Drink With The Wench » ratebeer.com

Featured Beer Blogger: MARIO RUBIO

Wenchie — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 11:32:57 +0000

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: MARIO RUBIO

AUTHOR OF: BREWED FOR THOUGHT

Beer Blogger Interview

Full name: Mario Rubio
Internet nickname (if applicable): Not official but Fred Abercrombie called me Mario the Brewsario
Twitter handle: Brewed4Thought
Name of blog: Brewed For Thought
Current location: Santa Rosa, CA

Background “Snapshot”

1. Where did you grow up?

Seaside, CA (aka the Monterey Penninsula)

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

Baseball, basketball, football

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

First craft beer, 17

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

Freshman year of college. Went with my fraternity brothers to Raleigh’s (now Manny’s) in Berkeley. We sat outside in their wonderful beer garden and pitchers of amber liquid were brought out. It was Boont Amber. It blew me away. I was instantly hooked.

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

UC Berkeley, 3 Years of Civil Engineering, 1 year of Chicano Studies. I was a fraternity member (Alpha Sigma Phi) and an avid supporter of Cal athletics but not a participant.

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:

See above

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

At Rogue Ale House in Eugene about 5 years ago. For some reason everything I had been trying to understand about beer through homebrewing and sampling finally made sense. It was over a pint of Chocolate Stout. That took me from beer enthusiast to full on beer geek.

Beer Blog Background

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

October 2007

2. What inspired you to start writing your blog?

It had been a plan since college with some friends, I finally took the initiative.

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

My friends and I started the site. Originally we were going to be the Beer Brothers but after 7 years of not starting a site, the name was taken. A friends wife said Brewed For Thought. It was a winner.

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

Originally the goals were to receive free beer. Mission Accomplished. Now, I hope to somehow make a living.

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

Shaking hands with Fritz Maytag.

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

Beer Talk

1. What are your top 3 favorite beer styles?

Hoppy, Malty and yeasty.

2. What are your top 3 favorite breweries?

I have no idea. Lagunitas, Russian River and North Coast

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

Moonlight, I think Brian Hunt not only brews amazing beer but also is an inspiration for how a business can/should be run.

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

I brew boring styles. I put lemon zest in my Rats in the Attic Pale Ale, maybe my Wonderful Welcome Wheat Porter I brewed for my daughter’s birth. The names are more interesting than the beers.

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

No one will officially back my status as a beer geek.

6. What is your favorite beer and food pairing?

IPA and Carrot Cake.

The Personal Side

1. What is your current day job?

Unemployed.

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?

Something in the brewing industry. I’d like to be involved with brewing somehow.

3. Are you married? Children?

Yes. One daughter, 2 yrs old.

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

Sports, cooking, travel, movies, music but all of these seem to be decreasing with parenting. I’m completely not cool.

Off The Beaten Path

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

A mild. I’m a beer at 12:30 kind of 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?

Red Nectar. It reminds me of drinking beer on my deck with friends and BBQing when I was in college.

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?

Pure cane sugar. Just to boost the ABV.

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

Is not having to work for a living a superpower?

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

Looking back at it, getting behind the wheel after having drank too much. As a youngster, didn’t seem so bad. Now, it’s simply stupid and dangerous.

6. What are your thoughts on bacon?

It’s tasty.

SPECIAL THANKS TO MARIO FOR AN AWESOME INTERVIEW!

CHEERS!

Featured Beer Blogger: MARK DREDGE

Wenchie — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 11:36:15 +0000

DRINK WITH THE WENCH PRESENTS:

The Beer Blogger Interview Series

Beer Blogger Interview

Full name: Mark Dredge
Twitter handle: @markdredge
Name of blog: Pencil & Spoon
Current location: Tonbridge, Kent, England

Background “Snapshot”

1. Where did you grow up?

Chatham, Kent, with my parents and little sister.

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

Cricket. How very English. Played for my University team.

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

First beer that wasn’t a sip was probably 13. I hated it.

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

No idea. Probably with my dad. A cheap, French lager, I guess. I hated the stuff and it took me years to appreciate it.

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

Royal Holloway, University of London for my undergraduate where I studied Media Arts. Then Roehampton University for a Masters in Creative Writing. I just played cricket at University and drank in London a lot.

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

There have been a few and recently they have snowballed as I’ve been able to drink more and better beer. The first was at a small, local beer festival in Chatham. I was with my dad and two best mates and I had a dark mild that just blew my mind. It was also one of the most fun nights I’ve had and I got closer to my dad as a result.

The next major epiphany was with Stone’s Ruination IPA. It was the best sensory drinking experience I’d had – the fruitiest, hoppiest, craziest beer and I instantly because addicted to the hop buzz and the drinkability of massive IPAs.

Since then it’s been more about people and sharing and the way that beer lovers come together and enjoy these rare and delicious beers and want to talk about them. I am constantly inspired by the interaction between people when it comes to beer.

Beer Blog Background

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

Since October 2008, although for a year before this it was a food website.

2. What inspired you to start writing your blog?

I just wanted to write every day – for me it’s about the writing, not just the beer.

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

It was originally about food (using my Pencil to write about the actions of my Spoon!) with some beer thrown in but the food quickly fell away as I got more interested in the liquid. I wish it was called Pencil & Pint now, but it’s too late for that, plus I’m kind of attached to the name now!

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

A reputation as a good writer. I don’t expect to make money from it but I hope it will give me the opportunity to make money elsewhere and to write beyond the blog confines. Ultimately, it’s my online notepad to keep me writing and it allows me to communicate with other people and become a better writer. The real goal is to write a book about beer (fiction or nonfiction).

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

Being named the British Guild of Beer Writers New Media Writer of the Year 2009!! I’m still on a high from that one.

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

Reluctant Scooper, Rate Beer (I like reading the forums and the rates) and Impy Malting

Beer Talk

1. What are your top 3 favorite beer styles?

Double IPA, barrel-aged imperial stout and pale session ale (hoppy and under 4% ABV)

2. What are your top 3 favorite breweries?

Thornbridge, BrewDog and Marble (representing the UK!)

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

Thornbridge. Just the coolest, nicest people to be around and I love their beer.

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

Not yet a homebrewer. I’m sure the time will come though…

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

Nope.

6. What is your favorite beer and food pairing?

The ones which are surprising and you don’t expect. Islay-barrel-aged IPA with lemon cheesecake, for example. Or just the simple ones – a cold IPA or lager with fresh seafood while sitting in the sun.

The Personal Side

1. What is your current day job?

Communications for a large College (I get to blog and tweet and get paid for it!).

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 be a writer, earning money from what I love.

3. Are you married? Children?

I live with my girlfriend. No children. Looking after myself is hard enough.

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

Running, cooking, reading.

Off The Beaten Path

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

Something English but with American influence. Something a bit different, a relaxed kind of beer for sipping or glugging, with a creative twist to it, made by hard working hands in the early morning. An English new-skool IPA, 7-7.5% ABV, with some blackberries or strawberries (picked at dawn from wild hedgerows) added to the boil or ferment. So I’d have a malty-caramel base with big hops, earthy but also fruity and juicy, bitter in the nicest possible way.

Chances are that I won’t be in a decent state of mind to appreciate a special beer but I’d go for BrewDog’s Zephyr. It’s big and strong yet subtle and fruity with strawberries and an amazing whisky barrel smoky sourness. I might not appreciate the taste but it’ll be an experience to go out on a high with.

3. If I contracted you to brew a beer (or design a beer recipe) called “The Beer Wench” — what style would you choose and what, if any, extra ingredients would you add?

‘Wench’ makes me think large glasses of frothing lager but I don’t think that’s right… I think a twist on the lager, maybe an imperial lager, 10%, super hoppy and vibrant. You still need to serve it by the litre in massive glasses.

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

We had a discussion on the way to the pub once about having a superpowered liver so that we could just drink and drink and drink… we ultimately decided that would suck as you’d never get drunk (and getting a bit drunk is part of the fun). I’d say teleportation. I’m impatient and I’d love to just think of a place and magic myself off there.

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

I try and avoid crazy…

6. What are your thoughts on bacon?

Lee Bacon is my best friend. Seriously. One of my best mates has Bacon as a surname.

SPECIAL THANKS TO MARK FOR AN AWESOME INTERVIEW!

CHEERS!

Most Compelling BEER Personalities on TWITTER

Wenchie — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:52:30 +0000

Several bloggers and other internet sources have written posts about the “most influential” or “top” people to follow on Twitter — in specific topics of interest (such as food, wine, social media, etc…)

However, everyone seems to be over looking the beer community. Pssshhhaw. How rude. Us beer geeks can be influential and important too, ya know!

So I thought I’d take the liberty to make my own (COMPLETELY SUBJECTIVE) list of the “Top 20 Most Compelling Beer Personalities on Twitter”. What exactly is my credential for creating the lists? Well let us start by defining the word compelling:

com⋅pel⋅ling [kuhm-pel-ing]
–adjective
1. tending to compel; overpowering: compelling reasons.
2. having a powerful and irresistible effect; requiring acute admiration, attention, or respect: (a man of compelling integrity; a compelling drama)

THE BEER WENCH’S CRITERIA FOR THE TOP 20 MOST COMPELLING BEER PERSONALTIES ON TWITTER:

COMPELLING ENOUGH TO FOLLOW: I must follow this person. Unfortunately, this rules out the people I do not follow — which means this list has potential to change in the future.
COMPELLING CONTENT: Tweets contain information of value in relation to the craft beer industry. (i.e.: news updates, events, announcements, beer reviews, links to beer related information, etc…)
COMPELLING PERSONALITY: Twitter personality is interesting and captivating. There is a person behind the twitter handle — they are more than just a “brand” or a “blog”.
COMPELLING CONVERSATION: Community engagers — people who are constantly engaging in conversations with the twitter community (whether it be through retweeting or replies). People who constantly have one way conversations, in my opinion, are not compelling. Talk to me. And I will follow you.
COMPELLING FOLLOWER RATIO: Good follower to following ratio. This does not mean they necessarily need to have a huge followership — number of followers is NOT criteria for this particular list. But they need to have at least an equal amount of followers as they are following.

At first, I was going to rank the top twenty followers — based on how well they execute the basic 5 criteria listed above. But, the metrics on that is too complicated for me to deal with at this time — and besides, it would be entirely way to subjective and open for debate. Instead, I’m going to list my TOP TWENTY MOST COMPELLING BEER PERSONALITIES ON TWITTER in a random order. There is no method in my madness (although, it be but madness). The numbers have no relevance to rankings. IGNORE THE NUMBERS.

THE BEER WENCH’S TOP TWENTY MOST COMPELLING BEER PERSONALITIES ON TWITTER

@dogfishbeer – Dogfish Head has (hands down) the best brewery brand presence on Twitter. Why? 1. She has a personality. AND a name. In fact, the Dogfish Head Twitter account is Mariah Calagione — aka Sam’s wife. She is constantly retweeting her followers and engaging in conversations. If you send her a question or mention her brand, she responds. Mariah kicks ass.
@TheArtofBeer — Tay Shaw is one of the biggest craft beer evangelists on Twitter. She has been known to send (coveted) craft beer all around the country to her followers. She is extremely active in the twitter community and also very entertaining.
@Cicerone_Org — Ray Daniels is one of the foremost educators on the subject of beer. He is one of the most brilliant men I have ever had the pleasure of meeting in real life. If you need to know something about beer — he is the man to talk to.
#gents – AKA @kenoftheyear @DrStarkWeather @SlovakBrewer @hopcast @beerad – These dudes are hiliariously entertaining, but also a wealth of information. They get together on a frequent basis to homebrew and taste beers … and then share all of their experiences on Twitter. They also create entertaining video blogs at Hop-Cast.com Following the hashtag #gents can get addicting …
@beerbabe — Besides having a super cool name and really hot avatar, Carla defies the common misperception that women hate beer. She is a huge advocate of females in the beer industry and uses both Twitter and her blog as a platform for expressing her passion.
@hookedonwinter – PJ is one of my favorite people to banter with back and forth about beer. He is an awesome homebrewer (I know this for a fact) who is aspiring to turn his passion into a career. Through both Twitter and his blog, PJ encourages others to join his adventure in starting a brewery.
@bruisinales – This woman must be a robot, because I swear she never sleeps. Julie can be found on Twitter just about every minute of every day. No really. Her tweets are very entertaining and she provides a lot of great content regarding beer releases, beer events and beer news.
@beerandnosh — Even though I only just started following Jesse, he has provided me with a wealth of beer knowledge via Twitter. Jesse is by far one of the best beer photographers out there and I love living vicariously through his photos and tasting notes.
@TimWeber & @StephWeber – Rockstar homebrewing couple in the process of getting certified through the American Brewers Guild. They have aspirations to start their own brewpub in the next 5 years. They are very engaging and informative on Twitter. And well, ADORABLE.
@ChipperDave — I’ve been following Dave’s blog for some time now. He is well-connected in the beer world and extremely knowledgeable about all things beer. I was lucky enough to meet him in person at GABF.
@beerinator – This dude is super talented. Jonathan is a key member of the Beer Mapping Project as well as DRAFT magazine’s Web Director. He is located in Chicago — beer hub — and is extremely engaging and fun to follower.
@olllllo – Very talented homebrewer (LOVED his Pro-AM beer at GABF). Works for a brewery in Arizona. Like me, he travels in the name of beer. Great beer knowledge resource.
@StoneGreg — Another “brand” that utilizes social media very well. Greg is the owner of Stone Brewing Co. (you know … that small unknown craft brewery …) Although he travels a lot, Greg does a great job of responding to tweets as well as retweeting others.
@beersage — Currently runs one of THE best beer news sites out there — beernews.org. He is always tweeting out the most cutting edge beer news … whether it be new releases or beer events, this guy is definitely one of the best beer sources on the web!
@newbrewthursday — A collaborative team of (4) funny & cute beer geeks. All dudes. They are hilarious, supportive and very engaging on Twitter. Excited to meet them at San Diego Beer Week.
@HomeBrewChef — Chef, brewer, writer, photographer. Sean knows his beer. And on top of that, he makes amazing food — with beer as an ingredient. I’ve had his cookies — trust me, he’s good.
@SudsyMaggie — Another femme fatale in the beer industry. Beer blogger, homebrewer & huge beer evangelist, Maggie is freaking ADORABLE. Regardless of whether or not you’ve met her (I have), she is too cute not to love.
@BlatzLiquor — Joe runs Blatz Liquor, a super awesome liquor store that has a kickass beer selection. Joe constantly tweets about new releases and specials that his store is featuring … unfortunately for me, I do not live near Milwaukee … otherwise I’d be there everyday.
@TeeCycleTim — Contributing author to DRAFT magazine (online). Tim is THE Beer Runner. He writes about staying physically fit while living the life of a beer enthusiast. He is also a big environmentalist and entrepreneur.
@brewed4thought — EXTREMELY well-connected beer “geek”… always ahead of the trend. Great blogger, beer event planner and resource for all things beer. Also, THE editorof the “soon-to-be-released” online beer publication on RATEBEER.COM site (where I will be a featured publisher)… stay tuned.

Runners Up and the “Up and Coming” Beer Tweeters):

@BeerinBaltimore – Don’t let his avatar fool you. Brad does not limit himself to just tweeting about beer in Baltimore. However, he is THE best resource in Baltimore for beer events & beer news.
@odiedog52 — Brian is absolutely ADORABLE! Super beer geek … just getting into the whole swing of things with Twitter. Currently imprisoned by the Army, but soon to be released. Brian is also the beer editor for Mutineer Magazine.
@tattoodbrew — Jon is a talented graphic designer by trade, which explains why he has one of the coolest avatars on Twitter. He offsets his beer “geek” image with his badass tattoo obsession and passion for all things music.
@jchristie — Josh definitely puts the geek in “beer geek.” Where as most people are pairing their beers with food, Josh pairs his with books. He is probably the most adorable book nerd-beer geek on Twitter.
@bisonbrew — Emerging brewery brand on Twitter. Daniel is dedicated to all things organic and sustainble. Produces awesome beer … and has a down to earth personality.
@misohungry — Jenni bakes with beer. Her treats are F*ing phenomenal … and I would know. She has baked with me. Great recipes for beer geeks who want to bake with beer!
@ruinationpress – Tattoo obsessed beer geek and fellow beer blogger. Really engaging on Twitter. Good friend. Knows his shit.
@beertodd — Brewer of some awesome and unique beers at Copper Canyon in Southfield, Michigan. Super beer activist … and recently released a great viral video in support of the Rock Art Brewery movement.
@Beervangelist — Owner of New Holland Brewing Co. in Michigan. Only just started following Fred, but already … he is providing me with lots of compelling and valuable content. Fred is on my list of “brands to watch.”
@sarahhuska — Voted (in a secret ballot) as one of THE hottest beer lovers on Twitter. Many of my guy beer geek friends have a crush on her … and for good reason. She is hot. And she knows her shit about beer.

NOW … before all you Twitter beer connoisseurs out there start crying about not making this list — just remember, this is a subjective list. My list is based on the people I follow, how often I interact with them and the value of their tweets. As far as I know … this list can change over night.

The two best tips I can give to beer personalities on Twitter is 1. BE HUMAN (don’t talk AT my … talk WITH me) … and 2. BE COMPELLING.

CHEERS!