Any Suggestions on Interview Questions for my Column?

I write a wine column in a regional rag, Flavor, and have also been asked to write a column on Craftbrewing (and homebrewing in the future, but that's another thread). This afternoon, I'm interviewing Taylor Smack, the owner and brewmaster at Blue Mountain Brewery and Hop Farm. I've known Taylor for awhile, since he was brewing for South Street. He just started this brewpub/hop farm last year, and he's doing a bang-up business. So I'm featuring him in my column, and I have a bunch of questions worked out that I want to ask him---but I thought, hell, I have yous guys' great minds at my disposal , might as well use 'em. So, what do you think would be some good Q's to ask a brewmaster? This magazine features good food, regional specialties, etc., it's not a beer geek rag, so stuff like "do you do a triple decoction with your lager, and if so, how stiff is the portion you pull out" isn't gonna play. Think, general beer-ignorant public.

Some advanced dumb people questions could be:

Does he grow all of his own hops or does he also have to buy hops to suppliment what he grows?

Are any of the hops varieties he uses special to his brewery, does he have a "signature hop".

Does he plan on growing his own grains on his farm? How about malting etc?

"What would you say, Mr. Smack, is the one outstanding difference between what you are doing with your beer and what a long standing brewery like Anheiser Busch is doing"?

Many fertilizers are Petroleum based. So My question would be:
How has the economic downturn and the increased oil price (and recent reduction in oil price), affected your farming operation, and has the on-site brewery helped offset those costs, and if so, do you see reducing transportation costs by localizing business and manufacturing as a viable solution to other businesses in your area?

Also, What kind of fertilizer does one use for hop plants on a large production scale?

I'm new to drinking different beers (i.e., I normally drink domestic beer). What would you suggest I try from your brewery if I am interested in supporting a local brewer?

Any beers that he wanted to make at his old job but couldn't, and now that he is the owner, will?

Cool, thanks---those are all great.

Parker36 said:

Any beers that he wanted to make at his old job but couldn't, and now that he is the owner, will?

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Good question. Horrible sentence, but a good question.

What types of beers go with what meals?

Evan! surely you are smart enough to come up with questions. All of these are good questions. As a professional interviewer my one and only suggestion is DO NOT ask questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no. And the best questions are follow ups to answers the subject gives you. Pay very close attention to what he's saying.

shecky said:

Evan! surely you are smart enough to come up with questions. All of these are good questions. As a professional interviewer my one and only suggestion is DO NOT ask questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no. And the best questions are follow ups to answers the subject gives you. Pay very close attention to what he's saying.

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Yeah, I know, I just wanted to see if there was anything I was missing. I have a long list of questions, none of them yes/no. Thanks for the advice. I'm not a professional interviewer, so it's helpful!

Honestly, if you can just get him talking things will flow easily from there. If he's someone who's not predisposed to talking much, it will be a lot more work. Like interviewing high school kids. Sometimes I have the urge to punch them in the nose just to get them to talk.

shecky said:

Honestly, if you can just get him talking things will flow easily from there. If he's someone who's not predisposed to talking much, it will be a lot more work. Like interviewing high school kids. Sometimes I have the urge to punch them in the nose just to get them to talk.

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nah, like I said, I've known the guy for awhile, he's very personable. He had plenty to say on this ep of the Session.

arturo7 said:

Good question. Horrible sentence, but a good question.

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Haha, I completely agree, but give me a break, I just woke up.

Evan! said:

nah, like I said, I've known the guy for awhile, he's very personable. He had plenty to say on this ep of the Session.

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Cool. Got a link to anything you've already done or this one? I'd love to read it.

Any awesome happy hour type things he is planning?
Is he going to do any monthly special releases or the like?

shecky said:

Cool. Got a link to anything you've already done or this one? I'd love to read it.

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Content's not online, but I can post my past two and then this one.

Flavor Magazine - The Piedmont's First Local Food and Wine Magazine!

Evan! said:

Content's not online, but I can post my past two and then this one.

Flavor Magazine - The Piedmont's First Local Food and Wine Magazine!

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If you don't mind. I love reading other people's stuff. Helps me improve my own no matter the subject.

Interview was awesome. Talked for a long time, got a lot of good material for the piece...like how being out in the "country", rather than the city, gives him the most perfect water, which is his "terroir". Perfect, because the section of the magazine this goes in is called "Terroir".

He also comped me a sampler platter (great beers!) and said that anytime I need grain, let me know, he'll give it to me at his cost. Which is like $0.30/lb. Werd. Holy crap, that's like $15/sack! And he gets the good sh*t too.

Anyway, now I just gotta actually write the article