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: AARON CHAMBERLAIN

AUTHOR OF: CRAFT AUSTIN

Beer Blogger Interview

Full name: Aaron Chamberlain
Twitter handle: @elmachuca
Name of blog: Craft Austin
Current location: Austin, TX

Background “Snapshot”

1. Where did you grow up?

Born in Lancaster, PA. Raised in Orlando, FL.

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

Swimming, Diving and Water Polo through HS. Skateboarding for 15 years.

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

I think 16, in the tenth grade.

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

Bud Light was my first beer. We used to keep our beer hidden in the orange groves in and around Windermere, FL. On the weekends we would retrieve any beers that were left and drove out to Disney’s Boardwalk. There we would drink the beers in the bushes and try to talk to girls. Oh youth.

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 Mississippi College in Jackson, MS. In a town with nothing to do, we went to New Orleans a lot. That’s about it.

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:

The short story is Brooklyn Lager. That’s really short, barely a sentence. Actually I should say Brooklyn Lager and the Gate. The Gate is a beer bar in Park Slope, Brooklyn. We lived in Brooklyn from 2003 to 2007. Before moving to Brooklyn, I’d say my tastes for beer were rather pedestrian. The beeriest beer I would drink was maybe a Guiness or Murphys Stout. Anyway we moved down the block from the Gate, where for a couple months all I drank was Brooklyn Lager and it was a slippery slope from there.

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

Not really, but I do remember hating Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, which seems crazy now. Usually things with me are more gradual. As with sours/wild ales. I can’t remember a time thinking all of a sudden “Damn, this sour is bloody delicious. This makes sense to me now.” It happened slowly over many pints.

Beer Blog Background

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

Since March 2008.

2. What inspired you to start writing your blog?

My wife and I have had a blog since about 2006 I think. It got to a point where I was blogging about beer 2-3 times a week, so I decided to branch off the beer stuff into its own blog.

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

Craft Austin, nothing spectacular. Craft beer going-ons in Austin. Unoriginal, I know.

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

I hope to get more readers, maybe some longer posts, although that is not really my style. Truthfully, it’s probably gone as far as it can. I am the least ambitious blogger out there. I just like doing it, if I don’t make a dime off it…fine. A free beer here and there….awesome.

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

Having Josh from the Draught House (favorite Austin brewpub/beer bar) tell me he reads my blog.

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

• Beertown Austin
• Pete Brown’s Beer Blog
• Lew Bryson’s Seen Through the Glass
• …and I gotta break the rules and throw in one more: I Love Beer

Beer Talk

1. What are your top 3 favorite beer styles?

Hefeweizen, Helles, IPA – this week.

2. What are your top 3 favorite breweries?

Ayinger, Brooklyn, (512) Brewing – this week.

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

Ayinger, because they make Celebrator. The whole German language thing would be rough though.

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

No, but my wife wants to start homebrewing. She’s nuts.

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?

Who knows….I could never narrow it down. The first thing that comes to mind: Bonnie’s Grill (Park Slope) burger and fries and Blue Point Toasted Lager.

The Personal Side

1. What is your current day job?

Print Production Coordinator at magazine publisher here in Austin.

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?

Brewery owner in the Texas hill country, with a large skate park. And I’d have visiting brewers, releasing small, special batches.

3. Are you married? Children?

Yes, Sofia and I have been married for six years. We have a six month old son, Santiago.

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

Skateboarding. Emailing myself recipes from Epicurious that I will never cook.

Off The Beaten Path

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

Old ale, because hopefully I am getting tastier with age.

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?

I’d want something crappy, welcoming death. Miller lite, let’s get it over with already. Kill me now.

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?

Bacon Blonde, duh.

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

Kickflips like Andrew Reynolds or maybe 360 flips like Geoff Rowley.

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

Every morning I wake up before 8am. Not suggested. Seriously, every time I go skateboarding. I fall hard. A lot.

6. What are your thoughts on bacon?

It tastes good. www.baconslut.com

SPECIAL THANKS TO AARON FOR AN AWESOME INTERVIEW!

CHEERS!

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!

photo credit: John Knox

INTRODUCING: JENNIE CHEN

AUTHOR OF: MISOHUNGRY MAKES IT WITH MOONSHINE

Beer Blogger Interview

Full name: Jennie Y. Chen, not to be confused with the other 5,000 Jennie Chens out there.
Internet nickname (if applicable):PookieSoup or MisoHungry
Twitter handle: @MisoHungry, @AustinDogFrndly, @ATXDriveClean
Name of blog: MisoHungry Makes it with Moonshine
Current location: Austin, TX

photo credit: John Knox

Background “Snapshot”

1. Where did you grow up?

Port Lavaca, TX (Port of the Cow)

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

Formally, cross country through high school. Informally, skating. Does Crossfit count as a sport? It’s more like self-inflicted pain.

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

20, I was at an Human Behavior and Evolutionary Society Conference in 2002. I had just finished my first talk to the research community.

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

More to question three: I’m sure it was some nasty generic beer, though I’m not sure which. I was hanging out with some British colleagues who were drinking like fish, and the beer was so bad I couldn’t stomach it.

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 the University of Texas at Austin majoring in psychology. I’m currently in the social psychology doctorate program (though my research field is behavioral neuroendocrinology) at Texas A&M University in College Station. I finished my Master’s in 2005, still working on my doctorate.

photo credit: John Knox

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:

My gateway beer was Yuengling. I was at another Human Behavior and Evolution Society conference in Philly in June of 2006. A colleague insisted that I have a Yuengling even though I refused. Only beer I had before was that nasty stuff in 2002.

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

Yes, 512 Pecan Porter and Sam Adam’s Utopia. DogFish Head Midas Touch and Brooklyn Cuvee de Cardoz really made me think about flavor combinations.

photo credit: John Knox

Beer Blog Background

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

I started a cooking with booze website 3 years ago. It morphed into a blog about 10 months ago.

2. What inspired you to start writing your blog?

People would ask me about my recipes, so much so that it was just easier to email them a link to the recipe. Things kind of morphed from there.

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

Misohungry is a phrase that my sister and I have been using for almost five years. It kind of stuck. My other nickname for the longest time is “PookieSoup” after my late pet turtle. Her name was Pookie.

4. What are you personal goals for your blog?

What do you hope to achieve with it? My personal goals for the blog is to have fun, let myself experiment with flavors, meet really awesome people, and to inspire others to create and enjoy food as much as I do.

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

Um….. what hasn’t been cool? Great American Beer Fest! Beer pairing dinners. The people. I can’t think of one single coolest thing.

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

Drink with the Wench of course!

photo credit: John Knox

Beer Talk

1. What are your top 3 favorite beer styles?

Hefe, Porters, and Belgium Golden Ales

2. What are your top 3 favorite breweries?

Live Oak (Austin), 512 (Austin), Yuengling (Tampa).

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

I actually wouldn’t want to work for a brewery. I don’t mix work and play. I’d love to work with a brewery, but not for a brewery.

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

Nope.

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

Nope.

6. What is your favorite beer and food pairing?

Just one? Oh man…… this is difficult. Chimay Grand Reserve and Grilled Quail. 512 Bruin with a juicy medium cheeseburger and caramelized onions. 512 One with spicy sweet potato fries. DogFish Head Midas Touch with whatever Restaurant Jezebel is going to serve. Restaurant Jezebel’s creativity with spices is perfectly executed and fantastic with unique and beers with depth of flavor.

photo credit: John Knox

The Personal Side

1. What is your current day job?

I’m a grad student in behavioral neuroendocrinology, the director of support services at a consulting firm, adjunct professor at a local college, and I do some content writing.

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?

Hm… that’s tough. I really like what I do now. However, multiplying my income by 10000 would make me even more happy. I’d like the money to use towards my research.

3. Are you married? Children?

Nope. My children have 4 legs each, and they are really hairy. Woof Woof.

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

Skating, dog training, dog judging, dog handling, baking, cooking, eating, crossfitting, and hypermiling.

photo credit: John Knox

Off The Beaten Path

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

Lambic Framboise. I like berries. Mmmm…. Raspberries…

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?

Sam Adam’s Utopias, because I want to be very wasted when I’m put to death.

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?

Curry, cuz you’re spicy!

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

Teleport. I need to be in 10000 places in a short amount of time. Plus, it’ll save on airfare.

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

I’m pleading the 5th on this question.

6. What are your thoughts on bacon?

Get it in my belly!

photo credit: John Knox

SPECIAL THANKS TO JENNIE CHEN FOR AN AMAZING INTERVIEW!

(AND FYI — HER RECIPES ARE TRULY AMAZING! CHECK OUT HER SITE!)

CHEERS!