Previously: 40 Years in Beer (Book II), Part 71: A-B, Molotov cocktails, Mitch Steele and me (G.A.B.F., 1997 & 1998).
On November 8, 1998, something I thought would never happen actually did. At the regular monthly meeting of the Fermenters of Special Southern Indiana Libations Society, held as always at Rich O’s Public House, the club’s very special guest was Mitch Steele of Anheuser-Busch.
Then again, Nixon did go to China.
Steele was a tremendous hit, even though it remained the case that far more New Albany residents would have turned out to fete the brewer had we advertised him in the local newspaper as “The Man Who Makes YOUR Bud Light.” Obviously we didn’t — because then they’d have insisted on drinking Bud Light.
An eventful travel year passed between the 1997 Great American Beer Festival, when I first met Steele, and his arrival in New Albany (both European trips will be described in a forthcoming installment).
- March 1998: the inaugural motorcoach tour of Dutch and Belgian beer bars and breweries, serving as a prototype for future group excursions.
- July 1998: immersion in the entirety of Pamplona’s Festival of San Fermin, followed by stays in the French Alps and London.
- October 1998: in Denver for G.A.B.F. Mach II.
Unfortunately I have little recollection of the events leading up to Steele’s appearance at the F.O.S.S.I.L.S. meeting, primarily because our company’s early e-mail correspondence constantly was being added then lost as we ineptly sought to establish a succession of websites on newish mom ‘n’ pop domains that more often than not crashed and burned in the still of the night.
And yet an account was written for Walking the Dog (the official newsletter of F.O.S.S.I.L.S.), appearing in the year’s end double issue. I have not been able to locate any photos of the meeting
—
Mitch Steele: A great guy does not make a great multinational corporation.
It shouldn’t be a problem, or so I thought.
There would be plenty of time before the F.O.S.S.I.L.S. meeting began to run over to Bluegrass Brewing Company with Syd and Cory Lewison. Our guest speaker for the evening, Mitch Steele of Anheuser-Busch, said he would be there, and it would be...Read more
