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: ROBERT MILLICHAMP

AUTHOR OF: ROB’S BEER QUEST

Beer Blogger Interview

Full name: Robert Stuart Millichamp
Name of blog: Rob’s Beer Quest
Current location: Alnwick, Northumberland

Background “Snapshot”

1. Where did you grow up?

Gateshead, Tyne & Wear, England

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

All sorts. I liked cricket, badminton and football, but was never that good at any of them. I took archery classes for a while and got pretty good at.

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

About 6.

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 at home. My Dad would let me and my brother try a tiny amount of McEwans Export in the bottom of a glass. Found the taste a bit strong at the time but it was drinkable.

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

At Lancaster University I studied Biochemistry to BSc level for three years. During this time I drank a lot of beer mainly from the bars on campus that had plenty of cask ale.  Occasionally we played football and I went jogging regularly.

A year or so after that I did a 1 year MSc in Brewing & Distilling at Heriot Watt University Edinburgh. Here I also played football with mostly Canadian brewing students. Apart from that, nothing much.

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:

It’s quite hard to remember because there were many. My love of craft beer didn’t just ascend out of nowhere but more evolved and developed. On the more moving revolutionary moments I just remember sitting in great pubs drinking well conditioned cask ale thinking how beautiful and wholesome this is. Then I would sit back and take in the atmosphere for a while before taking another mouthful. At these points I knew there would be no turning back, I just loved it.

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

It started with cask session beers, sometimes mild ales like Mighty Oak Oscar Wilde mild, or session bitters Fuller’s Chiswick. Then I really got won over by International bottled beer. The Trappistes Rochefort range, Sierra Nevada and Traquair were some of the early memorable experiences. Then when I eventually made it to the US I discovered Rogue Shakespeare stout, North Coast Old Rasputin Imperial Stout, Russian River Pliny the Elder, Ommegang Three Philosophers and more.

Beer Blog Background

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

Since September 2008, so nearly a couple of years.

2. What inspired you to start writing your blog?

I keep notes on all the new beers I try in little beer diaries. When I was at Heriot Watt University some Canadian brewing student suggested I get an internet blog. I thought about it for a while before eventually making one.

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

It was kind of inspired by the Monty Python film The Holy Grail. The whole quest for different beers thing, but I thought it would be boring just to write beer reviews constantly so I put in other stuff.

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

Develop thousands of followers. And get my un-official religion of Brew-I (a hybrid religion of Jedi and brewing) a global following. We would have our own churches with beer festivals as ceremonies. Charlie Papazian, Randy Mosher, Roger Protz and others would be high priests. In time we may even rule the world… Just kidding. My real goals for the blog are more for personal records, like looking back and saying ‘hey that’s what I did in July, and that’s what beer I drank’ and  for the entertainment of anyone who reads it (hence all the pictures).

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

I managed to invite beer writer Melissa Cole to work (Daleside brewery). But things aren’t final and if she does visit it won’t be for a few months. If she does it would be an inspiration to meet one of my favourite beer writers.

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

• Pencil & Spoon.
• Taking the beard out of beer
• Are you tasting the pith?

Beer Talk

1. What are your top 3 favorite beer styles?

Really hard question as I like virtually all beer styles. I would say maybe: Mild ale, Belgian Quad and Dunkel Weizen.

2. What are your top 3 favorite breweries?

Another tough one. Probably Sierra Nevada, Thornbridge and…. Great Divide…. No Stone…. No Meantime…. I just can’t say.

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

Apart from my current work I would say Russian River. The whole barrel aging thing alongside the relaxed Californian lifestyle sounds class.

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

Most of my brews to date have been pretty orthodox but I matured a wheat beer in Scottish strawberries for five weeks once. Results weren’t bad. I also did a honey and ginger amber ale once that was nice when young but was nothing special.

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

MSc in Brewing and Distilling

6. What is your favorite beer and food pairing?

US style IPA with Indian food probably. But Barley wine and Stilton is always an easy assembly that works effortlessly.

The Personal Side

1. What is your current day job?

Brewery assistant and assistant brewer for Daleside Brewery Harrogate North Yorkshire. I assist a lot.

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?

Being the head brewer at a brewpub I have often thought would be cool. Inventing different beers and interacting with customers.

3. Are you married? Children?

Married since December 2009, no kids yet.

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

I have always loved watching comedy. Sometimes I play chess and listen to heavy metal music (but not at the same time, though thinking about it that would be cool).

Off The Beaten Path

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

Probably some off centred eccentric Belgian creation. Something unusual but mellow natured.

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?

Probably be a De Struise  Black Albert Imperial Stout served in a snifter glass. I have a soft spot for Imperial stouts fermented with Belgian yeast strains, and at 13% this one’s heavenly.

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?

A 5.5% amber hued US style pale ale. Clean textured and dry with plenty of bouncy hop flavours and a subtle ginger addition for background notes.

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

The ability to control the temperature of liquids with the power of my mind. Every beer I have would be served at perfect temperature and I could save loads of energy costs brewing.

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

I usually avoid crazy.

6. What are your thoughts on bacon?

It’s quite nice in sandwiches, but sometimes I find it a bit too salty.

SPECIAL THANKS TO ROBERT FOR AN AWESOME INTERVIEW!

CHEERS!