It was all completely my choice! After picking up parent’s requested libations, I moved over to the beer cooler, and just stared!!!! There were so many to choose from. Since there were so many, I decided to go with something “exotic”, something I hadn’t seen in anyone’s hand before. Purely by chance, I reached in and grabbed a 6-pack of (what was then called) Guinness Triple Stout. Beer firmly in hand, I headed back towards the house, just itching with anticipation! When I got home, I headed straight for the kitchen and the first glass I could find. After spending the next 5 minutes pouring, I jumped right in. The bitterness hit me right up front, but I held back from spitting it out. As the bitterness subsided, there were so many other flavors! Chocolately, almost earthy. It was so SMOOTH! From then on, I was hooked.
2. Have you have additional craft beer epiphanies since the first? Detail as many of them as you wish: I’ll do the last couple because they are my favorites since: 1) My first homebrew was an Irish Dry Stout (see a trend?). I figured, especially being my first batch, that it was going to taste like the moonshine that would come off the mountains back home… basically gasoline. When I opened that first bottle of the stout after it was done conditioning, it took me back! I couldn’t believe homebrew could actually taste as good as what you can buy off the shelf, I figured it was going to be at least slightly inferior. I’m sure it is in many ways. Taste and body wasn’t one of them, though. 2) was just a few months ago. A group decided to go out for sushi at a local place. Sushi isn’t my favorite, but it was an excuse to try something new. The something new I found was Chimay Red. That was my first Trappist style Ale. I spent the rest of the night raving at how full the flavor was, and how wonderful the mouthfeel just lingered with you. As my eyes continue to be opened at all the variety of craft beer… I can’t wait for the next experience.

Beer Blog Background

1. How long have you been writing your beer blog? Started just in January of 2010
2. What inspired you to start writing your blog? I’ve written blogs on and off before, and I decided to take on the challenge of sharing my discoveries with any and all who would read.
3. Why did you chose the name of your blog? It was originally a typo. I was going to focus on my brewing journeys. However, as I looked at the name, BEERING allowed me so much more than just my brewing adventures.
4. What are you personal goals for your blog? What do you hope to achieve with it? No personal goals with the blog, per se. What it represents, though, with brewing? Absolutely! I hope to encourage this area to continue to grow in the craft beer scene. We only have one brew pub. Would like to see more. If that happens and I just happen to be a part of it, that’s just a bonus.
5. What is one of the coolest things that happened to you as a result of being a beer blogger? No flattery intended, it would be this interview.
6. What are you top 3 favorite beer blogs/beer websites? Love the guys over at Hop-Cast. Also enjoy Peter’s blog over at BetterBeerBlog. Finally, who can turn down the Wench!

Beer Talk

1. What are your top 3 favorite beer styles? I haven’t met a Stout yet I didn’t like. Also, Porters and Marzens are quite tasty!
2. What are your top 3 favorite breweries? been drinking so much of my own I had a brain lapse of who is out there, haha! Schlafly out of St. Louis has some INCREDIBLE beers. Good stuff out of Colorado from O’Dells too. Finally, have to give some love to Boulevard out of KC. Have to say, if you haven’t tried the beers coming out of MO (or the midwest in general) you are missing out!
3. If you could work with or for any one brewery, which one would it be and why? Love to learn from the crazy stuff coming out of DogFish Head, but I’ve been blown away by Schlafly lately. That’s pick number one!
4. Are you a homebrewer? If yes, what is the most unique and interesting beer recipes you’ve brewed as a homebrewer? Yes. The most interesting brew to date is actually still secondarying as of writing this. Imperial Espresso Stout. We cold brewed the espresso and decanted it into the primary. It’ll secondary for 60 days and bottle condition for 6 more weeks. It’s the boldest one yet.
5. Do you have any beer certifications (BJCP, Cicerone, Siebel, American Brewers Guild)?? If so, what are they? Not Yet!
6. What is your favorite beer and food pairing? An English style (malty) Porter with a large Ribeye. MMMMM…..

The Personal Side

1. What is your current day job? Systems Analyst for a software company. Specifically I install/configure/support data replication solutions for banks. Sorry, did I put you to sleep on that one?
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? No restrictions? I would want to do what I have a BLAST at. I’d work in a brewery.
3. Are you married? Children? Married without Children. Two cats though, does that one count?
4. Outside of beer and writing, what are some of your other hobbies? I love to belt out some tunes, Karaoke style! Also, reading never gets old. Golf has always been in my life (my granddad used to own/run a golf course) and Atlanta Braves Baseball!

Off The Beaten Path

1. If you were a style of beer, what style would be an why? I’d be an Irish Stout. I’m pretty dry in real life.
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? O’Dell Bourbon Barrel Stout. Love the smokyness and the caramel tones of this beer. Plus, at 10.5%, once I’m done with the bomber, I really won’t care.
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? I would make it a Belgian Strong Ale/Blonde blend, and dry hopped with Mount Hood hops.
4. If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be? I’d fly! Definitely! That way I could Brewery Hop. EPIC CRAWL!
5. What is one of the craziest things you have ever done and lived to tell the story? A friend talked me into climbing up a 50 foot cliff and then jump down into a lake while the rest of the party watched from the boat. My friend’s comments to me: Going up “Oh, I jump that cliff all the time” After the free fall and seeing my life flash before me in a giant splash of concrete, I mean Lake water: “I’d never jump off that one! You are nuts!” Wonderful day on the lake.
6. What are your thoughts on bacon? Yes Please!

SPECIAL THANKS TO BILLY FOR AN AWSEOME INTERVIEW!

CHEERS!