Beer Tyranny

In advance, I'm offering my apologies to the fine writing staff at Mid-Atlantic Brewing News, who have just put out a wonderful issue on the history of craft beer in the Mid-Atlantic region.

A notice in the magazine's on-line Hop Tips column caught my eye and tickled my funny-bone: (I'm mixing my metaphors as personal penance.)

This historic event at the revered Brickskeller will be a memorable occasion as a panel of 5 respected authoritarians [emphasis mine] on the world of beer will have an open discussion about their lives in beer.

Authoritarian: "One who imposes or favors absolute obedience to authority." Was this a reference to Kim Jung Il, Hugo Chavez, Vladimir Putin, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and the generals of Burma: all beer lovers? Who knew?

Or was this a reference to the beer-stylistas who fiercely decree what a beer can and cannot be?

Well, no. What was actually meant was "authorities on the world of beer." The event on 27 October at the Brickskeller in Washington, D.C. does sound as if it could be very interesting. So, thank you MABN, for bringing it to our attention.

WHY IS THERE BEER?

For the first time together, on the Brickskeller stage, we bring you five experts whose lives are involved in the world’o’beer but whose path followed completely different [sic]

Each speaker has chosen two INCREDIBLE beers we will serve as we share stories concerning of our areas of expertise, maybe tell a horror story or two and artfully dodge questions from the audience. This is a rare chance to meet people from all aspects of how beer is brought to you while sampling some of the absolutely finest beers in the city [Washington, D.C.]

The panel for this event is –

An educator
Bob Tupper - host extraordinaire, contract brewer, and beer historian

A writer
Greg Kitsock - Washington Post beer writer, Editor Mid Atlantic Brewing News, co-owner American Brewer magazine, frequent guest host

An off premise retailer
Larry Robinson - Chevy Chase Liquors . . . the premier off premise retail operation in DC

A Distributor
Bill Catron – distributor rep, ABC agent for licensed establishments, Knighthood of Belgian Brewers, Creator of award winning beer program, Belgian brewery rep

and your friendly neighborhood on-premise operator
Dave Alexander - BrickskellerBeerGuy