Featured Beer Blogger: BARRY WASSER
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: BARRY WASSER
AUTHOR OF: CRAFT BREW ADVOCATE
Beer Blogger Interview
Full name: Barry Wasser
Internet nickname (other title)(if applicable): Manhattan Craft Beer Examiner
Twitter handle: @Bitzybrew
Blog Name: Craft Brew Advocate
Current location: Manhattan, New York, NY
Background “Snapshot”
1. Where did you grow up?
West Orange, NJ
2. What sports if any did you play growing up, through college and beyond?
Played intramural hockey in college and while growing up. Even broke my left shin bone (tibia) in 3 places the day after I graduated 8th grade playing roller hockey in front of my house.
3. How old were you when you had your first beer?
16
4. If you can recall, what is the story of your first beer? Where did you have it? What style and brand was it?
My older bro (before I introduced him to craft beer) was a lover of Miller Lite (Adjunct Lager) and let me have one when with dinner one Sunday.
5. Where, if applicable, did you go to college? What did you study? What additional activities, organizations, sports did you partake in during college?
Went to Yeshiva University (a Jewish university in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan) for undergrad where I majored in Psychology. During college I was a drummer/percussionist in the jazz band and played intramural hockey.
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:
Although I spent a year and a half studying religion in Israel and drank lots of Leffe and Hoegaarden, I did not have my “epiphany” until coming back to America and trying lots of Belgian and German wheat beers. The one that caused me to have my epiphany was Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse Dunkel.
I had it at the Gingerman bar in NYC after a jam session with some friends in midtown. Even though I had many great tasting beers and wheat beers before that, the complexities in Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse Dunkel inspired me to explore every style of wheat beer and subsequently start my journey through the world of craftbeer.
2. Have you have additional craft beer epiphanies since the first? Detail as many of them as you wish:
One of the amazing things about craft beer is that each beer has the potential to cause one to have an epiphany. For example, even though I am a “hop head” and have tried lots of IPAs and Double IPAs, I from time to time try an IPA or Double IPA that blows my mind and causes me to re-evaluated the potential complexities of hoppy beers.
Over the past few months I have been trying more and more wild ales and Flemish Red Ales. This started when I tried Ommegang Rouge on tap at Rattle n Hum (my go to craft beer bar). It took me a few sips to get used to the sourness, but once I got used to it I was in “beer-vana”.
Lastly, I have experienced many craft beer epiphanies while experimenting with beer and food pairings. The most recent one came when pairing Brooklyn Brewery’s Black Chocolate Stout with Bittersweet Chocolate (Valrhona 70% cocoa). The way the dark chocolate and dark fruit flavors in the beer mimicked the bittersweet chocolate was amazing.
Beer Blog Background
1. How long have you been writing CRAFT BREW ADVOCATE?
Started posting video reviews on YouTube in July 2009 and started my beer blog in October 2009
2. What inspired you to start writing your blog?
Combining my beer reviews with craft beer advocacy and other craft beer information. Also, sharing my love for craft beer with as many people as possible.
3. Why did you chose the name of your blog?
As a craft beer enthusiast I am also a member of the craft beer community, and the more people I meet who share this passion, the more I feel like they are a second family to me. So just as I would go out of the way and advocate for my family and friends, I feel a similar obligation to do so for craft breweries.
4. What are you personal goals for your blog? What do you hope to achieve with it?
From my blog: AS A CRAFT BEER ADVOCATE I HOPE TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR BOTH THOSE LOOKING TO TRY NEW AND FULLER FLAVORED BEERS AND THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE WHAT CRAFT BEER HAS TO OFFER TO:
1) DEVELOP THEIR PALATES AND…
2) KNOW WHICH BEERS ARE GOOD TO ACCOMPLISH # 1 AND… GAIN A GLIMPSE INTO ALL THE HARD WORK THAT CRAFT BREWERS PUT INTO MAKING QUALITY BEERS.
* I hope to not only share my journey through craft beer with others, but also track the development of my knowledge of craft beer. By developing my beer writing skills I’d like to one day write for some printed beer publications like Ale Street News.
5. What is one of the coolest things that happened to you as a result of being a beer blogger?
While I enjoy my youtube channel (where I host most of my video reviews), I feel that my blog gives some added credibility. So I was satisfied with how my blog was developing, I made my own business cards and started bringing them with me to varies beer events at the craft beer bars in NYC. Through that I’ve sat down and chatted with various craft brewers and brewery rep.s and made connections that have made me even more proud to be a craft beer blogger and advocate.
6. What are you top 3 favorite beer blogs/beer websites?
Beer Talk
1. What are your top 3 favorite beer styles?
India Pale Ale, Imperial Stout, Tripel
2. What are your top 3 favorite breweries?
Currently Stone, Allagash, and Lost Abbey. This list changes quite often because there is a long list of breweries that I enjoy many beers from and look forward to their beers as they are released through out the year.
3. If you could work with or for any one brewery, which one would it be and why?
I’d work for Port Brewing and Lost Abbey because not only do they continuously push the envelope of flavors possible to be present in beer, but they also nail each style that they brew and somehow produce bountiful complexity in each one.
4. Are you a homebrewer? If yes, what is the most unique and interesting beer recipes you’ve brewed as a homebrewer?
I am not a home brewer yet, but have been collaborating with friends who are home brewers. Recently a friend and I brewed an Imperial Belgian IPA, which I hope to taste in the next couple weeks after it carbonated in the bottle.
(label for the Imperial Belgian IPA that I collaborated on)
5. Do you have any beer certifications (BJCP, Cicerone, Siebel, American Brewers Guild)?? If so, what are they?
I hope to one day get certified as a beer judge.
6. What is your favorite beer and food pairing?
Different roasty beers with grilled meat. Recently made my own home made Stone Smoked Porter/Chipotle pepper BBQ sauce. When I put it on any meat and pair it with a beer, it’s a party in my mouth every time.
The Personal Side
1. What is your current day job?
Psychology research at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital.
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?
Become a professional craft brewer. In general I love to be creative and brewing craft beer would definitely be a fun and satisfying way of expressing my creativity.
3. Are you married? Children?
I am not married and therefore have no children. I hope to get married and have kids one day.
Outside of beer and writing, what are some of your other hobbies? Playing and watching hockey, playing drums (drumset and other percussion instruments), and religious study.
Off The Beaten Path
1. If you were a style of beer, what style would be an why?
Saison Ale. This style is:
a. spicy yet sweet
b. funky yet nice and mellow
c. light and refreshing yet flavorful and sophisticated.
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?
Goose Island Bourbon County Stout because I’d die in beer bliss and not worrying about my impending doom.
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’d brew a Belgian quad with dark chocolate and then age it in wine barrels with fresh dark cherries.
4. If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?
Time travel.
5. What is one of the craziest things you have ever done and lived to tell the story?
Walked through arab neighborhoods in Israel.
6. What are your thoughts on bacon?
Not kosher.
SPECIAL THANKS TO BARRY FOR AN AWESOME INTERVIEW!
CHEERS!
