Michael Bepko, the Global Online Community Manager for Whole Foods Market, has been nominated for 4th Annual Shorty Industry Award in the category of Best Social Media Manager.

According to the Shorty Awards website, “Whole Foods Market is often looked to as a brand “who gets it” when it comes to social media. Revered for its thriving social communities and innovative use of social media strategies, Whole Foods isn’t afraid to try new things in the ever-evolving social media landscape to see what best resonates with their community and drives engagement from their customers. While the organization has gained notable social media success, what might be lesser known is the man behind the scenes who is at the helm of the company’s online network – Michael Bepko. Better known in social spheres as @Bepkoboy, Michael is the global online community manger for Whole Foods and is the person who lives behind the logo that resides among a social community of over 3.5 million friends, followers and fans.”

But, forget about what Michael has done for Whole Foods. Let’s focus on what he has done for craft beer. The equivalent of many celebrities, Whole Foods boasts over 2.2 million followers on its corporate Twitter account, and hundreds of thousands of followers from individual store accounts. In a day and time when no craft breweries have exceeded 100k followers on Twitter and only 3 have gone over the 50k point, Michael has graciously given craft beer a powerful voice in the form of “virtual beer tastings”.

Every two months, Michael works with me to scheme up a theme for a virtual tasting, featuring four different craft breweries. For days and even weeks up until the event, you can find Michael (under the moniker of @WholeFoods) promoting the virtual tasting, giving shout-outs to the breweries involved. Michael also communicates internally with all the WFM Marketing Managers, further amplifying the message at a regional and store level. During each live tasting, Michael and many of his Whole Foods colleagues devote an entire hour to talking about beer on Twitter, with both beer geeks and beer newbies alike. The result is one big craft beer love fest.

Personally, I was influenced by Michael even before partnering with him on virtual beer tastings. I was shocked the first time Michael tweeted a response back to me. After all, it’s not everyday that someone with over 2 million followers talks to me on Twitter. I was immediately impressed with Whole Foods’ level on engagement on Twitter, and Michael has only continued to impress me ever since.

So friends, I am asking you to give Michael a little bit of love for all the love he has given to craft beer. Head on over to this link, and give him some love in the form of “likes” and retweets! XOXO!!

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: CHUCK VOELTZEL

AUTHOR OF: FERMENTATION NATION

Beer Blogger Interview

Full name: Chuck Voeltzel
Twitter handle: @MichBeer
Name of blog: Fermentation Nation
Current location: Detroit, MI 

Background “Snapshot”

1 Where did you grow up?

The City of Champions – Pittsburgh, PA

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

Baseball and a little hoops when I was a youngin’. Now I’m mostly into mountain biking, hiking and maybe a round of disc golf.

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?

It was an Iron City Light that I snagged from the fridge during a family cookout. I clearly remember thinking how crisp, nicely carbonated, and deliciously bitter it was. There is nothing like the first time!

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 school at Oakland University in Rochester, MI. I majored in Sociology, then Environmental Science, but somehow received a Bachelors degree in Business with a focus on Human Resources Development, and a minor in Labor Law.

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:

1993 – in the parking lot of a Grateful Dead show at Buckeye Lake Amphitheater in Ohio. A dreadlocked hippy named Chip was trying to come up with gas money back to Vermont and sold me 2 beers out of his cooler for $5.00. I grabbed 2 that I had never heard of before – a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (which I thought tasted like soap) and a Samuel Smith’s Taddy Porter (which I described as tasting like coffee mixed with dirt).

I cannot say that I fully enjoyed either beer, but it was an epiphany in the respect that it opened my eyes to flavors that I had never associated with the mass produced lagers that I thought of as “good beer” at the time. What a long strange trip it’s been!

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

I have at least one every year. Whether it is discovering an affinity for a particular brand, or just having my mind blown by a beer that redefines my perception a particular style. I also have a soft spot for beers that defy categorization. Most recently I have become smitten with Sours – Wild Ale, Lambic and Gueuze.

Beer Blog Background

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

I have been doing Fermentation Nation for about 5 months, but have been contributing to beer web sites and blogs off and on for about 12 years.

2. What inspired you to start writing your blog?

Our incredible craft beer community here in Michigan is the inspiration. I feel like we have something really great going on, and Fermentation Nation is my contribution to promoting it.

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

I chose Fermentation Nation because I wanted to make my own catchphrase to describe our whole subculture of beer geeks, bloggers and brewers.

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

My personal goal is simply to promote Michigan breweries, and enjoy 3 of my favorite things all at once – craft beer, writing, and photography. The larger goal is to build a local online community, and hopefully see that spill over to the offline world with things like tastings.

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

Meeting cool people has been the best part, but scoring a free pint every now and then has been a really nice perk.

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

• The Hop Press
• Beer & Nosh
• Appellation Beer

Beer Talk

1. What are your top 3 favorite beer styles?

That is a really hard question – kind of like asking which of your children you love the most. This week it is Saison, aged American Barleywine, and Wild Ale

2. What are your top 3 favorite breweries?

Right now I am loving just about everything made by Jolly Pumpkin, Shorts Brewing , and The Livery .

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

Jolly Pumpkin because I just like their style. Having 100% of their beer matured in oak barrel’s with all the wild yeast and other critters really intrigue’s me. Bonus would be never having to wait in line again at a Perseguidor release.

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

Yes. My most interesting brew was a molasses stout that blew a clogged airlock, leaving a Jackson Pollock style pattern stained on my wall.

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?

I could live on cheese, beer and bread, so literally any combo of the 3 is a winner to me. I’m also a big fan of drinking malty beers like Marzen with Mexican food and American Pale Ale or IPA with Thai and Indian.

The Personal Side

1. What is your current day job?

Human Resources – Recruiting in the automotive industry

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 would work in the craft beer industry, perhaps as a brand rep or in some sort of sales or marketing capacity. I think that it would be a great way to marry my skill sets with something that I am both knowledgeable and incredibly enthusiastic about. (email chuckvee@yahoo.com for my resume!)

3. Are you married? Children?

Not married yet, but have an adorable beer/book nerd girlfriend who I refer to on my blog as The Princess of Ales.

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

Camping, travel, cooking, independent music and film, going to concerts.

Off The Beaten Path

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

I would be Biere de Garde because i’m French in heritage, balanced, low on bitterness, a little funky, and made in a single unique batch by skilled artisans (my parents).

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 would take it full circle and ask for an ice cold Iron City Light, maybe with a Russian River Supplication chaser.

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 brew a Flemish Oud Brune aged in pinot noir barrels, “ dry hopped” with rose petals, and bacon.

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

To be able to fly at the speed of light, so I could zip around the world visiting breweries and beer festivals and beer release parties … and I guess I would also work on humanitarian efforts if I had time.

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

I once rolled my car 5 times, had my legs shredded by a deaf cat named Snowball, had my gall bladder removed on New Years Eve, flipped over the handlebar of my bike during a 30+ mph downhill, was caught swimming in a Lake Michigan riptide, and accidentally caught my hair on fire during a blind date. I swear that beer was not a factor in any of these things.

6. What are your thoughts on bacon?

I have been a semi-vegetarian (no land animals) for 20 years, but bacon has driven me close to the brink on more than one occasion.

SPECIAL THANKS TO CHUCK FOR AN AWESOME INTERVIEW!

CHEERS!

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: J. WILSON

AUTHOR OF: BREWVANA

Beer Blogger Interview

Full name: J. Wilson
Internet nickname: I’m sometimes called Izzy
Twitter handle: @brewvana
Name of blog: brewvana
Current location: Adams County, Iowa

Background “Snapshot”

1. Where did you grow up?

I moved around a lot as a kid—Texas, Tennessee, Nebraska—but home base was always in Southwest Iowa, and I graduated from a little town called Villisca.

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

Mostly baseball as a kid, and a little basketball and golf. I got into cycling in high school, but haven’t ridden seriously in years. Somewhere along the line, rock climbing emerged, but hiking has always been the real constant.

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

The occasional sip as a youngster, the occasional beer but a few years later.

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

Because there was the occasional sip here and there, it would either be no story or a shift to the story of my first session, which was probably in junior high with my parents foolishly leaving me behind while they went on a camping trip. My friend and I had been skimming beers out of the fridge for many months, as well as hard stuff, a variety of whiskeys, vodkas and schnapps that we mixed altogether in Pepsi bottles hidden in our closets. It was one of those deals where we both told our parents that we were staying at the other guy’s house.

Brand? Probably Bud Light. I also remember pear schnapps and Black Velvet. Later, in high school, we were quite devoted to Milwaukee’s Best Light.

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 South Dakota. I was a theatre major for the first seven days, and then switched periodically until I settled in on English. I partook in drinking beer in college, worked a lot, and did some work with the student newspaper.

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:

Perhaps a quote from a past blog post would answer this one: “In college, getting into coffee and cooking in restaurants got me more tuned into flavor, so I started to show interest in a better beer. Ale seemed an illusive entity. I tracked one down here and there, though a college budget doesn’t allow much of that. I took an advanced public speaking course, and that’s where the light bulb flickered more brightly. One of my classmates did a demonstration speech on homebrewing. While my cheesecake speech wowed the class, his inspired me to strive for a new hobby as soon as I graduated and got a “real” job.

That’s what happened. I moved to the Navajo Reservation in Northern Arizona to teach, hit the homebrew shop in Flagstaff and began brewing right away. It was a German Altbier, and though I forgot to add the hops, it was bottled glory. Like every first homebrew.

My early commercial transition beers included the likes of Bass and Newcastle. And sampling at brewpubs revealed the beauty of stout. No more cheap beer. It was an exciting time. My inborn predisposition for loving beer was one thing. But it was choice that brought me Good Beer.” Here’s the link to the whole post: How Did It Start

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

Yeah. One: Belgian beer in general; and Two: Flanders Red. I was first exposed to these at my old North Carolina homebrew club, CARBOY. Life has been better since.

Beer Blog Background

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

I’ll hit three years in April.

2. What inspired you to start writing your blog?

I was transitioning out of a beer job and away from my homebrew club to what I figured would be the beery wasteland of Iowa. I wanted something to stay connected to the beer world, to challenge both my beer life and my writing, and I wanted to make it a point to have something positive going out into the beery clutter. I felt like I could accomplish that.

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

It felt a positive play on words, incorporating beer into the definition for nirvana: an ideal condition of harmony beer and joy. It seemed to sum up a better way of living.

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

Fame, riches and glory. Failing that, having it help me to source good friendships, the eventual book or two, a TV show and some work as a beer/travel writer wouldn’t be bad.

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

I don’t know. No offense, but that question feels goofy. But to answer it, I guess I’d say that it’s satisfying to have unsolicited samples show up on my doorstep. It’s cool to meet folks, professional brewers even, who know and read the beery ramblings of some regular guy who writes in a farmhouse just north of tiny, little Prescott, Iowa. It’s cool to get emails or comments from across the country, as well as Belgium, England, Australia, Hungary, etc. I’ve made good friends—some whom I’ve actually met.

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

I’m a fan of Jonathan Surratt’s Beer Mapping Project, Ron Pattinson’s Shut up about Barclay Perkins, and have always been connected to Boak and Bailey. I also enjoy the photography on Beer and Nosh, as well as Beer at Joe’s and beernews.org—you knew three was too small a number to ask for. There are a lot of other good ones.

Beer Talk

1. What are your top 3 favorite beer styles?

Pretty hard question…trying really hard… I’ll just say Flanders Red, the porter/stout family and wee heavy and know I’m being incomplete.

2. What are your top 3 favorite breweries?

Pretty hard question…let’s try Unibroue, New Glarus and I don’t freaking know. Dogfish Head? Too many great breweries out there for this list to be for real.

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

Another tough question. I’d have to believe in the both the beers and the people. I like Dogfish Head in that regard. To that I’ll just add Sean Wilson’s Fullsteam and The Drinking and Writing Brewery, both which aren’t even open yet, but I’m sure other people could woo me. Certainly other beers could…

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

Yes, I’ve got a coconut schwarzbier fermenting right now. I’ve done some fun Belgian stuff, barrelly stuff, sour stuff.

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

I’m BJCP Certified.

6. What is your favorite beer and food pairing?

I’ve said before that RIS and roasted marshmallows are pretty good, but loving both beer and food, the possibilities are so endless.

The Personal Side

1. What is your current day job?

Editor of a small weekly newspaper.

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?

A beer travel show wouldn’t be a bad thing to host…

3. Are you married? Children?

Yep, with two boys.

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

Hiking and camping, music, cooking

Off The Beaten Path

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

Belgian dubbel, I guess because I’m complex and delicious.

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?

Rodenbach Grand Cru, because it’s freaking delicious.

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?

Seems that should be a real palate punisher, and I just think of the bitter variety over the thought of deeply sour. So I’d pack in the hops something fierce.

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

You sound like my boys. I guess I’ll just say super strength, with a little Jedi jumping ability thrown in.

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

Mistakes have been made far worse than jumping off of cliffs and out of airplanes and driving demolition derby cars and car surfing and drinking far too much. But I’ll just mention these.

6. What are your thoughts on bacon?

Bacon’s importance can’t be overlooked. That’s the short answer.

SPECIAL THANKS TO JAY FOR AN AWESOME INTERVIEW!

CHEERS!

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: SCOTT TRIANA

AUTHOR OF: SCOTTIE KNOWS BEER

Beer Blogger Interview

Full name: Scott Triana
Twitter handle: @scott_triana
Name of blog: Scottie Knows Beer
Current location: Washington D.C.

Background “Snapshot”

1. Where did you grow up?

I was born and raised in Erie, Pennsylvania and lived there until college. After college, I moved to Washington, DC; I’ve been here for about 2.5 years now.

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

Growing up I played soccer, golf, and basketball. Over the last couple of years I have started playing more paddle sports – i.e. tennis, racquet ball, squash.

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

I think I was 15 or so.

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

The first beer that I had was a Labatt Blue. A friend and I “borrowed” a case from his uncle’s bar. For some reason, we thought it would be a great idea to toss a 24 pack of bottles out a second story window. Luckily, my face broke the fall, but it nearly knocked me unconscious. I’m proud to say that not a single bottle was lost to the ground that day.

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 Penn State University and graduated with a degree in Business Management and a minor in Marketing. I was an avid beer pong player if that counts.

Craft Beer Epiphany

Every craft beer enthusiast has at least one pinnacle craft beer experience that completely changes one’s 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 craft beer epiphany occurred during my freshmen year of college when I discovered Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout. Until that point, I drank whatever cheap swill was available. I remember being completely blown away by the flavor and complexity. I was so accustomed to drinking watered down beer that had no character, no imagination, and no taste. It was as if the heavens parted and the angels began to sing.

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

Backpacking through Europe solidified my love for craft beer and I have never looked back since.

Beer Blog Background

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

Since October of 2009.

2. What inspired you to start writing your blog?

Last year, I found myself trying a wide range of beers – whether I was frequenting specialty beer stores or the different brewpubs in DC. I started to become frustrated when I couldn’t remember the name of a certain brewery or a specific flavoring of a beer.

I started documenting my beer selections with my iPhone’s camera. After amassing hundreds of blurry cell phone photos I decided that there had to be a better way of documenting my craft beer adventures. Finally someone was like “dude, just blog it man”……so I did.

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

There was a movie (cheesy comedy) several years back called Euro Trip. Matt Damon had a brief cameo appearance and sang a song titled “Scottie Doesn’t Know.” For some reason the movie was a big hit with a group of friends from college. After several intoxicating beverages, my friends would sing “Scottie doesn’t know.” I would of course argue back that Scottie DOES know. Hence the title of my blog.

However, don’t let the name fool you. I by no means consider myself a craft beer expert or beer snob. I am constantly learning and growing as a craft beer drinker.

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

To have fun, to learn, and to meet interesting people along the way. If I convert even one Bud Light drinker from the “dark side” to the craft beer side, then my blog has been a success.

What is one of the coolest things that happened to you as a result of being beer blogger?
Private brewery tours and meeting interesting people who share a passion for craft beer.

5. What are your top 3 favorite beer blogs/beer websites?

Beer Advocate, Brookston Beer Bulletin, and of course…Drink with the Wench!

Beer Talk

1. What are your top 3 favorite beer styles?

Tough question. Lately I’ve been really enjoying Belgian Tripels, super hoppy IPA’s, and Imperial Stouts.

2. What are your top 3 favorite breweries?

That’s like asking you to choose your favorite child. Right now, I would have to go with Dogfish Head, De Dolle Brouwers, and Russian River.

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

Sam Calagione and Dogfish Head. The dudes a rock star.

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

I lost my home brew “v-card” a couple of weeks ago by brewing up a batch of Marzen Festbier. So… I would have to say that Marzen Festbier is the most unique and interesting beer I have brewed to this point.

5. What is your favorite beer and food pairing?

Fresh oysters and a delicious Saison.

The Personal Side

1. What is your current day job?

Head of social media and marketing for an association in DC.

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 would continue to do what I do now, but would switch to the craft beer industry.

3. Are you married? Children?

No and no.

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

I am an avid traveler and backpacker.

Off The Beaten Path

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

A chocolate stout because I’m a sweet guy

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 Tactical Nuclear Penguin from BrewDog. If I’m going to go, I want to be rocking a healthy buzz.

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 Belgian Quad that comes in at a bold 12%ABV. A beer that can really get the party started!

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

I would want the ability to turn water into the alcoholic beverage of my choice (that was a superhero, right?). The party would never end.

5. What are your thoughts on bacon?

It’s delicious in chocolate.

SPECIAL THANKS TO SCOTT FOR AN AWESOME INTERVIEW!

CHEERS!

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: MAGGIE HOFFMAN

BEER AUTHOR FOR SERIOUS EATS

Beer Blogger Interview

Full name: Maggie Hoffman
Twitter handle: @maggiejane
Name of blog:

• I write a weekly beer column for Serious Eats
• I also write for the food blog Pithy and Cleaver

Current location: New York

Background “Snapshot”

1. Where did you grow up?

The suburbs of Portland, Oregon

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

The summer before my junior year of high school, I was an exchange student in France, and my host sister took me out with her and her friends. We drank beer that was mixed with fruity syrup, and I tried (and failed) to keep up with the conversation en français.

3. 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 Princeton and studied American history, specifically 19th centuraly American women’s and religious history. I sang in a coed a cappella group. I ate and studied and hung out at Terrace, which is known as the most grubby and interesting of Princeton’s eating clubs (essentially co-ed fraternities, though only the officers live there full time.)

Craft Beer Epiphany

Every craft beer enthusiast has at least one pinnacle craft beer experience that completely changes ones perspective on beer.

1.What was your first craft beer epiphany? Recall as many details about it as you can:

I first got really excited about beer when I brought my now-husband (then boyfriend) to Portland and attempted to show him everywhere cool in my hometown. Portland is pretty close to beer-nerd heaven, and we were both totally wowed by all the delicious things we tasted.

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

I continue to have amazing beer experiences—most recently, I was able to set up a pairing session with the chocolatier from Bespoke Chocolates. We found some truly incredible matches and it was eye opening for all.

Beer Blog Background

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

I’ve been writing for Serious Eats since early October 2009.

2. What inspired you to start writing your blog?

Serious Eats is a great food site, but they didn’t have a beer columnist. I really wanted to write for them, and I really wanted them to have weekly articles about craft beer!

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

Almost everything on the site is “Serious” something or other.

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

We’re trying to systematically explore as many varieties of beer as possible, to find as many amazing beer and food pairings as possible, and to encourage readers to try great beers they’ve never had before. Readers of Serious Eats are really into food, but they may not realize how much they’d like beer if they forayed beyond their standard six-packs.

It’s also really great to gather my friends together to have craft beer epiphanies—writing a pairings column can be a revelation for everyone involved. We usually have five or six people over and order a million dishes at a time and just keep opening bottles—they pretty much always go home totally impressed with what we tasted and jealous of my beer-writing gig.

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

One of the unexpected amazing things has been being able to meet the entrepreneurs behind the small breweries. I am so inspired by all the brewers following their dreams, and so glad we can do something to help these small businesses succeed.

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

I love what Lee is doing over at Hoptopia. It’s such a great resource. I also like reading Beervana to hear what’s going on in Portland. For number 3, I usually check Beernews.org to find out about new releases, etc.

Beer Talk

1. What are your top 3 favorite beer styles?

Depends on what day it is! As a Northwesterner, I am pretty loyal to IPAs, and especially love them when there’s a bit of a floral/fruitiness going on. I’m a big fan of American ESBs as well. But I can be impressed by any well-made beer. I’m not a huge imperial porter fan, but maybe I just haven’t found the right one.

2. What are your top 3 favorite breweries?

Oh, that’s hard. Founders, for sure. (Founders? Are you reading this? Come to New York!) Recently, I loved the cans from Ska. And I’ve had such good stuff from Ballast Point.

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

The guys at Fullsteam are so cool, and I’m so pumped about their efforts to make a plow-to-pint brewery. Local beer with local ingedients that’s meant to pair with local food. I’m all about it.

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

I live in a 450 sq foot apartment with another person. Home brewing is NOT a good idea for us.

5. What is your favorite beer and food pairing?

Most recently, we had a single-estate dark chocolate truffle with Goose Island’s Bourbon County Stout. It’s a pretty sexy pairing.

The Personal Side

1. What is your current day job?

By day I design book interiors for St. Martin’s Press. Some of them are cookbooks, some of them are really awful mysteries and “urban fiction.”

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’d love to write full time!

3. Are you married? Children?

Newly married! My husband, Matt, is a great asset in beer blogging—he’s great at translating tastes into words, and has an incredible memory.

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

I love to cook, I love collecting cookbooks and magazines. I love to throw dinner parties. And I love to check out new (and new-to-me restaurants in New York.)

Off The Beaten Path

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

Maybe a Belgian Dubbel: a little brooding, a little decadent.

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?

Something with fresh hops, straight from the conditioning tank.

3. What are your thoughts on bacon?

I’m a fan. I like fresh pork belly too. Though I’m also a big fan of guanciale and I’d like to see that become more commonly available. Bacon is so last year.

SPECIAL THANKS TO MAGGIE FOR A KICKASS INTERVIEW. BEER CHICKS RAWK!

CHEERS!