Happy New Year Everyone!

Well yet again it is January, and in 2016 the Space City Nerd Team is bringing a new look to their Beer, Wine, and Spirits sections by adding a contributing member for the Beer Section of the website.  My name is Eric Andreas, and I will be contributing about all things beer for everyone’s enjoyment.

This is the first time I have written content for a website, but it is not my first foray into the Food and Beverage Industry in Texas.  I am a 17 year professional inside the industry at various levels starting as a prep cook for a catering company at 16, becoming a bartender on the Kemah Boardwalk at 19, and joining the alcohol distribution tier at 26.  Currently, I am an active member in the distribution tier as the Sales Manager for Bluebonnet Distributing which is a Craft Beer distribution company operating in Houston, Texas.  I have also worked at the Production level as the Houston Market Manager for Adelbert’s Brewing from Austin in 2014.  At the time of this being posted I am studying for the Certified Cicerone Exam, as well as beginning the study for my first BJCP level.

I wanted to use this first post as a bit of a “Get to know you” conversation, so with that in mind:

What can we as readers expect on a monthly basis?

• I am shooting for at least 2 posts a month, and 1 Podcast as a Guest/Host.  1 post being a review of some sort, and the other being an opinion piece about a topic currently happening in the industry.  All items will be published on Mondays.  Who knows what will happen on the podcasts…

What do you mean by “some sort” of review?

• The reviews could be on a singular beer, style, brewery tap room, brewery portfolio (although probably less of these as portfolios are extensive), or even brewery employee interview.  I will also start a “Brewery of the Month” program at one point in which I will try to get a full page review done of up to 6 different beers in the selected brewery’s portfolio.

But what is stopping you from giving great reviews to beers you represent, and bad reviews to others?

• Well that was already discussed with the Space City Nerd team beforehand.  I will not be reviewing beers from my own personal portfolio.  It wouldn’t be fair, and I don’t want my opinions on beers to viewed as biased.  Now that doesn’t mean that those beers won’t be reviewed.  In the event a product that I represent is reviewed it will be done so by an outside source, and will appear unedited.  That outside source will be credited.

How would you describe your writing style?

• I would describe it as casually conversational.  Almost as if the article is written from a 3rd person point of view.  What I hope to achieve is that the audience views the post from a bartop perspective.  Either a conversation you would have with a friend, or bartender, while having a drink.  I have also been described as speaking with the bluntness of a sledgehammer.  As my best friend likes to say: “If you ever want to know what Eric’s opinion is….. just ask.”

Are we going to always agree with your opinions?

• God I hope not.  My stance on my own opinions is that if everyone in a group is agreeing with me then I am probably very wrong in how that opinion was presented.  Honestly my opinions can really be out in left field, so I expect for some heated arguments from time to time.

Are you, as a writer, open to being wrong?

• I am totally open to being proven wrong.  That is the greatest aspect of the Craft Beer Industry.   There is always something new to learn.  In my opinion if you are done learning you are done evolving as a person.  A person cannot evolve without being open to being wrong.  If I am wrong, that means there is something new for me to learn.  I am right on things a lot more than I am wrong though.

Ego much?

• I have a gigantic ego, but I do know it exists.  In my work environment a person has to have a rather big ego to survive against one’s competition.  It is a kill or be killed world in the distribution industry, and being confident (and partially egotistical) is a big part of both survival and success.  That ego will show up in my writing, but I will do my best to keep it in check.

Can we contact you if we have comments, concerns, ect?

• Of course.  On twitter you can find me @Das_Bier_Dude.  Feel free to reach out to me there.

Will you take topic suggestions to write about?

• Yes, and the more suggestions the merrier.

What will make this different from every other beer blog?  What incentive do we have to read?

• I can offer a more inside view of the industry than most will, and I also understand the beer trade market inside the state.  I want to use this platform to showcase what is going on in the Houston/Texas marketplace; and potentially cause conversations that may not conventionally occur about beers, breweries, pubs or restaurants, beer shops, or any other ideas that are being tossed around the industry.  With reviews I can offer potential beer trade values that can possibly stop some of the secondary market price gouging that we see on a yearly basis with special releases from breweries.  My review system is not overly complicated.

What system are you basing your reviews on?

• I am going to use a 5-star system that is based on the Untappd rating scale.  I will comment on everything you would expect: Body, Color, Mouthfeel, Aroma, Taste; but I am only going to give an overall score that will reflect my own Untappd feed.  So I will be updating my Untappd profile as I review beers for the Space City Nerd.

Can you offer an example of a “trade value”?

• Let’s take Pliny the Elder for example.  This is widely renowned as one of the best Imperial IPAs in the nation, and regularly could be traded for high return values in the past.  In recent weeks people are finally coming around to the fact that Pliny is slightly overrated.  To be clear this beer is a good buy at $5 a bottle, and it is very good.  However it is not “OMG here is a Rumpkin ($17 value), and a 120 Minute ($10 value)” good.  Realistically because of what is available in the state now from a category point of view Pliny has a trade value of about $7.50 in my opinion.

HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT!!!! PLINY THE ELDER IS THE GREATEST BEER EVER!!!

• Damnit….. ok look.  This is actually an argument I have had in the past, and it goes a lot like this:
• IF 4000 OUT OF 5000 PEOPLE SAY SOMETHING IS THE BEST THEN IT IS OBVIOUSLY THE BEST!  PERIOD!!!
• Yes, and 4000 out of 5000 people also say that Bud Light is the greatest thing on Earth.  Let’s move on with our lives and agree to disagree.

??????

• This is really simple.  In the Imperial IPA category we have seen several breweries in Texas produce world class beers that are not quite refined yet, but are well on their way to being better than Pliny the Elder.  Those include Southern Star Valkyrie, B-52 Double IPA, Texas Beer Refinery ‘The Catalyst” (My personal favorite), and the list goes on and on.  We are also gaining access to new breweries almost on a weekly basis.  As a state we are catching up with not only domestic production, but beers that are available from around the nation.  I personally will take fresh Odell Myrcenary over fresh Pliny the Elder any day.  If anyone wishes to offer me an Evil Twin “Moltov Cocktail” or “Moltov Lite” I am not going to say no either.  Those are two world class beers that just became available in Texas.  Again, I am not saying Pliny the Elder isn’t a good beer.  It is a wonderful beer, but standing behind the above argument just won’t fly anymore.  That argument will get you labeled as a “Beer Douche” in most circles.  No one likes a Beer Douche.

I am really glad we got this conversation out of the way.  In the future I want to have some “AMA” style posts in the above format as I really love talking about beer, and the beer industry in general.  For those posts I will be asking for questions as DM’s on Twitter.  I am looking forward to providing content to the site, and look for me to show up on the podcast from time to time.

So for the first time, and definitely not the last….

Thanks for reading.  Cheers!

Eric Andreas

Twitter: @Das_Bier_Dude

Untappd Screen Name: Gevetyn