Professor Spotlight: Kevin Gibson
photo by Cassie Bays
Get to know our Louisville beer writer!
It’s a true pleasure to be the Editor-in-Chief of Alcohol Professor, now in its 7th year. But I couldn’t be in this position without the help of our talented roster of Alcohol Professors! We recently profiled world traveled, DC-based writer Kelly Magyrics, and Brian Petro, our hardworking cocktail historian in Dayton, Ohio. Even though Alcohol Prof is based in the New York area, we are lucky to have three terrific writers based in Louisville, Kentucky. You’ve gotten to know one of them—American whiskey maven Maggie Kimberl—and now’s your chance to learn more about Kevin Gibson, who has been reviewing beer for us from almost the very beginning of our launch in 2013!
Even if you don’t know Kevin, you might be familiar with a piece he wrote for us, which is still the NUMBER ONE most read article on Alcohol Professor—If You’re Making Chili, Be Sure To Use the Right Beer. I remember when he first pitched the idea to me, I was skeptical. But it turns out I was not the only one in need of beer and chili schooling, thousands of clicks later. Besides spicy, I found out what else has been keeping Kevin’s life… a-hopping.
Amanda Schuster: Please tell us your origin story. How did you get into beer writing?
Kevin Gibson: Wow. Well, I first saw a regional beer magazine back in the mid-1990s and was fascinated by the idea of writing about beer. I had written about sports, arts, politics, you name it, but beer? Around 1999 or 2000, while writing for an alt newsweekly in Louisville, Ky., I was given the go-ahead to write about what we then called “microbrew” beer and the growing movement. I actually requested a phone interview with Jim Koch, founder of Sam Adams Brewery. I was told politely that, essentially, they weren’t going to waste his time on some random reporter from Kentucky. It was disappointing, but from that point on, I was sort of the de facto brewery/beer writer for that magazine (still write for them on occasion), and whenever a new brewery opened, I covered it. I’ve been covering the local/regional scene ever since for various publications, as well as writing for Alcohol Professor.
AS: What are some of the most common misconceptions about beer that you wish were more widely understood?
KG: Maybe the idea that “dark” beer is all somehow the same. It’s amazing to me that I still hear people say “I don’t like dark beer.” If you don’t like the bitter, roasty flavor of an Irish stout, you still might the creamy, chocolaty flavors of, say, a dunkel. If you like coffee, why not a coffee stout? If you like chocolate, there are plenty of chocolate stouts. What about an English mild ale, which is essentially a super drinkable light beer that just happens to be brown in color? Or a Kentucky Common? Sure, they may look similar, but they’re all very different. But some people still lump them all into one category, even after all this time.
AS:From what you've written for us, we know you're very into chili and hot sauce. How hot can you stand it? Has anything conquered your taste buds that you just can't go back to again?
KG: Ha! I didn’t expect this question. Well, let’s say that my sweet spot, in terms of eating a pepper straight, is probably the habanero. I put those in stir-fry on a regular basis and I pickled a bunch of them that I snack on. That said, I actually prefer the flavor of ghost peppers—but eating those straight pretty much tops me out (I have put them in stir fry, and it’s a challenge for me to taste anything else in my dinner!). And that’s part of why I like to grow super hot peppers and turn them into sauce, mitigating the heat while also opening up flavor combinations with garlic, onions, carrots, complementary peppers or whatever I happen to have lying around. This year, I’m growing Scorpion peppers, Ghost peppers, Carolina Reapers, Caribbean Reds and others, and I plan to make a tequila hot sauce this summer once I get my harvest going.
AS: Has there been a particular style of beer you have been gravitating toward in lockdown, and is this different than before?
KG: I know it sounds boring, but I’m an American Pale Ale guy from way back. There’s nothing I love more than a really well made APA. While Bell’s Two Hearted Ale is an IPA, it’s still right in my wheelhouse, so I’ve had more than one sixer of that, believe me. I also am a huge fan of a locally-made IPA by Monnik Beer Company. I’ve knocked out quite a few of those during the last two and a half months as well. That said, I also enjoyed a bomber of Founders KBS one evening early in the lockdown. I always eventually return to imperial stouts, especially if they’re barrel-aged, and I still have a few in my stash waiting for the right occasion. There’s just something special about them to my palate—it’s just not something I can drink on a regular basis, though, you know? They’ll put a hurt on the old liver.
A pint at the Philharmonic! Photo by Rob Marlin
AS: What are some beer destinations you'd most like to visit when it's safe to travel again?
KG: Good grief, where to begin? I’ve been wanting to see the Ashville, N.C., Sierra Nevada brewery for a while now. But I’ve also heard great things about 3 Floyds, which is just a state away. There are quite a few breweries in Michigan I’d like to get to, as well. Hell, at this point I’m just happy I can finally get back into my neighborhood brewery for a pint. I’m happy to start small.
AS: If you could have a drink with three people past or present, who would they be and where would you most like to hang out with them?
KG: One is a no-brainer, and that would be John Lennon at the Philharmonic Pub in Liverpool, England. I love that pub beyond words, and I would really love to hear John’s thoughts on what’s going on in our effed up world these days. It would be fascinating. Paul can come, too, if he wants. The second would be Green Bay Packers legend Bart Starr, who was a hero of mine since I was a kid and first became passionate about football, probably at Titletown Brewing in Green Bay. From what I know of Bart, he would only have one beer and call it, but along the way I know I’d glean some wonderful life wisdom and get to see how a true gentleman and leader conducts himself. Third? I guess my grandfather, Joe McMahan, who died around 10 years ago. Sure, we’d probably have to drink his PBR at the kitchen table, but I wouldn’t mind, just to get to talk with him one more time.