Five quaffing questions for Doug Hoverson

Last update: November 25, 2007 - 3:43 PM

Doug Hoverson is a home brewer, certified beer judge and now the author of "Land of Amber Waters," an overview of Minnesota's beer history. Not bad for a guy who, like most of us, once thought beer "had to be yellow and had to be very, very cold."

When he's not concocting, quaffing or riffing on beer, the 43-year-old Minneapolis resident teaches history (but of course) and coaches the debate team at St. Thomas Academy, where he took a one-year sabbatical to do the bulk of the research for his book.

Q What's your favorite era in Minnesota beer history?

A I'd say the immediate era after the repeal of Prohibition, the struggle to get started again, the struggle to make it through World War II and stay afloat despite all the material shortages. But it wasn't a particularly interesting period for the beer. That would be either now or the late 1870s and early 1880s, when so many brewers were still making the kind of beer they had in the old country.

Q What's your coolest piece of beer-related memorabilia?

A My present to myself for finishing the manuscript was the Hamm's "Starry Skies" sign, with the different sequences of blinky, starry lights that form the goblets and the word "Hamm's." It's about the only piece of any real quality I have. Most of the rest of my collectibles are things I picked up on the counter of a bar.

Q Did you encounter any research roadblocks?

A In many cities and counties, the information was controlled by the temperance people. In Lake City, where the Wise Bros. brewery had been established for 35 years, the Wabasha County historical accounts referred to Charles Wise as having been "for many years a fine businessmen running that business for which he was so famous." Kind of that "do do that voodoo that you do so well" deal.

Q Were there easier tasks?

A Yes. It seems to me that wherever there were Germans, there were good historians, which turned out to be good for this project.

Q What's next?

A The [University of Minnesota Press is] talking to me about doing a similar book on Wisconsin. There could be worse research, I suppose.

BILL WARD

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