A brewmaster’s code of ethics.
By Gina Ryder

Dressed in relaxed fit jeans, flip flops and a plain, navy blue, hooded sweatshirt, Brendan Anderson might as well be wearing an expensive bespoke suit. His tall, lean stature commands that kind of attention.
Even with his epitome-of-a-clean-cut-frat-boy appearance, his self-assured nod bears the gravity of a seasoned professional. Anderson, a brewmaster, presides over the New Hope microbrewery, Triumph, like a judge over his courtroom. But I have probable cause to believe he’s not as grounded as he lets on.
More in line with his age (26), the Missouri native succumbs to the occasional keg stand and he tends to cure hangovers with, well, alcohol — Jameson, specifically.
The mature-beyond-his-years, authoritarian persona only really comes through where his craft is concerned, and even then, only when he discovers beer elitists, the kind who look down their pints at anyone who prefers Miller Lite to hefeweizen. Just as true justice is blind, Anderson operates by one simple, open-minded code: “You have to be respectful of other people’s beer tastes.”

When did you have your first beer?
I was 14 and I stole a Heineken Special Dark from my mom’s fridge. It was awesome. I still have the cap.

What’s an average week like?
My two unpaid apprentices clean the floors and it’s my job to teach them. I teach them how to clean. We clean tanks, floors and kegs. There’s a direct translation behind the cleanliness of the brewery and the cleanliness of your beer. We actually polished the ceiling last month. We oversee plants. We keep batches in line. We filter, mill and produce water. And we brew.

How did you get into the beer business?
I was in culinary school and I had a dream about beer one night. The next morning, I went to the brewery up the street and introduced myself to John Eccles, who trained me for the next four years at Hyde Park Brewery in New York.

What’s the greatest misconception about what you do?
That the beer just makes itself. There’s a lot of manual labor that goes into it. Also, people think the job requires me to be drunk all day. But there’s a difference between tasting and drinking. Tasting is just a few ounces.

What do you do when you’re not brewing?
I like to run. I like to weld carbon steel. And I train in Japanese martial arts.

What’s the “girliest” beer?
It would be so funny to name one of my competitors. God, that would be hilarious. It would have to be the one that wives order for their husbands because the men are too embarrassed to order it for themselves.

The “manliest”?
Something made with sawdust and motor oil (laughs). Working with beer so often, it’s hard to break it up into categories. I suppose a lot of people would say a bach beer or a high-alcohol content, winterly beer is very manly.

Is there one you would never drink in your worst nightmare?
The bad beer is the one that doesn’t sell. I think a lot of people regard Miller and Budweiser [as bad] because they sell more beer then anyone else. But those breweries have been around for centuries, survived Prohibition and economic faults and still outsell everyone. Without them, there wouldn’t be a demand for indulgence.

What’s the best beer-food combo off the Triumph menu?
Bengal Gold IPA with buffalo chicken spring rolls.

Describe your idea of a perfect happy hour.
I would like to spend it with my family because I never get to see them. It’d be cool to do a shot with my mom at some random dive bar in South Dakota.

If you could share a beer with anybody, who would it be?
It would be with Hitler so I could ask him what the heck he was thinking.

If there was a beer called Brendan Anderson Ale, what would it taste like?
It would be a pilsner. They’re just the best kind of beers. My favorite beer is Czech Era. It’s well made with a clean snap of bitterness.

1. Way to go Brendan. Great article, and you look great. I know that your family is proud. You need to visit us in Branson some time.

   Posted by karen hall | February 14, 2010, 3:46 pm