Questions of Note: Robert "Wob" Wanhatalo

I have a few quick notes before we get into the main event.  We shall start off by giving the official kick off of the segment I call "Questions of Note."  This isn't the planned for day for when this segment will normally appear, but the Session post threw me a little off this week.  So far the response to the segment has gone nicely.  I look forward to how this progresses from this point on. 

Now to get me out of the way and move on to the main course. 

Stolen from the Hideout

Stolen from the Hideout

The responses this week come from Robert "Wob" Wanhatalo.  He is the brew master at the Hideout Brewing Company.  You can find the Hideout in northeast Grand Rapids hidden away, seemingly to keep it just that, a hideout. 

So now we find ourselves at the point of the story where we should be looking for a few questions.  Here they come now...

1.      What was the beer moment, when you knew you wanted to become involved with the craft beer renaissance? 

When I received the call from Ken McPhail, former owner of The Hideout Brewing Company, asking if I would like to come on board as his Assistant Brewer....I was previously just a big time beer fan, so it was a wild phone call.

2.      If you could have any beer in your hand right now, what would it be? 

Any beer....hmmm...I made a Pale Lager end of last/beginning of this year, and it was amazing. I called it "The Passion of the Lager." It blew me away, so I think I would choose that one, since I have to wait til I get more Galaxy hops to make it again.

3.      Can you describe your beer life in a song lyric/title?  If so what would you choose?  Song. Good question, as I am a musician too. I am a sucker for old Country music, so I guess right now I would say "I Think I'll Just Stay Here And Drink"-Merle Haggard.

4.      Do you have a steady beer, or do you like to “play the field?” 

Honestly, I like to play the field...I am a big IPA fan, but when I see something new and different and exciting, I have to give it a go. So, I would say I primarily play the field.

5.      Crowded smoky bar or back porch watching the clouds float across the sky? 

I like both, well, not really the smoky aspect of a bar, since there is no smoking in bars in MI anymore, but I like to go out. I also really like to stay in, aka sit on the porch, or go camping, or whatever. To be honest, as long as it is craft beer, I don't care where I drink it.

And the lame one…

If tin whistles are made of tin, what do they make fog horns out of?

FOG! ;-b

Time for a pint...