Comments Rating 0 (0 reviews)

From What’s Brewing Fall 2020

In its Fall 2017 issue, What’s Brewing magazine shone a spotlight on a few newcomers to the world of ‘craft beer media.’ Three years later, in a desperate time for tasting room operators, getting the word out about supporting independent BC craft beer seems more important than ever. So, once again WB celebrates the contributions of BC’s volunteer beer advocates with a Craft Beer Superfan spotlight.

This time, we feature the longest-serving blogger amongst our sextet of craft beer influencers. He started with much-loved beer review website Mike’s Craft Beer, then pivoted to podcasting with Pacific Beer Chat. Mike then founded Brew Crime to podcast about his other passion, true crime stories. What’s Brewing featured Mike in its Spring 2016 issue. Now we talk with Mike about his beer fandom.

Q&A with Influencer Mike Garson

Q: How long have you been an active craft beer booster? How did you come up with your handle?

A: Mike’s Craft Beer was founded June, 2012. Pacific Beer Chat’s first podcast was March 2015.

Q: How did you come to blog about beer?

A: My friend Steve Hoffmann was my catalyst into craft beer, basically. When I told him I was starting to share and blog about beer he was jacked to join in. Full story online

As for podcasting, I started to search for beer-related podcasts and found Four Brewers Podcast from California. Four guys with a wealth of knowledge of beer but also a funny side. I branched out from there.

Q: When covid-19 hit, what were your thoughts for the beer industry?

A: Truthfully I really worried about the breweries and their staff. I had some doomsday thoughts in my head for sure.

Q: How much do you miss the events?

A: I am a person that definitely loves high fives, handshakes and hugs so it’s been weird going from lots of contact to almost none overnight.

Q: Any thoughts about liquor law, or what government should be doing?

A: I have loved seeing cities like Vancouver finally get a clue and allow at least temporarily patios and I hope they become permanent. It’s also high time they allow civilized people the chance to drink a beer, cider or wine in public.

Q: What would you tell someone getting into beer blogging today?

A: If you want to get into podcasting, do it because you love the subject. Don’t give up if you are not an instant hit; if it is authentic people will listen. But if you are not passionate about what you are doing, it will die off because it is more work than you ever expected.