Last weekend, my dad and I stopped for lunch at Artisan's in Toms River, NJ. As we were walking in, I spotted their brewer, Dave Hoffman (who also has his own NJ brewery - Climax) outside taking a break. I introduced myself and just mentioned I was a big fan of the Climax product. We chatted for a minute or two about what he currently had on tap at Artisan's and we went in to eat.
After lunch, Dave tracked me down at my table and we talked a bit about the beers I tried. Naturally, I started steering the discussion toward hombrewing, and Dave kind of lit up. He wound up spending almost a half hour with us. He and I talked yeast, hops, and his philosophy about the need for balance and a respect for classic styles - philosophies that would be obvious to anyone familar with the Climax beer line-up.
He also shared some good stories about meeting Michael Jackson (Climax is the only NJ brewery to appear in a MJ book) and told me about the time Jim Koch knocked on his brewery door. I had to break up the conversation and explain to my dad that MJ is not the singer he is familar with - same name; different guy (the confused look went away).
I really thought it was informative to speak so openly with such a well regarded brewer. You don't get access to someone like that every day.
Has anyone had a similar exchange with someone from the pro brewing community?
After lunch, Dave tracked me down at my table and we talked a bit about the beers I tried. Naturally, I started steering the discussion toward hombrewing, and Dave kind of lit up. He wound up spending almost a half hour with us. He and I talked yeast, hops, and his philosophy about the need for balance and a respect for classic styles - philosophies that would be obvious to anyone familar with the Climax beer line-up.
He also shared some good stories about meeting Michael Jackson (Climax is the only NJ brewery to appear in a MJ book) and told me about the time Jim Koch knocked on his brewery door. I had to break up the conversation and explain to my dad that MJ is not the singer he is familar with - same name; different guy (the confused look went away).
I really thought it was informative to speak so openly with such a well regarded brewer. You don't get access to someone like that every day.
Has anyone had a similar exchange with someone from the pro brewing community?