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: NIKO KROMMYDAS

AUTHOR OF: SUPER NEAT BEER ADVENTURE, YES!

Beer Blogger Interview

Full name: Niko Krommydas
Twitter handle: @krommydas
Name of blog: Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!!
Current location: Long Island, New York

Background “Snapshot”

1. Where did you grow up?

Ridgewood, New York, on the border of Brooklyn and Queens. Existed there until ten years of age, until my parents decided we should function as a family with a front lawn who gripe about increasing property taxes. That’s when we moved to Selden, on Long Island. I have resided in my suburban bedroom ever since.

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

NBA Live 95 and Mortal Kombat II for Genesis. But I basically just conversed with my friends in AOL Chat Rooms for the majority of my adolescence.

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

It was at this secret exclusive keg party some kids in high school had organized, to be hosted in the woods near the 7-11. I remember having about four plastic red cups of Bud Light, pissing on my friend’s lawn (but mostly on myself), and vomiting in my mother’s bathroom. Two out of those three occurred last week, as well, actually.

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 attended SUNY Cortland. It’s in Upstate, New York, near Syracuse and Ithaca and some cows. Studied Kinesiology (Exercise Science) since I had become involved in fitness after an obese high school experience, and after I realized I had no desire to be a full-time journalist. My housemates and I liked to get drunk and violently toss our furniture down the staircase.

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:

I think it was more of a natural progression for me, honestly. In four years, I went from double-fisting cans of Keystone in college to bicycling alone through hop fields in Watou, Belgium. Between those two periods, I just watched wrestling and performed a lot of incline push-ups at varying angles. The rest just happened.

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

Every craft beer consumed is an epiphany, and a learning experience, in my opinion. I’ve encountered a lot of amazing people within our scene, many of them I consider good friends. We all just like to make out with one another and have a swell time.

Beer Blog Background

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

Probably about 17 months now.

2. What inspired you to start writing your blog?

My situation is a bit unique since Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!! is contracted under a local arts magazine (Long Island Pulse) that reviews all posted content and such. I started a pub review and beer-related information column (The Red Zone) about three years ago (and still do) in their print edition, and they asked if I would be interested in a blog covering the same thing. During those three years, though, I witnessed Long Island craft explode and loved the camaraderie and good vibes from those involved, so it felt natural to dedicate all content on that, instead.

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

Super Neat Beer Adventure, Yes!! is the chronicle of my journey within our craft beer scene and my education in beer, period. I am not some expert dude on craft beer, nor do I pretend to be, so my entries don’t contain seven page critical analysis on why an IPA received 4.72/5 instead of 4.76/5 on my I AM A PRETENTIOUS AND ALL-KNOWING CRAFT BEER BLOGGER GRADE SCALE. Super Neat serves to promote and spread the word of Long Island craft beer, because I believe those involved deserve the exposure. As my smelly, eBay-purchased Sabu shirt reads, “‘Nuff said.”

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

Constant fun and expansion, basically. We have our own shirts (second design is coming soon), a home video series, and other random stuff I like to mess around with. I want to keep it dorky as possible, while slowly seizing control of some small European countries.

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

Eisenhower presented me with a Purple Heart, which was rather thoughtful.

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

I only utilize the internet for tweeting and subsequently #winning.

Beer Talk

1. What are your top 3 favorite beer styles?

Russian Imperial Stout, Belgian Quadrupel (Quad) and Dunkelweizen, me thinks.

2. What are your top 3 favorite breweries?

I usually love anything from Founders Brewing Company and Stone Brewing Company. Pretty Things and Captain Lawrence are dope, too.

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

I’m friends with a dope group of homebrewers (Long Island Beer & Malt Enthusiasts; http://malt.donavanhall.net), and I help them on brew days when I have off from work, but I have yet to homebrew alone. I did collaborate with my friend Todd on a peanut butter and jelly beer, though. We called it Peanut Butt-Head and, uh huh huh, Beavis, too.

4. What is your favorite beer and food pairing?

Imperial IPA and human.

The Personal Side

1. What is your current day job?

Personal Trainer in Manhattan. I am the craft beer version of “Jersey Shore” (see: bicep curls and brews).

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 probably be publishing fiction on a regular basis, looking like Duane Allman or Morrison like I was them, just sailing.

3. Are you married? Children?

_______________.

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

I just started an internship at a screen printing studio in Brooklyn, actually, because I wanted to learn how to make shirts. My main interest is in short stories, though. That, drawing, contemplating our bleak existence, etc.

Off The Beaten Path

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

Nikoweizen.

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?

Pennsylvania Brewing Company’s Penn Dark. I miss prison.

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 the “The Beer Wench” with women are composed of: jealousy, deceit, and sugar-coated sprinkles that multiply and suck your essence until you’re left with two children and a mortgage. Kidding. Love the bitches.

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

Dinosaur transformation (“dino-mation,” for short) and the ability to not hate everyone except my dog.

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

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SPECIAL THANKS TO NIKO FOR AN AWESOME INTERVIEW!

CHECK OUT HIS FIRST EPISODE HERE: