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| Pete Brown, Influential Beer Writer. And some git with a dodgy jacket. |
It's only fair that in an election week we should take the time to celebrate a candidate that, whilst he didn't stand in this years election, probably should have. After all if you read his blog you'll know just how outspoken on licensing policy and the stupidity of the neo-prohibitionists.
He was another of those 60-odd judges at Ludlow this week and whilst I had to make do with Glyn Roberts, The Rake, Borough Market, Utobeer & Lovebeer on my name badge, He didn't, Pete Brown, Influential Beer Writer. Well that's what was printed on his name badge.
Is he really that influential? I personally happen to think so, Pete is one of those writers that helps give people inspiration, he has the sort of passion for beer that is infectious.
I've only read one of his 3 books on beer at this moment in time, that was Hops and Glory, a fantastic piece of writing about brewing an IPA and making the trip to India just like the old days.
To have the idea in the first place and then have the bollocks to follow it through was sheer genius, either that or insanity but the resulting book was clever, funny and informative.
Another thing to point out is that whilst Pete is at the top of the Wilkio rankings, it hasn't gone to his head, he may well be Pete Brown, Influential Beer Writer to them but he's also a jolly nice chap and it's always a pleasure to see Pete and Liz whenever they grace us with their presences.
One example of his 'jolly niceness' was me getting an email from himself and Liz inviting me to their Christmas party last year, I was honoured to be asked and also intrigued, I REALLY wanted to see his beer cellar! People send him beer for his opinion, how he's ever going to get through that amount of beer is beyond me, lets re-state, he gets SENT that beer, people want his opinion, people want his approval, a good word about a beer and a brewery could start selling loads, he has that much influence.
As I have said to various people in the past, I joined Wilkios rankings out of morbid curiosity and since then it has spurred me on to write more, I have aspirations, I want to be Pete Brown Influential Beer Writer(well Glyn Roberts, Influential Beer Writer) one day and I don't see anything wrong with that.
So here's to you Pete Brown, Influential Beer Writer! may you continue to, well, be you.
Oh and, for the record I know that my blog will never go to number one in Wilkios rankings but it's nice to dream.
3 comments:
+ 1 mate. When we were drinking at the Rake with Pete pre-Christmas 2010 we shared some damn good beers. The Goose Island Christmas Ale which Pete showed me he had bought from Utobeer for instance.
I saw it in the fridge and had to have a glass so I split it. Pete had another beer going and ignored it 'cos he preferred the Goose Island! I showed him some of my cellar pics beforehand and he said about the aged Bass he had and I really wanted to see his cellar.
Pete you HAVE to post us pictures of your cellar. I want to have a best of cellar competition with Pete; Glyn, Melissa and Mark Dredge. See whom wins?
My prized items are a Westvleteren from 1996 and a De Struise Pannepot Wild. Not more than 300 are produced I believe.
The Cad will no doubt kick my arse for lambics.
Glyn's got Guinness and Heineken in his cellar - the latter is disguised with soaked-off Goose Island IPA labels... ;-)
Actually my cellar lasts about 5 seconds after I receive the bottle so I don't technically have one.
I do have a bottle of Brewdog Zephyr which I'm going to share with my two oldest friends on my wedding day.
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