Garrett Oliver (born July 29, 1962)[1] is an American brewer and beer author from New York City. Since 1994, he has worked as the brewmaster at the Brooklyn Brewery.
Garrett Oliver | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 29 July 1962 |
| Alma mater | Boston University |
| Occupation(s) | Brewer, writer |
| Employer(s) | Manhattan Brewing Company Brooklyn Brewery |
Early life
editOliver grew up in Hollis, Queens to a father who enjoyed hunting and cooking. Oliver studied filmmaking at Boston University, and as a student organized concerts for bands such as R.E.M., The Ramones, The English Beat, and The Gun Club. After graduation, he spent a year stage-managing bands at the University of London. He then traveled in Europe, sampling beers in countries such as Belgium, West Germany, and Czechoslovakia.[2][3] After returning to the United States in 1983, he began homebrewing, working for HBO and a New York law firm.[2]
Brewing career
editIn 1989, Oliver became an apprentice brewer at the Manhattan Brewing Company. In 1993, he was appointed brewmaster of the company,[4] which closed and reopened twice in the early 90s. In 1994, he left Manhattan to become brewmaster at the Brooklyn Brewery, a position he has held since.[2] He has also become a partner in the company.[5]
Oliver has an interest in beer pairing and cooking with beer, having written several books on the subjects, including 2003's The Brewmaster's Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food. This interest has led him to become involved in the Slow Food movement.[6] He was also the editor of the 2011 Oxford Companion to Beer,[5][7] and has served as a judge at the Great American Beer Festival.[8]
In May 2012 Garrett Oliver was honoured by the Institute of Brewing and Distilling through the Beer Academy as an 'International Beer Champion' and was made an 'Honorary Beer Academy Sommelier'. He was the first (with Bill Taylor) to be given this title from the British organisation that educates and certifies beer sommeliers.[9]
References
edit- ^ "Beer Birthday: Garrett Oliver - Brookston Beer Bulletin". 29 July 2015.
- ^ a b c Acitelli, p. 228
- ^ Schriffen, Poppy, & Monroy
- ^ "Garrett Oliver : Brooklyn Brewery". Brooklyn Brewery. Archived from the original on 2 August 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
- ^ a b Acitelli, p. 342
- ^ Acitelli, p. 309
- ^ Del Signore
- ^ Smagalski
- ^ "Beer Academy release 8 May 2012". Archived from the original on 10 June 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
Bibliography
edit- Acitelli, Tom (2013). The Audacity of Hops: The History of America's Craft Beer Revolution. Chicago: Chicago Review Press. ISBN 9781613743881. OCLC 828193572.
- Del Signore, John (12 October 2011). "The Worst Beer In The World, According To Brooklyn Brewery's Garrett Oliver". Gothamist. Archived from the original on 12 October 2011. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
- Schriffen, John; Poppy, Nick; Monroy, Mark (15 February 2013). "Thanks to Garrett Oliver, American Craft Beer Comes of Age". Yahoo! News. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
- Smagalski, Carolyn. "Garrett Oliver - Brooklyn Brewmaster of Beer and Food". BellaOnline.com. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
Further reading
edit- Conklin, Mike (4 June 2013). "25 Years of Brooklyn Brewery: An Interview with Garrett Oliver". Brooklyn Magazine. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
