I really love good food and good beer. Maybe it’s that simple?
It started in San Francisco, the city that completely changed how I eat and drink. It was easier to stop at a Farmer’s Market on the way home than fight the lines at the Grocery Store. Likewise, it was easier to stumble two blocks home from Toronado than it was to meet friends at a hip new bar in Soma or the Mission.
And oh, the people I lived with spoiled me. I’ll never forget the day my roommate went diving for abalone and the feast that followed. Or the bottles of wine my other roommate brought home while working at Bar Tartine and studying for the sommelier exam. Or all of the shared meals that came out of that kitchen. I took cooking classes in college and watched the Food Network obsessively, but it was my roommates in San Francisco who truly taught me how to cook, eat, and drink well.
At the time I worked in the hotel business and, in 2010, was transferred to open a new property in Austin, Texas. The burgeoning locally crafted literally everything movement in Austin took me by surprise. I’ve never seen such strong support of local businesses. And everyone was so friendly! Particularly in the Food and Beer Communities. I was lucky enough to make friends with many of them and, as a result, began to get involved in the local craft beer scene.
That’s when this website was born. Inspired by friends, I started a cooking with beer blog after searches for recipes that featured craft beer came up empty. Most recipes called for ‘beer’ in a broadest use of the term, never specifying style. I believe beer is an ingredient that should be highlighted and spoken to – what type of beer to use and why. The right beer can contribute so much to a dish, whether in flavor or texture or both. This blog began as a way for me to learn more about cooking with beer, and has slowly evolved into an ongoing passion that allows me to develop and share recipes with others.
If you have any questions, want to inquire about advertising or using a recipe, or anything else, please let me know. I’d love to hear from you. I can be reached by email at [email protected] or on ye olde Facebook & Twitter by the same alias. For inquiries about the site layout/graphics/design, please contact the amazingly talented Andrew Johnson at [email protected].
Now grab a beer, read on, and try your hand at a recipe or two.
With love,
Heather Lewis
Home Brewer, Home Chef, Certified Beer Server
Full Disclose: In May 2012, I left my job as a Hotel Sales and Reporting Analyst to work in the craft beer industry; I oversaw production planning at Green Flash Brewing Co. in San Diego, California until February 2014. I am currently employed as the Business and Sales Analyst at Brooklyn Brewery in Brooklyn, New York.