Local Beer Expert to Local Beer Entrepreneur - Joe Wiebe

Transcript

1. Local Beer Expert… to Local Beer Entrepreneur Joe Wiebe The Thirsty Writer Victoria, BC
2. Canada British Columbia Milwaukee ★ Victoria Vancouver Island ★ Vancouver
5. It all started on a wine trip…
12. The Thirsty Writer
13. BC Business – September 2011
14. Photo credit here WESTWORLD >> FALL 2012 31 26 WESTWORLD >> FALL 2012 Photo credit here A taste of Munich’s Oktoberfest BY JOE WIEBE I CAN HARDLY KEEP MY BALANCE. I’M standing on a bench, bouncing and bucking with a dozen men and women, most of whom I’ve just met, some of whom speak languages I don’t know. I take another big swig from the giant Maßkrug (litre mug) of beer clenched in my hand and look around once more at the mind-boggling scene. Our table is just one of hundreds, all jammed with happy, beer-guzzling dancers – many in lederhosen (Bavarian leather breeches) or dirndls (colourful, corseted dresses) – filling a building the size of a hockey arena. There is a large, raised stage in the centre of the room with a large band on top – easily 20 musicians along with three singers in Bavarian garb – playing a medley of pop rock tunes and traditional German drinking songs. Green cascades of aromatic hop plants hang down from the ceiling and the hall’s huge support pillars. We’re at Munich’s Oktoberfest, in the heart of the action. I catch the eye of my buddies, Shawn and Hughe, who are grooving to the beat across from me, and raise my giant beer mug for a toast. They grin back at me and lift their glasses in response. “We made it!” I shout over the din as we clink our glasses together, beer sloshing on the table. Before they can respond, the music changes, and suddenly everyone at the table has lifted their mugs along with ours. With free arms draped over neigh- bours’ shoulders, we all start swaying to the music, singing the lyrics that we’ve learned through repetition: “Ein Prosit, ein Prosit Der Gemütlichkeit. Ein Prosit, ein Prosit Der Gemütlichkeit.” And then the music stops and everyone counts in the Bavarian dialect: “Oans, zwoa, drei, g’suffa!” We all crash our Maßkrugs together and drink deeply of the amber elixir. We made it indeed. (opposite page, clockwise from top left) Dancers in traditional Bavarian costume; the Himmel der Bayern (Bavarian Heaven) Oktoberfest tent; a boy dressed in lederhosen for the festival’s opening-day parade; (below) writer Joe Wiebe (centre) toasts with friends Shawn (left) and Hughe in the Schottenhamel tent. 26 WESTWORLD >> SEPTEMBER 2012 (opposite page) Joe Wiebe; (here) courtesy Oktoberfest.de oppiest THE PLACE ON EARTH H
15. BC Business – June 2012
16. 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Future Craft Breweries in British Columbia Total
19. 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Future Craft Breweries in British Columbia Total
35. Lessons Learned • find a platform to show off your knowledge • be the expert you already are • work for free when it benefits you • do it yourself