Another Top 10: Most influential people

Rick Sellers of Pacific Brew News Blog has taken our ’10 Most’ conversation another direction:

Ten People Who Shaped the US Beer Scene.

Certainly a conversation I plan to jump into in his comments section after I get a little work done. (OK, I had to leave one right off – Michael Jackson.)

Here’s his list:

1 – Fritz Maytag
2 – Jack McAuliffe
3 – Fred Eckhardt
4 – Charlie Papazian
5 – Bert Grant
6 – Garrett Oliver
7 – Jim Koch
8 – Ken Grossman
9 – Tie Vinnie Cilurzo & Sam Calagione
10 – Empty. “I would like to see . . . someone who makes the beer bar a great place to be today, those who have redefined what a Beer Bar can be.”

Go comment.

10 thoughts on “Another Top 10: Most influential people”

  2. Tom Peters, the man who almost single handedly made draught Belgian beer a reality in the US.

    Mark Silva, because before there was BA or ratebeer, there was realbeer.com.

    And Fred over Michael? With all due respect to the Beer Sultan of the Northwest, no chance.

  3. I wouldn’t put Michael over Fred, but perhaps over Garrett or Calagione as their influence is a result of Jackson’s influence. JMO.

    Why did you have to “leave him right off?”

    And what about the McMennimans that Sellers points out in his essay? And what about Bill Siebel? Okay, we need more than 10…

  4. Mark Silva, because before there was BA or ratebeer, there was realbeer.com.

    Thanks for doing that and saving me the embarrassment of stepping in myself ;>)

  5. We do need more than ten…

    I did have a few names that were considered, but not listed (in the “not listed” section at the bottom) – Dave Keene was on it. I completely spaced Tom Peters.

    MJ… yeah, I’d put Fred over him but I need to reconsider Garrett over Jackson – that does seem like an oversight.

    As for Mark Silva – I’m willing to cede this as I hadn’t considered the role he played in the online community – instead skipping ahead to the Alstrom bros.

  6. Not to discount Garrett’s role in the American beer scene at all, I’d add. His ambassadorship for good beer is unmatched — I think Jim Koch would even have to concede that.

  8. And now that I think of it, what about Charles Finkel? All the comments thus far have been about the evolution of domestic brewing — well, except for mine about Tom Peters — yet the topic clearly refers to people who “shaped the US beer scene.” As the person who pioneered the importation of what were then exotic beers, Charles certainly must be included. Even in terms of domestic influence, there are all those brewers who were inspired by their first taste of Sam Smith, Ayinger, Orval…

  9. Plus Pike did some pretty interesting things as well. And Charles helped Dan Carey get an internship at Ayinger, which has worked out well for all of us.

    Not sure how good an idea it is to run a list within a list, but Don Russell came up with a similar list for DRAFT magazine (the issue that is just going off the newsstands) called ’10 Innovator in beer.’ And since it includes Charles . . .

    The premise: 10 people whose innovation and influence can be found in every beer we drink. I little different than the way Rick was thinking of things.

    – Charles Finkel
    – Steele Platt
    – Craig Belser
    – Garrett Oliver
    – Craig Purser
    – Sam Calagione
    – Jim Koch
    – Keith Villa
    – Jeff Becker
    – Rhonda Kallman

  10. “And now that I think of it, what about Charles Finkel?”

    A very good point Stephen, if not for Merchant DuVin I probably wouldn’t have discovered good and varied-styled beer — that led to seeking more good beer.

    Didn’t know that about Carey, Stan — what’s the full story on that?

    Aas Bock, anyone?

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