Going through old journals. Came across a time a brewery rep sat in on one of my consumer classes at a bar I was newly working w/...after it, we had this convo:
Rep-"Have you ever even worked in the industry?"
Me-"I've worked in event planning and I write about beer."
R-"So no."

R-"Weird. How did they pick you to teach this class?"
M-"I've won 1st in the region for brewing this style every year since I moved here and I'm an Advanced Cicerone."
R-"Yea but your beer isn't commercially available I'm surprised people come."
M-"Have you ever brewed before?"

R-"Oh, I'm at [redacted] a lot on brew day."
M-"So no. (probably some kind of smirk here tbh) I talk a lot about the brewing process and how it impacts the different styles in this class."
Rep finishes his beer and heads to the bar to get another.

I used to think about this convo a lot, especially when my saison and Belgian styles classes *sold out* & I was offered more topics. Did I have expertise to teach anything else? But re-reading it reminds me how useless & detrimental the "industry v nonindustry" classification is

Some people think working in marketing at a brewery isn't really "in the industry." Some people think being behind the bar isn't enough to qualify you. Brewers should be proud of what they do, but these kinds of labels are a disservice to beer-drinkers & people that want to learn

Consumers might relate *more* to people who have a point of view that is similar to their own. Bartenders might know *more* about why a customer doesn't like the flavor of a certain beer style. People in marketing & PR might be able to *better* explain how certain styles take off

And worst of all people who don't see themselves as "in the industry" may think that they'll never be able to join the *club* and we all miss out on new voices, talents, and perspectives because of that!!

Anyway, I'm sure there is a better way to ask about someone's interest and expertise in beer. (And yes, I did find that Belgian Golden Strong recipe that I originally set out into my journals to find.)