“Beer doesn’t care what color you are": Annie Johnson, brewmaster
December 8, 2015 7:59 AM Subscribe
Annie Johnson can replicate beer from taste. “I have a real knack for tasting something and breaking it down,” she says. “If I like it, I can immediately go home and make it.” But it's her own original experiments with beer that bring amazing creations to the table: her light American lager, Mow the Damn Lawn, earned her the title of Homebrewer of the Year in 2013. She's not your average beer geek, and has things to say about strange additives (Reddit AMA), race and craft beer, and her favorite tools. She is BrewMaster-in-residence at PicoBrew.
From her interview with Hey, Brewtiful, linked above:
* More women are taking up brewing craft, including an African-American award-winner
* Replanting the Seeds of Brewing
* There Are Almost No Black People Brewing Craft Beer. Here's Why.
* Why Aren't There More People Of Color In Craft Brewing? (2013)
From her interview with Hey, Brewtiful, linked above:
I always make this comment that beer really doesn’t care what color you are, it just wants to be drunk. ... And I’ll tell you, being a female [...] You really have to stick with it, because when I first started home brewing, most guys, they didn’t want to give me the time of day. It wasn’t until I won my first award that anybody would take me seriously. And that’s a shame because I knew that I was making good beer.Background reading:
* More women are taking up brewing craft, including an African-American award-winner
* Replanting the Seeds of Brewing
* There Are Almost No Black People Brewing Craft Beer. Here's Why.
* Why Aren't There More People Of Color In Craft Brewing? (2013)
Outstanding post, thanks!
Craft beer is kind of losing interest for me. There is still great new stuff to try, but when you have tasted as much beer all made in the same style it just gets old. It takes really inventive stuff to get me excited now, and that tends to be expensive. Bring in more diversity and competition and for the love of Jebus hopefully get the prices down a bit. Otherwise, I'm perfectly happy drinking Yuengling.
posted by Drinky Die at 8:20 AM on December 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
Craft beer is kind of losing interest for me. There is still great new stuff to try, but when you have tasted as much beer all made in the same style it just gets old. It takes really inventive stuff to get me excited now, and that tends to be expensive. Bring in more diversity and competition and for the love of Jebus hopefully get the prices down a bit. Otherwise, I'm perfectly happy drinking Yuengling.
posted by Drinky Die at 8:20 AM on December 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
Oh man, this is a minor obsession of mine. I have on my resume from when I worked HR at a craft brewery that I increased diversity hiring by 400%, but that's because when I started there was only one person at the whole company who was not a white dude.
posted by shakespeherian at 8:23 AM on December 8, 2015 [6 favorites]
posted by shakespeherian at 8:23 AM on December 8, 2015 [6 favorites]
She is now definitely on my list of Women in Alcohol I want to interview for my soon-to-come podcast (which will focus exclusively on the female experiences/perspectives/palates with booze).
I hope this goes without saying but when this gets going, I hope you'll share it on Projects.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 8:26 AM on December 8, 2015 [14 favorites]
I hope this goes without saying but when this gets going, I hope you'll share it on Projects.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 8:26 AM on December 8, 2015 [14 favorites]
And I’ll tell you, being a female [...] You really have to stick with it, because when I first started home brewing, most guys, they didn’t want to give me the time of day.
In addition to being yet another example of odious sexism, such discrimination against women brewers displays a stunning ignorance of history. Women were the primary brewers of beer in virtually every society* for over 3600 years, from at least 2000 BC to the 16th century, and they were very likely responsible for beer production for countless centuries of pre-history. Male brewers are a recent innovation, brought on only by the transformation of beer from a homemade product into a commercial commodity: a process from which women were systematically excluded by men. Were it not for that, it is likely that brewing would be a far more equitable profession and hobby today. I applaud the women who are working to correct that terrible imbalance.
* The only significant exception that I'm aware of being some monasteries where (because beer did not transport or keep well at the time) the monks had to do the brewing themselves. It is extremely telling that the popular mind now associates medieval beer production with the male exception (i.e. monks) rather than the female rule.
posted by jedicus at 8:30 AM on December 8, 2015 [30 favorites]
In addition to being yet another example of odious sexism, such discrimination against women brewers displays a stunning ignorance of history. Women were the primary brewers of beer in virtually every society* for over 3600 years, from at least 2000 BC to the 16th century, and they were very likely responsible for beer production for countless centuries of pre-history. Male brewers are a recent innovation, brought on only by the transformation of beer from a homemade product into a commercial commodity: a process from which women were systematically excluded by men. Were it not for that, it is likely that brewing would be a far more equitable profession and hobby today. I applaud the women who are working to correct that terrible imbalance.
* The only significant exception that I'm aware of being some monasteries where (because beer did not transport or keep well at the time) the monks had to do the brewing themselves. It is extremely telling that the popular mind now associates medieval beer production with the male exception (i.e. monks) rather than the female rule.
posted by jedicus at 8:30 AM on December 8, 2015 [30 favorites]
Also probably worth mentioning (and I can't believe it's not in the 'More women...' link) Teri Fahrendorf's Pink Boots Society.
posted by shakespeherian at 8:35 AM on December 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by shakespeherian at 8:35 AM on December 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
Beer tastes better with the right sound, according to a Danish researcher.
posted by Ideefixe at 8:51 AM on December 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Ideefixe at 8:51 AM on December 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
The only monarch known to be a woman in the Sumerian Kings List, Kug-Bau, was a brewer.
posted by XMLicious at 9:05 AM on December 8, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by XMLicious at 9:05 AM on December 8, 2015 [5 favorites]
Mow the Damn Lawn is the best name for a beer EVER.
posted by Sophie1 at 9:25 AM on December 8, 2015 [7 favorites]
posted by Sophie1 at 9:25 AM on December 8, 2015 [7 favorites]
Annie is a kickass brewer. That's all I think needs to be said. Hopefully, she'll come on the show soon.
posted by drewbage1847 at 9:42 AM on December 8, 2015
posted by drewbage1847 at 9:42 AM on December 8, 2015
She sounds awesome, and I really want to try some "Mow the Damn Lawn." :7)
That said: I am always surprised when a group that claims to be egalitarian and "focused on quality" and whatnot, turns out to be just…disappointingly human. The proof of the pudding is in the eating: pour her beer in a glass, drink it down, and then decide what you think of her. If you judge a person on what you can perceive from half a mile away -- i.e., skin color or gender -- then you really have to abandon any claims of "loving beer on its own terms" or whatever.
Gaaaah.
posted by wenestvedt at 9:49 AM on December 8, 2015 [5 favorites]
That said: I am always surprised when a group that claims to be egalitarian and "focused on quality" and whatnot, turns out to be just…disappointingly human. The proof of the pudding is in the eating: pour her beer in a glass, drink it down, and then decide what you think of her. If you judge a person on what you can perceive from half a mile away -- i.e., skin color or gender -- then you really have to abandon any claims of "loving beer on its own terms" or whatever.
Gaaaah.
posted by wenestvedt at 9:49 AM on December 8, 2015 [5 favorites]
Yes yes awesome post! Signal boost for awesome beer scholar J Nikol Beckham who's in the Thrillist piece. Her blog post series The Unbearable Whiteness of Brewing is a great read -- has it really not been posted on the blue before?
posted by clavicle at 9:52 AM on December 8, 2015 [6 favorites]
posted by clavicle at 9:52 AM on December 8, 2015 [6 favorites]
Kitteh- I want to hear your podcast! The current beer-related podcast scene is so casually gendered it can be really grating.
posted by lownote at 9:55 AM on December 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by lownote at 9:55 AM on December 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
To drop a shameless plug in to this thread, the Brewminaries, my homebrew club, has a great blog which profiles members and has recently profiled some stellar female brewers.
(Also, any NY-based brewing mefites should come hang out with us some time! The club was founded and is run by a woman, and we make a concentrated effort to be an all-around welcoming and inclusive group)
posted by Itaxpica at 10:08 AM on December 8, 2015 [4 favorites]
(Also, any NY-based brewing mefites should come hang out with us some time! The club was founded and is run by a woman, and we make a concentrated effort to be an all-around welcoming and inclusive group)
posted by Itaxpica at 10:08 AM on December 8, 2015 [4 favorites]
Now I'm curious about her beer. I've never been to Sacramento, maybe it's time to see the state's capitol.
I'm also kinda hopeful that Detroit will be able to shift toward a more African American homebrew culture, since so much of the urban agriculture and craft foods there come out of the African American community. I know black folks there that make their own wine, so beer's not that much of a stretch.
(It did crack me up to read her saying, "Chinese are are minority here, but they’re not a minority in China.")
posted by klangklangston at 10:21 AM on December 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
I'm also kinda hopeful that Detroit will be able to shift toward a more African American homebrew culture, since so much of the urban agriculture and craft foods there come out of the African American community. I know black folks there that make their own wine, so beer's not that much of a stretch.
(It did crack me up to read her saying, "Chinese are are minority here, but they’re not a minority in China.")
posted by klangklangston at 10:21 AM on December 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
Annie is fucking awesome and I've been lucky enough to meet her and hang out a couple times. She's a regular in the Sacramento beer scene and between her and Beth Zangari (who was an organizer for Queen of Beer the area has some fantastic brewsters. My only regret with living in the Bay is that I can't hang out with either of them more frequently.
It's a shame the beer scene is so man-focused because women are awesome tasters. I've sat with highly experienced male and female judges and I'd swear the women pick out more nuances than the men do.
posted by caphector at 10:21 AM on December 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
It's a shame the beer scene is so man-focused because women are awesome tasters. I've sat with highly experienced male and female judges and I'd swear the women pick out more nuances than the men do.
posted by caphector at 10:21 AM on December 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
DC also has an organization for our female homebrewers.
posted by exogenous at 10:23 AM on December 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by exogenous at 10:23 AM on December 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
Re the pull quote:
“I have a real knack for tasting something and breaking it down,” she says. “If I like it, I can immediately go home and make it.”
That's incredibly impressive -- to piggyback on the analogy in the article, as a musician with decent dictation skills, I'm still really impressed by the people that can reproduce music with non-trivial textures and figuration by ear, and that's a process that doesn't involve an intervening chemical reaction of considerable complexity with unpredictable dynamics that happens over the course of weeks.
For brewerfolk here: how many brewmasters can do that? Is it regarded as a necessary skill for being an excellent brewer, or is it independent of that?
posted by invitapriore at 10:41 AM on December 8, 2015
“I have a real knack for tasting something and breaking it down,” she says. “If I like it, I can immediately go home and make it.”
That's incredibly impressive -- to piggyback on the analogy in the article, as a musician with decent dictation skills, I'm still really impressed by the people that can reproduce music with non-trivial textures and figuration by ear, and that's a process that doesn't involve an intervening chemical reaction of considerable complexity with unpredictable dynamics that happens over the course of weeks.
For brewerfolk here: how many brewmasters can do that? Is it regarded as a necessary skill for being an excellent brewer, or is it independent of that?
posted by invitapriore at 10:41 AM on December 8, 2015
Yaaaas this is why I come to MetaFilter, what a glorious post! And in Sacramento? She's so close! How exciting, thanks for sharing.
posted by yueliang at 10:56 AM on December 8, 2015
posted by yueliang at 10:56 AM on December 8, 2015
Invitapriore: Reproducing a beer by taste is extremely non-trivial. A beer's flavor is from the malted and roasted barley (other grains may come in for flavor contributions in some beers). Some beers will have a single grain for their grain bill, others may have 3-6 (or more) different roast levels of barley, each contributing a different aspect of the flavor and color of the finished beer. There's also yeast - the yeast will, during fermentation, throw out different esters and phenols, which depend on the pitch rate (how much yeast you use), fermentation temperature, and temperature profiles (starting with a low temp and going up is different than a low temp throughout, for example). Lastly, there are the hops which can be added at a bunch of different stages for different flavor and/or aroma contributions.
There's a lot of potential complexity in the ingredient profiles which is part of what keeps stuff interesting.
posted by caphector at 10:56 AM on December 8, 2015 [5 favorites]
There's a lot of potential complexity in the ingredient profiles which is part of what keeps stuff interesting.
posted by caphector at 10:56 AM on December 8, 2015 [5 favorites]
how many brewmasters can do that? Is it regarded as a necessary skill for being an excellent brewer, or is it independent of that?
Few that I know have tried, but I would say it's (mostly) independent of brewing ability, just like a brilliant composer might not be able to take dictation. And someone who can take dictation amazingly well might not be able to write good original music.
Brewing is mostly fairly straightforward, process-wise.* The real trick is knowing what kind of results will be produced by a given combination of ingredients and processes. I think the real value being expressed here is that she is able to not just say "this is a good beer" but "this is a good beer because of these specific flavors" and then having the knowledge to say "and those flavors are best produced via these ingredients and processes." That is quite the combination of skill and knowledge, and she's clearly able to use that same skill and knowledge to produce her own good beers.
Blind replication (by itself) is very impressive but isn't that interesting because usually if you want more of a given beer you just buy more of it. Of course there are exceptions, such as reverse engineering a competitor's beer or producing a home brewing kit version of a commercial beer. Or figuring out how to make more of a tasty beer that the original brewer forgot to record (or lost) the recipe for.
* There are some more complex and subjective methods like aged, blended sour ales.
posted by jedicus at 11:03 AM on December 8, 2015 [3 favorites]
Few that I know have tried, but I would say it's (mostly) independent of brewing ability, just like a brilliant composer might not be able to take dictation. And someone who can take dictation amazingly well might not be able to write good original music.
Brewing is mostly fairly straightforward, process-wise.* The real trick is knowing what kind of results will be produced by a given combination of ingredients and processes. I think the real value being expressed here is that she is able to not just say "this is a good beer" but "this is a good beer because of these specific flavors" and then having the knowledge to say "and those flavors are best produced via these ingredients and processes." That is quite the combination of skill and knowledge, and she's clearly able to use that same skill and knowledge to produce her own good beers.
Blind replication (by itself) is very impressive but isn't that interesting because usually if you want more of a given beer you just buy more of it. Of course there are exceptions, such as reverse engineering a competitor's beer or producing a home brewing kit version of a commercial beer. Or figuring out how to make more of a tasty beer that the original brewer forgot to record (or lost) the recipe for.
* There are some more complex and subjective methods like aged, blended sour ales.
posted by jedicus at 11:03 AM on December 8, 2015 [3 favorites]
There's a lot of potential complexity in the ingredient profiles which is part of what keeps stuff interesting.
Although, to be fair, most beers fall pretty clearly into one of a relatively small number of styles. Someone can taste, say, a stout and say "okay, this is going to involve dark malt, ale yeast, and a fairly high level of bittering hops." There are still a lot of variables if one is aiming for a precise copy, but it's not as though all possible combinations of grains, roasts, yeasts, temperature, and flavorings are equally likely.
posted by jedicus at 11:07 AM on December 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
Although, to be fair, most beers fall pretty clearly into one of a relatively small number of styles. Someone can taste, say, a stout and say "okay, this is going to involve dark malt, ale yeast, and a fairly high level of bittering hops." There are still a lot of variables if one is aiming for a precise copy, but it's not as though all possible combinations of grains, roasts, yeasts, temperature, and flavorings are equally likely.
posted by jedicus at 11:07 AM on December 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
Someone can taste, say, a stout and say "okay, this is going to involve dark malt, ale yeast, and a fairly high level of bittering hops."
"Okay, this is going to involve drums, then horns, with some strings at the end to make it sound...emotional." So I agree with you, jedicus: the grain bill and yeast might be identifiable, but the timing of hops additions and the like are very significant.
(As a very novice homebrewer who uses small kits and still goes wide of the mark, my "transcribed" beer recipe after one taste would be "noise" -- if I was lucky!). :7)
posted by wenestvedt at 1:21 PM on December 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
"Okay, this is going to involve drums, then horns, with some strings at the end to make it sound...emotional." So I agree with you, jedicus: the grain bill and yeast might be identifiable, but the timing of hops additions and the like are very significant.
(As a very novice homebrewer who uses small kits and still goes wide of the mark, my "transcribed" beer recipe after one taste would be "noise" -- if I was lucky!). :7)
posted by wenestvedt at 1:21 PM on December 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
Hey, I met Annie a couple months ago. She was at the Lucky Envelope brewery (try the Eniac) in Frelard (where Fremont and Ballard blur together) in Seattle. She was showing off the new brewing appliances ($600! 5L of beer in a few weeks. Dial the amount of bitterness and booze!) and spoke with her for a few minutes. She and her partner (or roommate? I dunno) invited me along for brunch and college football meetup the next day, but I had to decline. Nice lady, and really on her game.
My coworker knows her through the brewing circles in Seattle, and keeps telling me we're going to drop in on her to see the Picobrew operation. He also tells me that there's always lots of beer leftover as they get the machines working and tested. yisssss.
I also want to try her own beers, which I have not had. This thread makes them sound good, tho.
posted by Sunburnt at 3:37 PM on December 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
My coworker knows her through the brewing circles in Seattle, and keeps telling me we're going to drop in on her to see the Picobrew operation. He also tells me that there's always lots of beer leftover as they get the machines working and tested. yisssss.
I also want to try her own beers, which I have not had. This thread makes them sound good, tho.
posted by Sunburnt at 3:37 PM on December 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
It's a shame the beer scene is so man-focused because women are awesome tasters. I've sat with highly experienced male and female judges and I'd swear the women pick out more nuances than the men do.
I wonder if that might be caused by discrimination. If only the best and most motivated female brewers keep at it, the average female brewer will be better than the average male.
Women should have the right to be sort of OK at stuff.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 9:21 PM on December 8, 2015 [3 favorites]
I wonder if that might be caused by discrimination. If only the best and most motivated female brewers keep at it, the average female brewer will be better than the average male.
Women should have the right to be sort of OK at stuff.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 9:21 PM on December 8, 2015 [3 favorites]
Someone can taste, say, a stout and say "okay, this is going to involve dark malt, ale yeast, and a fairly high level of bittering hops."
Briess midnight wheat, California ale yeast, a pound per bbl of Fuggles. I didn't even need to taste it! Beer is so easy.
posted by shakespeherian at 9:29 PM on December 8, 2015
Briess midnight wheat, California ale yeast, a pound per bbl of Fuggles. I didn't even need to taste it! Beer is so easy.
posted by shakespeherian at 9:29 PM on December 8, 2015
I have noticed how white brew pubs, beer festivals and craft ale shops are everywhere I have been in the world.
posted by asok at 4:40 AM on December 9, 2015
posted by asok at 4:40 AM on December 9, 2015
I talked to my coworker yesterday after posting my above comment (4th up from here barring deletions), and he and his buddy did go hang with Annie and her partner the day after Lucky Envelope.
Apparently I had a bizarre misconception of what was going to go on that day; Annie was brewing beer in some crazy old-school fashion where they used hot rocks to boil the water for extracting malt.
My coworker is a homebrewer, and was introduced a year or so ago by his buddy (who knew Annie from California, and lives near her in Seattle) at the buddy's party, but the introduction didn't include the fact that Annie was a Master Brewer. When coworker's brewing came up, he had to put the brakes on Annie's questions, because he is an intermediate brewer with a couple of not-precise recipes and uses a mix of syrup and grain; just a couple of guidelines. He's never used the phrase "alpha acids" in his life. So she had to come down to his level a little, but they hit it off as friends and fellow brewers.
posted by Sunburnt at 8:10 AM on December 9, 2015
Apparently I had a bizarre misconception of what was going to go on that day; Annie was brewing beer in some crazy old-school fashion where they used hot rocks to boil the water for extracting malt.
My coworker is a homebrewer, and was introduced a year or so ago by his buddy (who knew Annie from California, and lives near her in Seattle) at the buddy's party, but the introduction didn't include the fact that Annie was a Master Brewer. When coworker's brewing came up, he had to put the brakes on Annie's questions, because he is an intermediate brewer with a couple of not-precise recipes and uses a mix of syrup and grain; just a couple of guidelines. He's never used the phrase "alpha acids" in his life. So she had to come down to his level a little, but they hit it off as friends and fellow brewers.
posted by Sunburnt at 8:10 AM on December 9, 2015
Thank XMLicious - I should be candid - I know Annie pretty well from all sorts of homebrewing gigs and she's one of the profiled brewers in my next book. I think she's pretty damn awesome. She even brewed up a variation of my modernized version of Digby's Cock Ale. So double plus awesome. :)
posted by drewbage1847 at 7:49 PM on December 9, 2015
posted by drewbage1847 at 7:49 PM on December 9, 2015
Annie was brewing beer in some crazy old-school fashion where they used hot rocks to boil the water for extracting malt.
Steinbier! Basically you boil the liquid that becomes your beer by submerging super-hot rocks in it, which both boils the liquid and causes sugars to carmelize on the rocks, which does neat things to the flavor. I've always wanted to try it; this is my jealous face.
posted by Itaxpica at 7:19 AM on December 10, 2015
Steinbier! Basically you boil the liquid that becomes your beer by submerging super-hot rocks in it, which both boils the liquid and causes sugars to carmelize on the rocks, which does neat things to the flavor. I've always wanted to try it; this is my jealous face.
posted by Itaxpica at 7:19 AM on December 10, 2015
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posted by Kitteh at 8:04 AM on December 8, 2015 [20 favorites]