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: WOODY

AUTHOR OF: ONE BEER BET

Beer Blogger Interview

Full name: Michael Richard Brown
Internet nickname: Woody
Twitter handle: @Onebeerbet
Name of blog: One Beer Bet
Current location: Changwon, South Korea

Background “Snapshot”

1.    Where did you grow up?

I found myself growing up in several locations over the years.  California, Michigan (both the U.P and below the bridge) and Arkansas. California , unfortunately before I could remember it, but fortunately was stationed in Alameda for a year.  Marquette, Ishpeming and Detroit in Michigan and NW and NE Arkansas for high school and College.

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

An active youngster, basketball and baseball were my sports. I did a small stint with track and field, and an even smaller stint with pole vaulting. As the tall skinny guy on the track team, the coach figured I would be a pole vaulting prodigy and put the pole in my hands for the first time at the county meet. He was proven wrong.

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

The first legal beer I had was when I was 19 and in the navy stationed in San Diego on Base. Guess it makes sense to let under aged military drink on base where they could monitor our antics vs letting us wonder 2 miles south for Tijuana (t’witch we also did regularly) where who knows what would happen to us.

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

I can’t remember my actual first beer on base, but have many good memories at Senor Frog’s and such in Tijuana.  At this point in my Beer exploration I was FAR from a connoisseur enjoying, or at least tolerating, what was placed in front of me.

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 graduated from the University of Arkansas (Go Razorbacks) with my degree in Marketing with an emphasis in Management.  Tailgating and Football/Basketball season was a huge series of events for us in the SEC.

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 first craft beer epiphany was during college when a friend brought some Honey Brown down from the Northeast. Previous to that I was the typical American at the time, and possibly still the majority, that prescribed to the marketing giant brand lagers.  While Honey Brown is still a lager, that addition of honey threw something at me that I had never been exposed to previously. It shook me to look outside of the big brand lagers.

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

Through chance a friend introduced me to my first Hefeweizen.  A Weihenstephaner Hefeweiz to be exact. Upon first taste it was the proverbial cloud parting, trumpet playing moment of absolute clarity of what a beer SHOULD be. I was instantly ,and to this day, unconditionally in love with this style in general and this beer specifically. From this point a simple lager was a blasphemy of sensibilities.

Beer Blog Background

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

I am still very new. As I have been in South Korea for the past years I will be, in a sense, re-examining all the beers I have forgotten about, the beers that have been introduced in the states since I left, and exploring beers who I never had the privilege of  intimately examining.

2.    What inspired you to start writing your blog?

I will shortly , May 1,  begin my 4,000 mile hike from San Francisco to Delaware based on a bet my friend made me that I would not start nor finish this hike. Coming home from Korea after 3 years I look forward to reconnecting with the country, and her people, that I love.

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

The wager for this monumental hike from my friend was ONE beer.  So it was a natural…..www.onebeerbet.com

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

To entertain people with my follies along the way, drinking a different beer I can with locals I have never met. To re-learn Americana. To really meet as many people as I can. Three of my biggest passions in life are Travel/Adventure, Good Food, and a Quality beer with friends and friends not met. Beer was the catalyst for this hike, it really shifted my thinking. I hope to inspire others who maybe are looking for a catalyst of their own for a more self fulfilling journey. If Anthony Bourdain catches wind of me and needs a travel sidekick for his show , all the better lol.

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

Nothing big yet but I am meeting some really cool like minded people. Lets hope that never ends.

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

I guess I could claim reading The Beer Wench’s website was  a “beer related” Epiphany. I was never aware that so many high quality writers were blogging about beer. I truly am fascinated at reading anything I can from people I would call “my own”.  Please understand, while Korea is a HUGE drinking culture, beer is not the big thing here. Soju is, think watered down vodka sprinkled in with an almost guaranteed hangover and sold for about a buck a bottle. Needless to say, the beer here sucks. Really bad. So I look forward to catching up. An experienced tongue with a new clean slate of experimenting.

Beer Talk

1.    What are your top 3 favorite beer styles?

Hefeweizen, Pale and Amber ales. I really am salivating to get home and get a Weihenstephaner.

2.    What are your top 3 favorite breweries?

Weihenstephaner for taste and history, New Belgium for taste and well taste across all of their product line. Hog Haus Brewery, Fayetteville, AR. Nothing better     that winning a SEC clincher and going there with hundreds of others wearing red. And for taste

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

I would love to work with an undiscovered passionate brewer. Someone still free enough to fully follow their creative brewing pursuits.  As a business trained intellect I am passionate about the pursuit, the process and watching your efforts bloom to whatever level one wants to take it.

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

Unfortunately I currently (and with an eight month hike coming up) am not settled enough to have this luxury. But one day I will, and I will go at it with full attention.

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

I do not………Yet.

6.    What is your favorite beer and food pairing?

Fat Tire with Chicken breast and/or Steak  grilled on a hot summer day with your friends would be a perfect day.

The Personal Side

1.    What is your current day job?

Currently and for the past 3 years in Korea I have been a child wrangler i.e an English Teacher. The easiest tough or toughest easy job I’ve ever had.  Easy way to make money but damn these kids have never ending energy. That or they are sucking all the energy out of me lol.

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?

In the short term I can imagine doing absolutely nothing other than the adventure I am about to partake.  6 years in a corporate cubicle before I came to Korea, after I left I made a solid promise to myself I would never again work for Money independent of Happiness ever again.  I have saved for over a year for this hike and I’m about to test the mantra, “Don’t work for money, work for happiness, do what you love and the money will follow”. For me, adventure is my life, my passion and to that end, I am being true to myself. In the long term I really would like to meet a spirited individual to start a brewpub with an eclectic menu of some of my favorite dishes from the 29 countries I’ve been blessed to visit.

3.    Are you married? Children?

Not married or children as of yet. Still waiting to find her that loves the adventure.

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

I really enjoy reading nonfiction, business and philosophical books, exploring new and exotic food, beer, experiences. I really look forward to this hike for 8 months of fresh horizons every day, new people and not seeing the same things I seen the day before.

Off The Beaten Path

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

Possibly an unfiltered bottle conditioned wheat. While its not easy to see through there is substance at the bottom for those who are willing to find it.

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?

The strongest IPA legally brewed so I would be relieved to be executed lol

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 don’t know why and I’m sure it wouldn’t taste good but it came to me like a shot….. IPA with black licorice.

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

Ability to read minds would be wicked entertaining, but super human ability of  flight or time travel. Yeah, definitely time travel.

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

Snake wine with the snake in the bottle and getting to shoot an AK-47 in Vietnam. So yes, I will be telling my kids one day “Kids, when I was in Vietnam shooting AK-47′s and drinking freshly killed vietnamese cobra liquor, that didn’t kill me so quitcha bitchin and do your homework”

6.    What are your thoughts on bacon?

No thoughts just “nom nom nom”

SPECIAL THANKS TO WOODY FOR HIS AWESOME INTERIEW!

GOOD LUCK ON YOU ADVENTURE AND I LOOK FORWARD TO PARTAKING IN SOME OF THE HIKE!

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!

Welcome to the first interview of two in a mini-series featuring the authors of TheBeerGeek.Com and BeerGeek.TV! TheBeerGeek.com is co-authored by a husband-wife team from California. Together they have joined on a mission to visit as many breweries and pubs around the world as humanly possible.

INTRODUCING: MERIDETH CANHAM-NELSON

CO-AUTHOR OF: THE BEER GEEK

Beer Blogger Interview

Full name: Merideth Canham-Nelson
Twitter handle: @Girlbeergeek
Name of blog: thebeergeek.com
Current location: Carmel Valley, CA

Background “Snapshot”

1. Where did you grow up?

Carmel, CA

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

I know you’re gonna laugh, but I’ll tell you anyway: cheerleading 7th –12th grade

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

Luckily my mom won’t be reading this…13.

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

Don’t really remember, but my father was a Silver Bullet man so maybe Coors. Whatever it was, I’m pretty sure it was cheapest on the shelf.

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 UC Berkeley and earned a BA in Psychology and Social Welfare. Partying, studying, and going to Cal sporting events were my primary interests in college. I began life as a beer traveler just after Cal. Later I got my Master of Social Work degree from Sacramento State.

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 has really been more of an evolution, rather than any sort of “Aha” moment. In the late 80s, Raleigh’s in Berkeley opened. I wasn’t quite old enough to drink there, but I was exposed to the many great breweries in the Bay Area at the time. In 1991, when Barclay’s opened in our neighborhood in Oakland, my love of craft beer blossomed and I became a full fledged, card carrying beer geek.

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

I used to state categorically that I didn’t like Belgian (or Belgian style) beers. That all changed when I went to Belgium. It’s a prime example of why our blog encourages people to travel and experience beers within their own context. There’s a reason different beer styles developed in particular parts of the world. They’re just better to drink there.

Beer Blog Background

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

Since July 2007

2. What inspired you to start writing your blog?

It seemed like the natural next step in our development as craft beer lovers.

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

Chris came up with the name before the term ‘beer geek’ became so ubiquitous. Originally, it mostly focused on him, so it is singular: thebeergeek. Later we decided to bring me out of the woodwork, but the name was already going, so we left it. We’re pretty much joined at the hip, so I suppose the name still fits.

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

Our biggest aim is to encourage people to find their own beer adventures. We want to show that anyone, not just hardcore beer geeks, can have a great beer experience.

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

We tend not to say what we do when we visit new beer places. On our blog we want to show what every person can do, not the perks we get once people find out we write a beer blog. Having said that, the coolest thing was when we were invited to be part of the media group for the inaugural Philly Beer Week. Among other things, they treated us to dinner with Tom Peters at Monk’s. Now that’s cool!

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

• Girlsguidetobeer.blogspot.com (love her tagline: “Taking the beard out of beer.”)
• Pencilandspoon.blogspot.com (Mark Dredge’s recent Englishman’s guide to SF beer is quite funny)
• Beerretard.com (Chris is a friend and his anti-beer douche, acerbic, cynical humor is the best, if not slightly politically incorrect)

Beer Talk

1. What are your top 3 favorite beer styles?

I like everything from stouts and porters to blondes, but my favorite beer styles are German. Since you’re making me be specific, I’d say kölsch, helles, and altbier.

2. What are your top 3 favorite breweries? My three favorite breweries to visit are:

Andechs, Fruh am Dom, and Weisses Brauhaus.

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

I’d love to be part of a family who has been brewing for hundreds of years. It takes a heck of a lot of pride to continue brewing the same beer in the same brewery as your great x5 grandparents did.

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

Much to the surprise of most people, I do not homebrew.

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

Nope. I’ll leave that for the people without hay fever and with good palates.

6. What is your favorite beer and food pairing?

I don’t have a particular favorite, but I know it’s a good pairing if I can actually drink a beer I don’t like with the food it’s served with. Once the food is gone, I usually still don’t like the beer and can’t drink it alone.

The Personal Side

1. What is your current day job?

Psychiatric Social Worker

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’m trying to figure out how to get paid for beer travel. Inspirational speakers say find something you love and get paid for it. I must not have gone to enough seminars because I’ve been loving beer for years now and it still doesn’t pay for itself.

3. Are you married? Children?

I’ve been married to Chris Nelson, my beer traveling companion and best friend, for over 20 years. Human kids? They would just get in the way of my travel and beer drinking. We have two wiener dogs, Porter and Stout.

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

Tattoos, Orchids, and don’t laugh, card making.

Off The Beaten Path

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

A German Helles, not only because it’s one of my favorite beers, but also because I’d like to be seen as someone who you can spend all afternoon with and not get bored of, someone who is mellow, but still fun.

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?

The one I got caught with as a final “Eff you.”

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?

Since I don’t brew, I’d hire Sam Calagione to make it for me. Off centered beer…

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

The ability to mute people engaging in asinine conversations or perhaps the ability to shoot paralyzing darts out my nipples.

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

Walking across the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge in County Atrim, Northern Ireland. It is 65 ft long and 90ft above the ocean. No safety net. I was scared shitless because the wind was blowing something fierce. I stopped in the middle, but thought, “What the hell am I doing? I need to get OFF this thing.” They closed the bridge shortly after I crossed back to the mainland. They only close the bridge when winds reach 50 mph.

6. What are your thoughts on bacon?

One of the Universe’s greatest creations. Mmmm, bacon…

SPECIAL THANKS TO MERIDETH 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!

Welcome to the first interview of two in a mini-series featuring the authors of TheBeerGeek.Com and BeerGeek.TV! TheBeerGeek.com is co-authored by a husband-wife team from California. Together they have joined on a mission to visit as many breweries and pubs around the world as humanly possible.

INTRODUCING: CHRIS NELSON

CO-AUTHOR OF: THE BEER GEEK

Beer Blogger Interview

Full name: Chris Nelson
Twitter handle: @thebeergeek
Name of blog: thebeergeek.com
Current location: Carmel Valley, CA

Background “Snapshot”

1. Where did you grow up?

A lot of places but mainly Fairfax, VA and Carmel, CA

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

Soccer

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

15

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

Typical high school story… out with friends on a Friday night before a basketball game. It was Budweiser

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

Graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with degrees in History and Political Science.

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:

Drinking Ironhorse Alt from Devil Mountain Brewery at Raleighs in Berkeley in the late 80s.

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

First pint of Guinness in Dublin. Visiting all seven Trappist breweries in a week.

Beer Blog Background

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

Since July 2007

2. What inspired you to start writing your blog?

Being a finalist for the Four Points Chief Beer Officer

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

beergeek.com was already taken

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

To encourage people to become beer travelers; to seek beer out at its source.

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

Getting a tour of the Hallertau from Inbev-AB’s European Hop Director

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

Besides ours? Pete Brown’s Beer Blog, beermapping.com

Beer Talk

1. What are your top 3 favorite beer styles?

IPA, Flanders Red, Hefeweizen

2. What are your top 3 favorite breweries?

Bear Republic, Russian River, Andechs

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

Used to but not anymore

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

Nope

5. What is your favorite beer and food pairing?

Rauchbier and Pork. Actually any beer with pork.

The Personal Side

1. What is your current day job?

Web Designer

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?

Be a beer evangelist. I don’t think that needs any explanation.

3. Are you married? Children?

Married since 1989, no children.

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

Reading history books, walking my dogs on the beach, watching soccer.

Off The Beaten Path

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

Spent all my life’s savings on beer travel.

2. What are your thoughts on bacon?

I am firmly pro-bacon

SPECIAL THANKS TO CHRIS FOR AN AWESOME INTERVIEW!

STAY TUNED FOR THE BEER GEEK (dot) COM INTERVIEW SERIES ROUND TWO!

CHEERS!