Garrett Oliver – The world’s leading Brewmaster | Chocolate City: The Best African American Blog

Garrett Oliver – The world’s leading Brewmaster

Article Source: ClickEatDrink.com, TouchandEat.Me
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Garrett Oliver, America’s best Brewmaster

You probably know what a brewery is and are capable of naming a few of the local and foreign breweries; but that might be the extent of it. Most of us do not care about the process of the making of a “cold-one,” nor have we given it a second thought. Before a good beer reaches our lips, it takes a lot of hard-work and tedious process by the brewmaster and his/her dedicate team. Simply put, a brewmaster makes beer. Beer making is not as simply as it may sound; the process of making beer is a highly-skilled art that can be tedious, time-consuming, cumbersome, and at times dangerous. Brewmasters work in various-sized beer factories throughout the world and typically oversee the beer-making process from start to finish. The job description of a brewmaster varies depending on the environment he/she works. In a large production facility, such as a commercial brewery, the position may involve more of a managerial role such as overseeing those who do most of the hands-on work. In a microbreweries, where the beer is produced in much smaller quantities, a brewmaster usually has a much greater hands-on role throughout the process of making beer. Home beer brewers and hobbyists are also considered brewmasters.

A graduate of Boston University, with a degree in Broadcasting and Film; Oliver is one of the world's leading Brewmaster and the foremost authority in the United States on the subject of traditional beer. In 1994, he joined The Brooklyn Brewery as a brewmaster and partner. Today, he is the Brewmaster and Vice President for Production at the Brooklyn Brewery. He is also the recipient of the 1998 Russell Schehrer Award for Innovation and Excellence in Brewing, granted by the Institute for Brewing Studies. This award is the highest award given within the United States brewing profession. Oliver is also the recipient of the 2003 Semper Ardens Award for Beer Culture (Denmark) and Cheers Beverage Media's "Beverage Innovator of the Year" Award for 2006. Oliver's latest book, The Brewmaster's Table, is a “must have” if you are interested in pairing beer with a dish. His book provides endless pairings of beer and dish. His 360 pages “Brewmaster’s Table” is widely regarded as one of the cornerstone books on beer.

How did a young African-American male who worked at HBO and holds a degree in Broadcasting and Film become interested in brewing? By his own admission, he was incessantly complaining to friends about how the Americans concept of beer was a “cold one.” One of those friends bought him a home-brewing kit and within months Oliver had organized the New York City Home Brewer’s Guild. After college, Oliver traveled to Europe and enjoyed some of the finest European beers. Upon returning to his native New York City, he was shocked to find how few of Europe’s finest brews made it to the shelves in his local markets. In the late-‘80s, the Manhattan Brewing Company, a large brew pub, opened in lower Manhattan and brought in a leading brewmaster from England. Oliver abandoned his dreams of making film and became an apprentice brewer. He quickly rose to brewmaster. In the early 90's the Manhattan Brewing Company was faced with financial problems and Oliver moved to the brand new Brooklyn Brewery. He later was appointed brewmaster there in 1993. He soon became widely known both in the United States and in foreign countries for his flavorful interpretations of traditional brewing styles. Oliver also became widely know as an authority and lecturer on the subject of fine beer.

Oliver has hosted hundreds of beer tastings and dinners, written for beer and food-related periodicals, and is internationally recognized as an expert on traditional beer styles and their pairing with good food. Many of Oliver's beers have won national and international awards. He is one of the founding members of Slow Food USA, the American branch of the Italian organization that aims to celebrate food made by traditional methods. He has served as a judge for the Professional Panel Blind Tasting of the Great American Beer Festival for fourteen years, and is a perennial judge for the prestigious Great British Beer Festival competition and the Brewing Industry International Awards. He has hosted tastings and talks for numerous cultural institutions, including the Smithsonian, MassMOCA, the American Museum of Natural History and The Jewish Museum. In the United States, Garrett has made numerous radio and television appearances as a spokesman for craft brewing, including segments on NPR, CBS,CNN, ABC, PBS, MSNBC, WB, The History Channel, The Travel Channel, A&E, Emeril Live, Sarah's Secrets, Roker on the Road, Bobby Flay's Food Nation and Boy Meets Grill, CBS' Martha Stewart Living, Fox & Friends, the WB Morning Show, and Bravo's Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.

Oliver's profile was featured in innumerable blogs, articles, and newspapers including ChocolateCity.cc, Click Eat Drink, Gourmet magazine, which referred to him as "a passionate epicure and talented alchemist." A recent two-page profile in The New York Times Dining Section referred to his "brilliant" ability to match craft beer with great food. Oliver has also hosted beer tastings and dinners at many fine restaurants, cooking schools, and food events around the world.