I missed this post as I have been away shooting my new food show called "Mercurio's Menu" - a quick plug.... it is due to air starting from February and will run for 13 episodes but I will let you know further info when the airing date is secured.
You will be glad to know that for my first shoot (not necessarily the first episode) we shot at Potters Brewery in the Hunter ( gidday to Luke and to Keith) and I used their Kolsch in my snail and yabbie pie - Kolsch was great not so sure about the snails but it all kinda worked. Loved the brewery and the pub, had a few too many and an interesting night there with a local hens party!!!!! Keith if you have photos I have money!
I am having a little difficulty getting the backers and producers of my show to go to breweries as they think "been to one been to them all" and in some ways that is true - the step by step of brewing is the same process therefore not TV friendly once done but (as I argue) it is the people, the place, the food and the beer that makes it all interesting and different. I will continue to fight the battle and try and use beer as often as I can in my cooking.
Willie Simpson is a friend of mine and I respect his knowledge of beer and his writings on beer. In my mind he produced the best Australian magazine about beer I have ever seen which rivalled many overseas publications (anyone remember it?) It didnt servive due to the lack of support from industry getting behind it via advertising and so we as a brewing community lost out. Beer and Brewer is doing a good job although I read complaints about it's commercialisation re contributors actually being commercial brewers and therefore the magazine may suffer a lack of autonomy. Well if this is the price we pay to have an aussie beer mag so be it. Lets buy the mag and support it, lets voice our concerns - write to them and tell them what we want and also relax have a home brew and go on the journey that the mag invites us to embark on.
As for the unfortunate lass who wrote the article on the Pepperjack at least she gave it a go and I applaude her for that although it is a shame she misrepresented beer as we know it and love it. I guess that is why I am trying to do more beer stuff on my show and other things I do - conducted a cooking with beer class here in Melb about a month ago and opened a few eyes to the world of beer and food.
I am glad that a few people have thought perhaps I could do a bit more writing but I am not so naive to think that everyone would love it, see eye to eye with it or agree with me. As you all know when you read an article after a couple of coldies ones perception does change! And you lot are whilst passioate also a littel schitso!
Regarding a beer show: I pitched the idea of me going around to micro's, brew pubs and big breweries to 7, 9, 10 and foxtel and they all said no. ( I had financial support from Coopers, CUB, Cascade and Boags) Admitedly it was a few years ago but they all thought it was too narrow of an idea for main stream TV - although foxtel was interested but they didnt want to spend the money on making the journey real. If you saw the series they did make about beer it was pretty boring as it had no host to take you on the journey (my job) and they used a lot of stock footage so it was soulless - beer is not soulless - it is about the passion of the artisan producer one who cares about quality and commitment to flavour. It was also funded by Tooheys - which is not a critiscm but it meant that it was squed to Tooheys and Hahn and Chuck. I watched it but it was lifeless and I know I could do it much better.
I have had a few beers with Michael Jackson when he has come out to Aus and we talked about my beer show ideas which he liked and he lamented the fact that the Beer Hunter was a success although only six episode were made which sold well around the world but BBC refused to fund another series - for some reason they (like 7, 9 and 10) dont think it has a relevance on commercial TV. Shame. Thus if I can sneak it in to my show I will for back in 1999 five million aussies drank beer and 1.3 of them were women so I think it has a huge relevance in our society and our culture.
The issue with mainstream articles on beer being drivel I would not completely agree with. The reality of writing for a mag or newspaper is that after you submit your lovely, caring, informed, inspired and succint article some subeditor comes along and cuts bits out so that it fits into the 4 by 5 or 10 by 8 space on the page that it has been slotted for - cut out 239 1/2 words sure no problem whos cares from where and whether it makes sense - I did a four hour drama that won an Emmy award in the USA for best TV drama, it was meant to be shown over two nights - channel nine showed it in one night and cut it down to 2 and a half hours, did it make sense no, did it fulfill the essence of the story - no but who would have known,did it take the audience on a journey - kind of, did it piss me off - YES
Some where some one will be writing - patience dear reader and dear fellow drinker for you must consider and remember "Beer is in the eye of the beerholder"
Cheers and apologies for the spelling I am drinking
