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: SCHNEIDER MIKE

AUTHOR & HOST OF: BELCHING MONKEY

Beer Blogger Interview

Full name: Schneider, Mike
Twitter handle: @schneidermike @belchingmonkey
Name of blog: BelchingMonkey
Current location: The Triangle of Awesome (Boston, Austin and Seattle)

Background “Snapshot”

1. Where did you grow up?

Willoughby, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland that is full of character, history and boredom.

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

Mostly soccer and hockey. I also skateboarded quite a bit although I was terrible. Now I love skiing and soccer.

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

I started drinking beer at age 6. My dad let me have the first sip of his first beer of every evening. I was his drinking buddy.

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 first full beer was a Michelob Dark. I had it at the lake in my neighborhood. I drank it pretty fast and my friends were worried because I had never taken them up on the offer for a beer. I was 16. I felt nothing and had no trouble drinking it because I had been sipping beers since I was 6 years old.

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 Miami University, I majored in Accountancy and MIS. I was in a fraternity and spent most of my time with intramural hockey and an improvisational comedy troupe. I also deejayed weddings and sorority parties to make money. I sucked at college. I had no idea what it was about. I did not realized that it was about experimentation and experiences, however I did begin my transformation from beer drinker to beer snob. I drank a metric shit-ton of Old Milwaukee. I majored in the wrong thing. I had a long-distance relationship and I put way too much pressure on myself to do who-knows-what. I did, however, have an amazing time at Goggin Arena watching CCHA 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:

In college, I started out drinking a lot of swill like Busch Light Draft, Hudepohl’s, Old Milwaukee and Bud Light. They got me drunk and the additives always made the hangovers particularly terrible. Not only did I want more from the taste, I was not into being drunk. I liked beer, but I was convinced that it did not need to taste like someone hooked your tongue up to a pair of jumper cables, so I created “good beer night” with my roommates. At the time, I had no clue what that meant. At the time my palate thought Miller Genuine Draft was Lagavulin 21 or Drie Fonteinen Ouede Gueze, in other words, about as good as it gets.

We went to the package store with my mates and we each picked a six pack of something we thought would turn us from drunk pussies to Thundercats. My roommate Andy picked Moosehead and the guy who was old enough to buy picked up a six of Samuel Adams Boston Lager. I do not even remember what I picked. I think it was Spaten, which is awesome, but I took one sip of the Sammy and had an out of body experience. I saw two rainbows, a unicorn and Elle Macphereson naked. I had never had anything like it and wanted to find out more about Boston Beer Company.

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

I have them all the time. This could get long. #twss

Even though I discovered Samuel Adams and Guinness in college, it wasn’t until I got my first job that I tried anything pricier. I grew up in the Midwest and most people teach you that change is bad. For instance, I always wanted to learn Chinese as a kid and would ask people if I could. They would say no way kid, it’s too hard. I got caught up in that Backstreet Boys, Chevrolet and drumsticks-on-Friday lifestyle a little until one day I came across 4 packs of another Samuel. Samuel Smith.

I bought 4 Oatmeal Stouts and took them to my ex fiancée’s house to drink with her brother and father, who were Dundee Honey Brown sessioneers. We all took a sip and spent the next hour talking about the flavor. I felt so sophisticated that I turned on fucking PBS and we watched Masterpiece Theatre or Bob Ross or something.

Great Lakes Brewing Company provided several epiphanies, but it wasn’t until I started drinking Double IPAs that I realized that some bottles actually contain magic. Great Divide Brewing Hercules, Avery Majarajah and of course the Tony-Hawk-meets-Wayne-Gretzky-Harry-Potter-Mother-Theresa-Bill-Gates-and-Michael-Jordan of beers, Pliny the Elder.

Beer Blog Background

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

Since 2008 off and on.

2. What inspired you to start writing your blog?

I wanted to create content about something I was passionate about. Gary Vaynerchuk takes credit for getting me started in my appearance on WLTV and he definitely was a major influence. I also credit Gregory Ng of Freezerburns. When we worked together at a Boston ad shop, he got me into social media. We invented a few cool loyalty programs and an LBS system that failed because we tried to do it with passive pings before anyone had a smart phone. I also credit my dad for getting me into beer in a way that led me to believe it was just another good thing in life versus a taboo thing that I had to have against the wishes of authority.

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

I guess I wanted to be different from the rest of the beer bloggers and vloggers and I wanted it to be a brand that could be more than a website or a show about beer. On the surface it looks like don’t take myself all that seriously, but I actually do. I’m not a big belcher and I identify more with bears and tigers than monkeys, but I told Greg the name and we both couldn’t stop laughing about it so I bought the URL.

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

I want to be the Gandalf of Beer. This story is evolving. I used to just think of it as a lab, but now I take it very seriously.

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

Cool things happen all the time. The coolest is when someone at a pub or package store recognizes me and say they like the show. I also like when people want to drink a beer with me. Being on Wine Library was amazing because I’m kind of Vayniac – and Wayne Gretzky has been on Wine Library!

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

Total beer focus?
I like what’s going on over at Hoptopia. Of course Mutineer Magazine provides good beer perspective with authors I like. Josh Christie’s site Brews and Books is an interesting juxtaposition. I also use Beer Advocate all the time, but I think that’s more out of necessity than lust.

Beer Talk

1. What are your top 3 favorite beer styles?

This is like asking me which kid I like the best or to pick one album to listen to on a desert island. American Ambers, Double IPAs, Wild Ales

2. What are your top 3 favorite breweries?

I do not have three favorite breweries. I have thirty three or more. I discover new ones that I like all the time. Dogfish Head, Great Divide and Anderson Valley are all very special to me, but there is a whole list of others that wind my gears.

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

BelchingMonkey Brewing Company of course.

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

No

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

I sure do not.

6. What is your favorite beer and food pairing?

Pumpkin beer and Turkey

The Personal Side

1. What is your current day job?

Technology evangelist and strategist for a marketing consultancy.

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 like risk. I would do something in technology or venture capital. I also dream that I am in the restaurant business a lot, but I do not know why. I am usually making burritos.

3. Are you married? Children?

Yes and yes

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

I love soccer. I play as often as I can. I am obviously also very interested in tech and gadgets. I play video games when I have time (rarely). I like to hit the gym to stay fit. I’m also into BBQ.

Off The Beaten Path

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

An Imperial IPA. I am big and bold, but am an acquired taste and I am not for everyone, but once you get to know me…

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?

Please bring me a Brew Dog “End of History” and a cigar. At an inconceivable 110 proof, I believe I could create some sort of explosion and escape.

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?

Beer Wench would be a Wild Ale with a wall of sourness. Those who are able to unlock the secrets find crisp plum tartness and unexpected richness and tannins due to pinot noir barrel aging. The bitterness would give way to an unexpectedly sweet finish, but only to those who are patient enough to wait.

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

flying, invulnerability, speed, x-ray vision, extraordinary pain threshold and liquor tolerance, abilty to detect Pliny in a 10 mile radius

either that or I’d just be Spider-man. That is who people say is my super hero doppleganger

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

I once drank a whole 2 liter bottle of Mountain Dew in a sitting. I also split my head open during an improv sketch. Chic threw a rabid cat at my face. I did a “Kramer” fall, thrashed around and hit my head on the lip of the stage. Lots of blood.

6. What are your thoughts on bacon?

Please may I have some more?

SPECIAL THANKS TO MIKE FOR AN AWESOME INTERVIEW!

CHEERS!

Mutinous Battle Chai will make its debut this Friday, September 17th at Falling Rock Taphouse in Denver, CO. There is no cover charge for the event and the cost is per beer. The beer will be on available until all the kegs are tapped. You can RSVP for the event on both RateBeer and Beer Advocate.

The entire proceeds from the sale of Mutinous Battle Chai will be donated to A Child’s Right, an organization dedicated to global water relief and bringing clean water to children in underdeveloped regions of the world.

Technically speaking, Mutinous Battle Chai does not fit the guidelines of any individual style category. The base beer was brewed with both pale and rye malts, spiced with an original interpretation of the traditional chai tea spice blend, and fermented with a Belgian wit yeast strand. This base beer was then primed with brown ale wort and underwent a secondary fermentation with merlot yeast on oak. The end result is a dry, amber-colored, medium-bodied Belgian-style spiced and oaked ale unlike any craft beer brewed before.

Other beers from New Holland Brewing Company, including Golden Cap Saison, Imperial Hattter IPA, as well as Hatter Royale Hopquila, a distilled spirit that has been steeped in hops, will also be available during the release party. This is the first time that New Holland beer will make an appearance in Colorado outside of the Great American Beer Festival.

For more information on the recipe and brewing process of Mutinous Battle Chai, check out Issue 13 of Mutineer Magazine, now on newsstands.

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: STEVIE CALDAROLA

AUTHOR OF: BASICALLY RED

FOUNDER OF: LADIES OF CRAFT BEER

Beer Blogger Interview

Full name: Stevie Caldarola
Twitter handle: @BasicallyRed & @LadiesOCB
Name of blog: Now that the Ladies of Craft Beer site is up, BasicallyRed: To Be Read, Basically, my old blog, will be folding into the BasicallyRed tab there as a “From the Editor” column of sorts.  I also write for Mutineer Magazine’s blog.
Current location: New York, NY

Background “Snapshot”

1. Where did you grow up?
   St. James, Long Island, NY
2. What sports if any did you play growing up, through college and beyond?
   I’ve always been a pretty active girl- growing up I went to a dance school where I took tap, jazz, ballet, hip hop, lyrical, etc.  In middle school and high school I played volleyball.  At college, I became a member of the hip hop squad and the step team.  After college I went back to volleyball, playing on recreational indoor and outdoor leagues.  Recently, I have both played and refereed flag football for the New York City Social Sports, a great and fun organization where you play sports and then the teams go to the bar afterwards to socialize and meet each other.  NYCSSC just started volleyball as well so that could be trouble!
3. How old were you when you had your first beer?
   That depends on what qualifies as my first “beer”… I had my first ever Budweiser at 20.  My first ever craft beer experience was at age 24.
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’ll go with my first craft beer, since that’s what I really remember.  The guy I was dating at the time brought me to his local bar and convinced me to give beer a second chance (I was refusing to drink beer at the time since I hated the “taste” of Budweiser and thought all beer tasted that way.)  He bought me a pint of Magic Hat Number 9.
5. Where, if applicable, did you go to college? What did you study? What additional activities, organizations, sports did you partake in during college?
   My undergrad college was Adelphi University, where I received a BFA in Theater Design/ Technology with a focus in Lighting Design.  I also minored in Photography and was a part of the Honor’s College.  While Theater and work took up most of my time, I was a part of the hip hop squad and step team.

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.”

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

My first real craft beer epiphany was at a beer tasting at a place in New York City called the Village Pourhouse.  The class was focused around Sierra Nevada Brewing Company and included a sampling of six brews by them.  The last brew that we tasted was the newly released Torpedo Extra IPA- I had never had such a hoppy beer before, and it was love at first sip.

I have had so many craft beer epiphanies in the past year that I would spend an entire year describing them all to you.  I almost feel that every time I take a sip of a new beer, I have an epiphany, whether good or bad, big or small.  That’s what I love about craft beer- I’m always learning- always trying new things.

Beer Blog Background

1. How long have you been writing your beer blog?
   Since late February of this year
2. What inspired you to start writing your blog?
   I’ve had a blog for about a year now, but could never really figure out a niche that I was passionate about and could write about.  I tried many different topics but nothing seemed to fit right.  After my “craft beer epiphany” I started to chat about beer more on Twitter and somehow found this beer voice on there called “Hoptopia”.  Upon asking Lee some questions and having random chats about beer, as well as checking out his site and some other beer blogs, I decided to give beer blogging a try.  The rest, as they say, is history…
3. Why did you chose the name of your blog?
   It was actually a pre-existing name.  I used to say “basically” a lot and I have red hair.  My dad has always called me “Red”.  It just seemed to fit and show my personality as well as be a cute little play on words.  People probably don’t know this, but the by-line of my blog used to read, “I’m just a girl spouting my truths”, but I changed it to the current line “I’m just a girl tapping my truths” to make it more beer appropriate- you be the judge!
4. What are you personal goals for your blog? What do you hope to achieve with it?
   My personal goal for the blog is to write what I feel and love what I write. I want to be able to inspire people to talk about craft beer the way I was inspired. The point of what I am doing is to write about beer in a style that is easy for readers to understand and relate to- it is why I often compare beers to easily accessible and popular foods. One reader sees that 21st Amendment’s Monk’s Blood tastes like Black and White Cookies and absolutely has to try it, even though he has previously sworn off beer because he hates the way that fizzy, yellow beer tastes. Said reader tries the craft beer, loves it, and then moves on to another craft brew. He is hooked, and tells all of his friends. The result is spreading the word about this amazing and delicious liquid. I’m of the mindset that beer is a social advocate for us, seeing as how it is often a helpful medium for loosening up and enjoying social situations. Why shouldn’t we be social advocates for it?The Ladies of Craft Beer site is another example of a forum to advocate craft beer. The site is dedicated to women teaching other women about the wonders of craft beer, however, men who support our cause are more than able to come along for the ride. The site is just about to launch with 11 contributors not including myself. These women are shining examples of craft beer advocates and stellar women in general. I cannot wait to see what we can achieve!
5. What is one of the coolest things that happened to you as a result of being a beer blogger?

Writing for Mutineer Magazine has been pretty rocking- it’s a great group of people with a lot of really informative and interesting things to say.  I’m a fan of wine and coffee too, so I love to read all of the articles.  I feel like I’m becoming a wealth of knowledge on all things liquid!

The coolest thing that has happened to me as an offshoot of being a beer blogger was the opportunity for me to start a beer advocate group called the Ladies of Craft Beer, which is a national group of women who are dedicated to educating other women on the world of craft beer (and the group that inspired the above website I was speaking about). The really exciting thing about this group is the amount of support we have received- since April alone we have gathered about 1,425 followers on Twitter and 1,135 people have liked us on Facebook. Women are definitely under-represented in craft beer, mostly due to the misconceptions that are out there about beer. What women don’t understand are the many various tastes and styles out there in craft beer land, and at least one is bound to fit your liking. On our sites, we encourage women to talk about beer and ask each other questions while also putting together beer meetups and events for tastings and social fun. It really is a great tool and I’m hoping it will expand even further with our new magazine-style website.

We also have set up our launch event during the Great American Beer Festival. It is called the Beer for Boobs Brunch and it will be held at the newly opened Freshcraft Restaurant and craft beer bar four blocks from the convention on Friday morning from 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM. Tickets are $20 (they include a full buffet style brunch) and half of the ticket price will go to breast cancer awareness. There will also be discounted pints (proceeds of which will go to breast cancer charities as well) and raffles for brewery swag. We’re 82% sold currently and the group of attendees consists of many great faces in the craft beer industry- this mix and mingle event is not something to miss! It’s so amazing to see how much the craft beer world is not only willing to, but WANTS to give back to the community and support causes. Beer people definitely are good people.

6. What are you top 3 favorite beer blogs/beer websites?
   Beernews.org is a great resource for the newest craft beer happenings. Hoptopia.com started it all for me and is a growing quick reference review site that is user friendly and super informative (plus he’s got great IPhone and Droid apps which are handy when you’re trying to pick a brew at the bar!)  New Brew Thursday and HopCast’s sites are tied for third- both of their webcasts are fun to watch and chock full of information.

Beer Talk

1. What are your top 3 favorite beer styles?
   Rauchbiers have recently become my number one- there’s something about that super smoky, burnt flavor that I love.  Thick Russian Imperial Stouts are a close second, as I’m a huge fan of the sweeter, heavier beer.  The newly emerging American-style India Black Ales are also a favorite- I’m loving the mixture of extreme hops and darker malts.
2. What are your top 3 favorite breweries?
   Dogfish Head for their flavor experimentation; Cigar City for their crazy cedar-aged series, which I have yet to try but think may be the coolest thing on the face of the planet (I love cigars, in case you couldn’t tell); and BrewDog for their fun approach to beer and super silly beer videos (plus, James is wicked cute!).
3. If you could work with or for any one brewery, which one would it be and why?
   This is a hard question because I think I’d work for and with ANY craft brewery if I had the chance (and someday I want to start my own!)  If I had to pick one, however, I’d say Dogfish Head, because I’d love to pick Sam Calagione’s brain.
4. Are you a homebrewer? If yes, what is the most unique and interesting beer recipes you’ve brewed as a homebrewer?
   I am now a homebrewer as of two weekends ago!  It was such an exciting and frustrating day, my first brew day, where I brewed a Belgian-style Black IPA.  (“Why not?” I said.  “Go big or go home”.)  I’m calling it “Pain in the BIPA” and so far, it smells delicious.  How it tastes, on the other hand, is yet to be determined…
5. Do you have any beer certifications (BJCP, Cicerone, Siebel, American Brewers Guild)?? If so, what are they?
   I do not have any certifications yet, but have been slowly learning about BJCP and Cicerone.  I have a feeling that those certifications may be sought after in my very near future.
6. What is your favorite beer and food pairing?
   I’m not stellar at pairing food and beer, but I’d probably say that my favorite so far is a really good homemade veggie burger (usually spicy and peppery) with an IPA with a little bit of malty sweetness, such as Union Jack by Firestone Walker.  I’m getting more into cheese lately, though, and nothing beats a good crystallized cheese (i.e. aged Parmesean) with a robust rauchbier or imperial stout.

The Personal Side

1. What is your current day job?
   Sales
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 want to work for a brewery and learn to brew on a commercial scale so that I could eventually open my own brewery/brewpub.
3. Are you married? Children?
   Not yet, but I am a very lucky lady with a great man in my life.
4. Outside of beer and writing, what are some of your other hobbies?
   Craft beer has, luckily, taken over all of my spare time.  I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Off The Beaten Path

1. If you were a style of beer, what style would be an why?
   I would be a Black IPA (sorry, American-style India Black Ale), because I like to incorporate a little bit of everything but still have my own flavor and style.
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?
   Oh man- that’s a toughy.  Probably Goose Island’s Bourbon County Coffee Stout because it is decadent and delicious and at 13% ABV, one 22oz bottle makes you feel better, no matter what…
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, bacon and bacon!  You and I are bacon-loving sisters, and I love that, so I would pay tribute to you with a bacon beer- I wonder how bacon would go with hops…
4. If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?
   I would want to be a comic book character like Scott Pilgrim.  If you haven’t seen that movie yet- go see it now.  However, I’m pretty happy with how my life is right now without super powers, but there certainly are some days where I wish I was a comic book character who could just punch someone out and have one of those fun looking sound word bubbles come out… “BAM!”  “BIFF!”  That would make me feel better two-fold!
5. What is one of the craziest things you have ever done and lived to tell the story?
   If I told you, then I’d have to kill you…
6. What are your thoughts on bacon?
   Yes, please!

SPECIAL THANKS TO STEVIE FOR AN AWESOME INTERVIEW!

CHEERS!

On Sunday May 23rd, Mutineer Magazine is hosting its 2nd Annual Red Carpet Tasting Event at Falcon Hollywood in Los Angeles. The guest lists consists of a star-studded roundup of over 350 fine beverage VIPs: including industry celebrities, winemakers, brewers, beverage bloggers, and more.

And have no fear, kids. If you cannot make the actual event, you can follow the debauchery LIVE on the New Brew Thursday UStream. And if that wasn’t cool enough, guess who is co-hosting the Live Show? Yep, that’s right. The Beer Wench. Game on. RSVP for the Ustream HERE.

The Official Twitter hashtage for the Event and the Live Stream is #MutineerLive. Follow all of the updates and buzz surrounding the event on the hagtag stream = #MutineerLive.

The All-Star Mutineer Team on Twitter = @mutineermag + @alankropf + @jdorenbush @beermutineer + @odiedog52 @thebeerwench

Beverage Bloggers who will also be in attendance = @newbrewthursday + @johnholzer + @darthweef + @masterpairings + @thebeerchicks + @beerchicks+ @alexpdavis + @beachbumchris + @estarLA + @HipsterEnology

ABOUT THE EVENT

Mutineer Magazine’s 2nd Annual Red Carpet Tasting Presented by Amarula Cream brings together people, culture, and fine beverage at the renowned Falcon Hollywood for a memorable night of beverage tasting. The event follows up on the success of Mutineer’s first major affair celebrating its national launch last May 2009. A selective sampling of 40+ fine beverage companies from around the world will be sharing the fruits of their labor for attendees to explore. The red carpet event will also raise money and awareness for A Child’s Right, a charitable organization that implements water relief programs for impoverished children in undeveloped countries around the world.

A wide variety of wines, craft beer, spirits, liqueurs, and non-alcoholic libations will be poured as beverage connoisseurs, F&B insiders, journalists, and celebrities experience some of the most sought after beverages that are waiting to be discovered. In addition, the magazine will premiere the “Art of the Mutineer, Volume No. 1” photography exhibition highlighting Mutineer Director of Photography Ian Andreae’s inspiring and stunning photographs that have graced the covers and pages of the publication since its inception.

When:
Sunday, May 23, 2010
7 – 11 PM

Where:
Falcon Hollywood (Map)
7213 Sunset Boulevard
Hollywood, California 90046

Who:
Hosted by Mutineer Editor-in-Chief Alan Kropf and Actor/Comedian Ben Morrison.

The tasting event offers an impressive sampling selection of fine beverages including:
Spirits: Amarula Cream Liqueur, Bluecoat Gin, Combier Rouge Cherry Liqueur, BenRiach Scotch, Briottet Liqueurs, Chinaco Tequila, Don Roberto Tequila served with new cocktail mix “120 Mix”, English Harbour Rum, Kalani Coconut Liqueur, Luxardo Liqueur, Obsello Absinthe, Xtabentun Honey Liqueur

Wine: Brazin Wines, Chatom Vineyards, Continuum Estate, Jordan Winery, King Estate Winery, La Jota Vineyards, Murphy-Goode Winery, Newsome-Harlow Winery, Tanner Vineyards, Twisted Oak Winery, Two Oceans Wines, Wente Vineyards, Zucca Mountain Vineyards

Beer: Artisanal Imports, Ballast Point Brewery, Chimay, Coronado Brewing Co., Deschutes, Fireman’s Brew,Firestone Walker, Karl Strauss Brewing Co., Lost Coast Brewery, San Diego Brewing Co., Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Stone Brewing Co.

Non-Alcoholic Beverages: Dragon Pearl Tea, Hot Lips Soda, SanTasti, Waiwera Artesian Water

Cheese provided by Barrie Lynn – The Cheese Impresario.

Ustream Broadcast by New Brew Thursday.

Music by Seattle Musician Hunter Lea.

Limited tickets available here.

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: STEPH WEBER

AUTHOR OF: BREW.COOK.PAIR.JOY

Beer Blogger Interview

Full name: Steph Weber
Twitter handle: @StephWeber
Name of blog: brew.cook.pair.joy
Current location: Audubon, PA

Background “Snapshot”

1. Where did you grow up?

Northern NJ, in a beautiful lake town called Lake Hopatcong (Yes, NJ can be beautiful if you go to the right places! It’s not all turnpike and shopping malls.)

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

I played softball growing up, and I threw discus and javelin in high school track. But I was mostly into music. I’ve played quite a few instruments, but I mainly played piano and sang in high school and college (and I still do, in fact). I’ve been in about 15 different choirs, from regular high school choir to NJ All-State.

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

Hmmm, well, my first full beer (as in, I sat down with a can of beer and finished the whole thing) was the first weekend of college, so I was 18.

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

Like I said, it was the first weekend of college, in some random kid’s dorm room down the hall. He had a case of Miller Lite. It was awful, and I remember thinking to myself, “Well… better get used to this.”

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 Delaware. As an undergrad, I studied Math with a minor in Computer Science, then continued on to receive a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering, which involved writing a grueling 110-page thesis titled “The Piecewise Log Normal Approximation and Its Application to the Kinetic Collection Equation.” It was… difficult. I also sang in a choir for two years as an undergrad, and had a short stint on an intramural softball team with my friends one spring.

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 beer epiphany was Dogfish Head Chicory Stout. I had just turned 21, so I went to a large beer/wine/liquor store. I wasn’t into beer at all at the time, but I saw an incredible amount of fancy-looking six-packs there, which piqued my interest. I had heard of Dogfish Head before, and Chicory Stout sounded pretty darn interesting. So I took a chance and picked it up. When I tried it, that was it for me. My love of craft beer began to spiral out of control right away, and life has never been the same since!

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

(Can’t think of any.)

Beer Blog Background

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

I started brew.cook.pair.joy in May 2008, so about a year and a half now.

2. What inspired you to start writing your blog?

Well, I had just finished grad school, gotten married, and started a new job within a span of one month. I began working at a large government contractor (where I still work) and was waiting for my security clearance (read: I was being paid to sit in a room and wait for 40 hours a week). I was bored out of my mind for 6 weeks. I had been into craft beer, brewing, and cooking for a while at that point, and thought to myself, “Hey, maybe I should write some of this stuff down!” So I started a little blog on Blogspot. When I realized I was really enjoying writing, I decided to buy a domain, channel my coding roots, and redesign my site in WordPress.

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

I didn’t want to limit myself to writing about just beer or just food, but I also didn’t want a disjointed site covering two different topics. I had recently read The Brewmaster’s Table by Garrett Oliver and was getting really into beer and food pairing. Pairing quite literally brings beer and food together, and similarly brings my blog together. Beer, food, and pairing bring me joy, hence brew.cook.pair.joy.

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

I just love writing, and it’s a great creative outlet. Plus, it doubles as a journal for me, and I frequently refer back to old posts. So far, brew.cook.pair.joy, along with Twitter, have helped me to build a network in the craft beer world, which I hope to continue expanding. My husband and I plan to start up a brewpub called Twin Leaf Brewery sometime within the next 5 years (we hope), so getting contacts within the industry is definitely a goal!

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

Being approached by RateBeer.com to write a weekly article is absolutely the coolest thing that’s happened so far. I get a major kick out of seeing my face pop up on the main page of RateBeer every Friday!

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

This is a tough one, as my RSS feed is full of great beer blogs and I visit a ton of other beer sites… I frequent Probrewer.com since I’m an aspiring brewpub owner. I love skimming through the photos on Beer & Nosh. And of course (shameless self-promotion) RateBeer’s new Hop Press is a collection of some truly excellent beer writers. I’ve had a great time writing for it and reading everyone’s articles!

Beer Talk

1. What are your top 3 favorite beer styles?

For beers that I brew myself, I’d go with ESB, Bohemian Pilsener, and IPA. For beers brewed by others, I’d say Imperial Stout, big IPAs, and beers that don’t fall into a style category. (Sorry, totally copped out on that one!)

2. What are your top 3 favorite breweries?

These are the worst questions! I, like most other craft beer lovers, am promiscuous in my beer drinking, so it’s hard to choose a top 3 anything! *sigh* Okay, the first that pop into mind are Victory, Great Divide, aaaaand I don’t know, Stoudt’s.

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

I’ll say The Bruery, simply because their style of brewing is so completely different from my own, and I feel like I could learn a lot there.

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

As of the moment I write this, we have brewed 108 batches of beer. Since we brew about once a week these days, this number climbs pretty quickly. Again, it’s hard to choose, so I’ll go with what’s freshest in my mind. The last beer we brewed isn’t really in a style category, but I’d call it a strong Wit. A friend of the family gave us about 60 lb of Comice pears, so we added 10 lb to this Wit (the rest is being used for a pear mead and a pear cider). It’s still in the fermenter now, so I can’t say how it turned out yet!

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

Not yet, but I’m taking the BJCP exam in February (provided that they don’t run out of spots for the exam). Also, my husband and I are enrolled in the Intensive Brewing Science & Engineering program at the American Brewers Guild for 2011.

6. What is your favorite beer and food pairing?

Thinking about beer and food pairing just made me crave a pork roast and an ESB. But it’s 9:00am right now, so that’s not gonna happen. Thanks a lot.

The Personal Side

1. What is your current day job?

I’m a software engineer at an enormously enormous government contractor. It’s… boring.

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 open my brewpub right now at this second, and I would travel around the country to festivals with my husband to talk about our beer with anyone who would listen.

3. Are you married? Children?

Married, yes. Tim and I met at UD when we were 19 years old. Children, not yet (I’m only 25, for Pete’s sake!).

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

I cook (obvs), play piano, ski, and occasionally play Rock Band and Wii games. I recently tried to get into mountain biking, but then it got cold outside, so spring will tell if I stick with it!

Off The Beaten Path

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

I’d be an ESB. It’s got a little bit of everything. Smooth, caramelly malt backbone, a respectable amount of bitterness, floral hop flavor and aroma, goes down easy. Sometimes it’s a little higher in alcohol and catches you by surprise. Basically, all-around awesome… You can tell I’ve got great self-esteem

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?

Our ESB. I seriously could drink it all day long, I love it. It’s going to be our flagship for Twin Leaf as well!

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?

Something really bitter… Just kidding Maybe a coffee stout with some hot chiles added for a little subtle heat.

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

Teleportation. I’d see the world and waste no time traveling.

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

One of the hikes I went on in Colorado – Lookout Mountain. I’m not much of a risk taker when it comes to that sort of thing, so for me, it was pretty crazy!

6. What are your thoughts on bacon?

I’m probably going to get crucified for this one… but I’m not really into bacon. I’ll eat it with breakfast if it’s given to me, preferably microwaved to a crisp, but even that is a rare occasion. I think it’s kind of a silly trend… Sorry, everyone else in the world but me!

SPECIAL THANKS TO STEPH WEBER FOR BEING A KICKASS BEER CHICK!!!

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: BRIAN KROPF

AUTHOR OF: MUTINEER MAGAZINE BEER BLOG

Beer Blogger Interview

Full name: Brian Kropf
Internet nickname: Odiedog52
Twitter handle: @Odiedog52
Name of blog: Mutineer Magazine
Current location: Fort Bragg, NC

Background “Snapshot”

1. Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Puyallup, WA, about 35 miles south of Seattle.

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

I didn’t play any organized sports, but I would snowboard on the weekends with my friends.

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

I remember sneaking sips of MGD at my Grandparents’ house when they weren’t looking and it was awful .. I was pretty young, probably less than 10 years old and I don’t think my opinion of it has changed much over the years.

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

See above.

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 community college at Pierce Community College and I took as some classes at Tacoma Community College as well. I was young, wasn’t interested and I didn’t pay attention and I decided that it wasn’t my time for college and I followed some other dreams that I had instead.

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:

For me, it would have been Unibroue Maudite. I was home on mid-tour leave from Iraq and I was visiting my brother and the Mutineer Magazine crew down in LA. My good friend and Mutineer Magazine’s Director of Sales JJ Bagley had a ton of great beer and treated me with just about every gem from his cellar from ’07 Utopias to Lost Abbey barrel-aged rarities to just about every odd and end that Southern California had to offer. One that he introduced me to was Unirboue Maudite and I fell in love with it and Belgian strong dark ales. The spiciness, fruitiness, the dark malts .. it was amazing.

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

Bell’s Two Hearted Ale was another one for me. It was such a breath of fresh air from every other IPA out there. Rochefort 8 was another one, it was an eye opener .. and it was absolutely delicious and wondrous.

Beer Blog Background

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

About a year now.

2. What inspired you to start writing your blog?

My brother, Alan Kropf, really wanted me to start writing for Mutineer while I was deployed to Iraq and I ended up writing a piece called “Wartime Pairings”, giving readers a glimpse of a day in the life of a Soldier in the middle of combat and I talked about the food and beverages over there as well.

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

Alan chose it. He’s a huge fan of the late journalist Hunter S. Thompson and it had to do with something HST said. Also, we were looking at making a fine beverage publication that was unlike any other out there and we really just wanted to make it approachable and bring fine beverage to the masses, without the snobbery, subjective ratings, and BS.

4. What are you personal goals for your blog?

What do you hope to achieve with it? I just want to spread the word about Mutineer and keep spreading the word of people such as yourself with the same ideals in mind and change the way people view fine beverage. There’s more to a bottle of wine than a numerical rating and there is more beer out there to try than the three you see advertised during Super Bowl commercials. Our blog and magazine is still young and it can only go up and the buzz we have created by both consumers and the industry in such a short time is amazing.

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

The people I’ve been introduced to! I’ve made so many connections online, it’s unbelievable. Heck, a month ago I obviously knew who you were but I wasn’t really using Twitter much and then one day I signed up and we started talking. Two months later, I’d be coming to California to come hang out with you for a few days and drink awesome beer and build relationships with other people with the same common goals. Pretty rad if you ask me.

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

I’m a huge fan of yours, of course, and lately I’ve been really into Hop Cast’s and New Brew Thursdays’ podcasts. It’s nice to be able to sit back and enjoy your beer and just watch for a change, instead of reading.

Beer Talk

1. What are your top 3 favorite beer styles?

Big IPAs, big imperial stouts, and barleywines. I’m just really into big beers right now and I’m all for some barrel aging as well.

2. What are your top 3 favorite breweries? Tough question. Being relocated for the Army in the Southeast, I’ve come across so many breweries I normally wouldn’t have found like Founders, Bell’s, Foothills, etc., but I think it would be Sierra Nevada, Lost Abbey, and Dogfish Head. I think that list is pretty self explanatory, but there are tons of other breweries that are right there with them.

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

Another tough question, just like the last one. Some of my favorite breweries (as listed above) aren’t on the list only because they produce some of my favorite beer, but because the people who make the beer and the story behind it them is so awesome. So it’s a tough question. But I think I’d like to work at Brasserie Cantillon and experience their culture and brewing techniques that they’ve been using unchanged since it was founded in 1900.

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

Not yet, but I plan to be once I get out of the military.

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

Becoming a Cicerone is on my list of things to do to say the least, but it won’t be happening any time soon with my current situation. It’s on a very big list of things to do for me.

6. What is your favorite beer and food pairing?

I love Sam Adams Boston Lager and sea salt and vinegar kettle chips .. I could eat it all night!

The Personal Side

1. What is your current day job?

I’m an Airborne Infantryman .. a Paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division. It keeps me fairly busy I guess you could say. I have about 9 months left doing this and then it will be nothing but relaxing and drinking beer and doing the magazine full time.

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?

Honestly, I just want to become a civilian again. I’m sure that sounds weird to hear, but I’m just ready to live my life for me again. I’ll be doing the magazine though.

3. Are you married? Children?

Nope and no.

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

I’m a big fan of being able to sit around and do nothing, which I think a lot of people take for granted sometimes. Besides that, I’m really into cars, family, friends .. I guess I don’t have a lot of hobbies! I need to work on that.

Off The Beaten Path

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

I’d be a blend and aged in something awesome, like absinthe barrels. Cause that would be REALLY rad and to my knowledge hasn’t been done before.. and it would be a “one and done” type deal and when it’s gone, it’s gone.

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?

23 Year Old Pappy Van Winkle Barrel-Aged Sexual Chocolate from my friends over at Foothills in Winston-Salem, NC. It’s that good.

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?

Something sweet … just .. like .. you … Just kidding. It would be bold and catch everyones attention. Someone would open a bottle of The Wench and people from across the room would hear the cork pop and they’d have to come in for a closer look and whether they would want to smell it or not, you would attack their olfactory organs, being the extrovert that you are. But what kind of beer exactly? I’m thinking .. something that probably wouldn’t fall into a style guideline. And the special ingredient would be buckeye nuts. True, buckeye nuts are considered to be slightly poisonous, but that’s a risk I’m wiling to take.

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

My job is to jump out of an airplane going 150mph at only 800 feet above the ground for a living into combat … I have plenty of stories to tell. And there is probably a story or two from the 15 months I spent in Iraq.

6. What are your thoughts on bacon?

Love it, but I don’t have good bacon nearly enough and the bacon the Army cooks is horrible. My Grandma makes good bacon and she makes it soft especially for me .. cause she likes it REALLY cooked, like you can drop it and it’ll shatter.

SPECIAL THANKS TO MY GREAT FRIEND BRIAN KROPF FOR HIS RIDICULOUSLY RAD INTERVIEW!

CHEERS!