Interview with Maureen Ogle
Interview with Maureen Ogle
Author of:
Ambitious Brew
The Story of American Beer.
What has surprised you most about the reaction to Ambitious Brew?
Two things... First I have been astounded by how positive the reviews have been. I really didn't quite expect that. But, I can't say that I was surprised by the animosity that has come my way. So it's been a mixed bag.
I am delighted by the great reviews... On the other hand, within the beer community there is a small group of people who are not at all happy about the book. They have not hesitated to let me know. And that's fine. As a writer you know that is part of the deal.
Which group are we talking about?
Beer fans, people who support craft-beer, as you know, can be very fanatical about their support of craft-beer. One thing I didn't realize is a lot of them have a skewed perception about the reality of brewing. I can't tell you the number of people who came up to me and told me that "Everybody drinks craft-beer these days. No one drinks Budweiser." This of course, statistically, is complete nonsense. I didn't say that to those people but their fanaticism has blinded them to the reality. It's those people who really are unhappy with the book and how the book challenges their perception of beer in America and the myth that the big brewers added corn and rice to their beer after World War Two. They don't want to hear this they don't want to know it, they think I'm an idiot; I have been called an idiot... It doesn't bother me but I didn't realize how fanatical these people could actually be.
For the rest of the interview go to - http://www.beerbasics.com/Ogle.htm
Enjoy the Holidays!
Cheers,
Peter LaFrance
(Author of Cooking & Eating with Beer -
http://www.beerbasics.com/The_Books.htm )
