November has come and nearly gone. Before it escapes we want to profile Brian Hatheway, our November Guide of the Month. Brian is our City Coordinator for Pittsburgh and has been instrumental to the strong start our newest market has launched with. Continue reading to find out all about Brian’s lifelong love of both Pittsburgh, and Beer.
Q: How long have you lived in the Pittsburgh area? What do you love about it?
A: I’ve lived in Pittsburgh for 30 years, my entire life and I love Pittsburgh’s sense of pride. From the fervent support of the Pens, Steelers, and Pirates (sometimes) to our love of Heinz ketchup, Primanti Brothers, and Jeff Goldblum there’s nothing Pittsburghers love more than Pittsburgh. I also love our beautiful skyline and our lovely rivers.
Q: What do you love about beer?
A: I absolutely love the brewing process. Ever since the first time I read John Palmer’s How to Brew, I have been fascinated by every step of the process. Currently, I’m doing my best to learn all I can about fermentation and the role yeast play in producing flavors in beer.
I also love the versatility of beer. From pilsners to stouts, sours to IPAs, bocks to hefeweizens, the possible flavor profiles are limitless. “I don’t like any beer” is an absolutely absurd statement in my mind.
Q: How long have you worked for City Brew Tours?
A: 4 months
Q: Do you remember your first day? How have you changed since then?
A: Beyond remembering that I was quite nervous not much sticks out about my first tour but I do remember that on my second tour I called a brewery owner by the wrong name when introducing him to the group. Super embarrassing. I’ve grown quite confident in leading tours since then. I’ve also learned to memorize names better.
Q: What’s your favorite part of your job?
A: The fact that I get to share my passion for beer with tour guests, brewers, and other beer nerds. And I still get excited walking into a brew house knowing that great beer gets made there and that I get to tell people about how that great beer is made. Getting free pints every now and then ain’t so bad either.
Q: Do you have any beer-drinking tips?
A: Properly selected, well-cleaned glassware goes a long way. And try pairing your deserts with sour beers. Like a Framboise with some chocolate cake or a citrusy American Wild Ale with some cheese cake. Bonus points for not putting a hat on a hat (i.e. blueberry sour with blueberry pie).
Q: Are you a home brewer?
A: Yes, I’ve been home brewing since 2011. My favorite recipe is one I’m currently dialing in, a New England IPA with El Dorado, Citra, and Galaxy hops called Noob Noob. My immodest pale ale, Hey That’s Pretty Good, is also one of my favorites. Here’s the recipe, give it a try!
Malts:
88% 2 Row
9% Cara Vienne
3% White Wheat
Mash at 152°F
Hops:
10 g Columbus @ 30 min
14g Amarillo @ 20 min
14g Citra @ 20 min
14g Amarillo @ 5 min
14g Citra @ 5 min
28 g each of Columbus, Amarillo, and Citra at knockout, steep for 15 minutes. Chill to 64-66°F and pitch a healthy yeast starter of a clean american ale yeast like WLP001 or Wyeast 1056. Let the temp rise naturally to 68°F and hold. Ferment at 68°F.
Dry Hop after primary fermentation with a combination of 40% Amarillo, 40% Citra and 20% Columbus hops at a rate of 2 lbs/bbl. Remove hops after no more than 5 days, cold crash, and package.
OG: 1.047
FG: 1.011
4.7% ABV
Q: What is your current favorite beer? Beer-drinking activity?
A: Favorite beers in my fridge right now are Tired Hands’ Five Leaves Left and Draai Laag’s The Plague.
My favorite beer-drinking activity is operating heavy machinery. No but seriously, I really enjoy relaxing outside with a nice beer, preferably next to a fire, with some good music playing.
Q: What could someone catch you doing in your spare time?
A: You could catch me hanging out wife my wife, Sharon, and our cats. We like exploring the outdoors, on the trails and in our kayaks. You can also find me at one of the breweries close to my neighborhood, bugging the employees about when they’re gonna brew another sour.