April 1st, 2008
Ilovemainebeer.com
A couple of weeks ago, we were visited by Russ from Ilovemainebeer.com. As a fellow beer blogger, he invited us to complete a Q/A that he desired to post on his blog. I have included his email and my responses.
I hope that you enjoy.
Sean
2Beerguys.com
Drink Craft Beer, You’ve Earned It!!
From left to Right: Sean, Ian, Ryan.
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Hi guys,
My name is Russ and I too am a beer lover. I have a website called www.ilovemainebeer.com which I blab about beer related stuff in my life and a lot about beer related things going on up here in Maine. Anyways, I thought I would start contacting others like myself and just pose some simple questions about their love of beer and give their blogs some publicity on mine. I am trying to contact a fellow beer blogger in as many different places as possible, its kind of interesting to see what others are drinking and thinking. So, I’ve come up with 5 simple questions and if you don’t mind I’d like to post your responses on my blog as well as a link to your blog. You can check out some of the others HERE. I hope you don’t mind. If so, just let me know.
Name: 2beerguys
Blog: 2beerguys./blog
1. Where do you live and what are some of your favorite local places to get a beer?
Ian and I are the founders of 2Beerguys.com and we live in the Massachusetts on the North Shore. The closest breweries to our homes are Redhook, Portsmouth Brewery, Haverhill Tap, and Mercury Brewing company. Redhook, Portsmouth, and the Tap all have a restaurant/pub on premise. Mercury Brewing Company is expanding and expects to open their brew pub in 2009.When we are not enjoying a fresh beer at the source, we tend to visit 10 Center Street, The Grog, The Barking Dog, Not your Average Joes, and Rosie O’Sheas. We are blessed with quality beer offered at our local stores and tend to spend the majority of our time reviewing beer in our homes.
1a. What is 2Beerguy.com all about? (added by Sean)
2 Beer Guys is the North Shore’s definitive source for craft beer education. Through reviews, brewery visits, and discussions with industry folks, we’ve amassed a bit of knowledge on the craft beer market, and hope to share that with you through our stories.
Our mission is to educate and inform our friends and neighbors in an effort to encourage them to enjoy finely-crafted beers that they wouldn’t normally choose. By providing commentary on a variety of offerings from micro and regional breweries, we are enabling those who join with us to enhance their beer experiences. It is our belief that there are hundreds of beers that are frequently overlooked, and it is this belief that drives us to educate on, and promote, craft beer.
2. What made you decide to start a beer blog?
We started the blog to allow an interactive interface with other beer lovers. We post information about beer events, beer news and original articles related to our most recent adventures. If you are interested in learning more about beer, I recommend visiting our blog and/or signing up for our RSS feed.
3. Other than blogging, how else are you involved with your love of beer (homebrewing, work at a bar/brewery etc…)
We are interested in homebrewing and beer education. Our education classes are taught at Leary’s Fine Wine and Spirits in Newburyport, Ma. Our IPA class was a rousing success, as we had another capacity crowd on hand to learn about the history of the IPA, and taste some of the best examples of local and far-reaching IPAs.
Our next class will be focused on stouts and porters, and more info will follow with dates and tasting line-up, so stay tuned to 2beerguys and the blog for more info!
4. If you could visit one brewery, that you’ve never been to, which would it be?
First, I would like to mention a brewery that we have gone to that everyone must visit: Stone Brewery, in Escondido, CA. You are probably already familiar with their most famous offerings, Arrogant Bastard Ale, Stone IPA, Ruination IPA and the Old Guardian. Their beers are very aggressive and make a bold statement. We had the pleasure of Visiting the Brewing in Nov of 2006. They just opened their new restaurant/beer garden; which is connected to their recently constructed brewery. The restaurant has a unique menu and decor. The ceilings are 2-3 stories tall and a major wall contains a hand carved gargoyle. It is massive and VERY impressive. The outdoor bier gardens have massive fire pits and an amazing bar setup. It is hard to explain in words, but it’s visit destination. It was interesting to see 20+ craft beers available on draft, while only ~7 were their own.
OK. So which brewery would I like to visit. Its hard to just pick one, but I will pick…. New Belgium Brewery. I am impressed in their devotion to their employees and the environment. They encourage healthiness by providing bicycles for the employees to get around the grounds. Also, I believe that it’s a 5 year employee anniversary that they receive a special bike. They have build their brewery around renewable energy using Windmills to generate energy. Most important, their beer is very tasty.
5. What comes to mind when you think of Maine?
I think of a couple of different random things: vacationland, in-laws, Ringwood/Alan Pugsley, and relaxation. I am proud to say that I have helped convert a couple in-laws into craft beer fans.
Thanks!
Best of luck with all of your endeavors.
Russ Phillips
S. Portland, ME
www.ilovemainebeer.com