Because the first edition of “The Complete Beer Course” was published in 2013 and this is 2023 and the second edition is about to land, it seems natural to look at how the content of the book reflects changes in beer, in brewing and how consumers may view beer.
In reviewing the book and speaking with Bernstein, both David Nilsen and Courtney Iseman both found their way to the subject of brewers as, well to dig back into a popular descriptor in the aughts, rock stars.
“When I think back to 2012, I mean, it was really this era of the brewmaster-end-all-be-all, you know what I mean?” Bernstein told Iseman. “So . . . all the information and all the beer knowledge came forth from them. It was kind of wild. If you think about it back then, the brewmaster as celebrity, that concept was huge. You almost needed these figureheads, I think, to be able to talk about what was happening . . .”
To Nilsen, he said, “The moment in 2013 was really about the brewmaster being exalted. “Back then we all prayed at the altar of Sam Caligione (Dogfish Head) and Garrett Oliver (Brooklyn) and others.”
As this not totally random post from 2008 illustrates, not everybody bought into this.
But it was a real thing, as an article in 2013 by Alan Moen titled “Craft Beer Rock Stars” for American Brewer magazine illustrates. Featured were Vinnie Cilurzo, Russian River Brewing; John Maier, Rogue Ales; Rob Tod, Allagash Brewing; and Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery.
In 2023, Bernstein chose to include brewery workers like sensory scientist Rachel McKinney at Fremont Brewing and packaging manager Marcus Crabtree at Kings County Brewing Collective. “I really want to give a voice to these people that are in the industry and show people that beer is more than just one single person, that breweries are miniature factories and everybody has different roles, and getting that beer into your hand requires a lot of hard effort and a lot of [teamwork],” he said to Iseman.
What does that mean for the exalted few?
Tod and Cilurzo are in the index of the latest edition; Maier and Calagione are not (although Dogfish Head makes multiple appearances).
Call it coincidence. Photos posted on Instagram from The Brewers Retreat this week prove plenty of fans are still willing to pay to hang out with their brewing heroes.