Exploring brew culture keeps Shepard hopping
Robin Shepard has a message for those who quaff beer by the gallon from plastic cups: You are missing the whole point.
Shepard is a genuine beer connoisseur who approaches each stein as if it contained a rare jewel. For example, now that winter is lying in wait, Shepard suggests an excellent way to spend a frosty evening.
“In front of a roaring fire with a good glass of porter, maybe a Gray’s from Janesville,” he says.
Make no mistake, Shepard heartily appreciates the taste and other sensory attributes of quality beer. Listen to him describe the Gray’s porter: “It’s heavy, like Guinness stout, kind of carmelly, with a very subtle sweetness,” he says.
However, the aesthetics of beer are only the beginning for Shepard. That porters working on the London docks in the 17th and 18th centuries had a hand in developing this brew makes it all the more attractive to him. In fact, Shepard maintains that to fully appreciate any beer you must take into account the role that it played — and probably still plays — in history, society, economy and culture.
“For example, many of the beers that we have in Wisconsin reflect immigration patterns to the state. As a state well-known for beer, Wisconsin has a strong reputation for its many renditions of German lagers like Bocks, Maibocks, Oktoberfests and Pilsners,” he says.
In addition, he says, there are pronounced ties between beer and local communities.
“Ever wonder how northeastern Wisconsin towns like Pilsen and Cooperstown got their names? Brewing is often reflected in who we are, our economies and our agricultural trends, too,” he says.
To wit, the city of Madison once hosted four major breweries: Fauerbach’s, Hausmann’s, Rodermund’s Madison Brewery and Hess’ Empire Brewery.
“Rodermund’s was one of the earliest to ship by railroad — seven rails converged here in the 19th century. In fact, what is now Tenney Park was once Rodermund’s brewery,” Shepard says. “Milwaukee became the brewing empire it did in large part because of Lake Michigan, which supplied the ice for storage, lagering and transportation. The state’s forests gave coopers wood for barrel making, and the city’s proximity to barley and hops fields certainly didn’t hurt.”
The great Chicago fire of 1871 also had a hand in solidifying Milwaukee’s brewing ascendancy. “When Chicago was destroyed, Milwaukee’s brewers moved quickly to fill the void,” he says.
Not himself a brewer, Shepard holds a regular job as an associate professor of life sciences communication and state program leader for community, natural resources and economic development through UW-Extension. His campus-based academic work has focused on natural resources policy, “evaluating educational outreach programs and how you can foster behavioral change,” he says.
Beer is entirely an avocation for Shepard, one he admits almost has consumed him. On the road he likes nothing better than to search out the most tantalizing local beers in each town. He has collected his findings in “Wisconsin’s Best Breweries and Brew Pubs” (University of Wisconsin Press, 2001).
“I’m a curious person, and this is like a scavenger hunt,” he says. “Finding great beer in the right atmosphere with the right people is what makes it special.
“It’s amazing how much a favorite beer means to people, and how often it leads to in-depth conversations and even friendships,” Shepard says. “One time I got into Portland, Ore., really late at night. I asked at the airport for the name of a good brewpub. I ordered four small samples of different beers and was writing notes about them. The owner of the place came over, and we started talking. It turned out he was a huge Badger fan and had gone to the 1999 and 2000 Rose Bowls when Wisconsin was playing. He wound up taking me on a midnight tour of his brewery.
“I even got an invitation to join him and his family for a beer.”