The following article was submitted by Tim Gadzinski, the Marketing Associate for the Manitowoc Public Library.
During the most intense days of the pandemic, when COVID forced Manitowoc Public Library to close its doors to the community for an extended period of time (through Curbside Pickup continued to keep everyone that wanted MPL materials well-stocked), we needed to pivot quickly and fearlessly to virtual programming in order to replace the in-person programming that, at least temporarily, was no longer an option.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that it was Youth Services that initially led the charge with this type of programming. However, in short order everyone soon realized that was the correct direction in which we needed to head. In rapid succession, things started to get flung against the wall to see what would stick and catch on with people. Some things did, others didn’t. One of the things that worked very nicely was an adult program called “The Wine Experience.”
Partnering with Court House Pub, we did an exploration about the whys and whats behind the variety of wines that people enjoy—their history, their flavor profiles, and the food pairings that went best with them. It was a nontraditional way of passing along knowledge—as fun as it was information crammed. After all, passing along easily-accessed knowledge is what libraries are all about! We also passed along what wines were going to be discussed on any given week so that people that were so inclined could stock up in order to play along at home. It was a hit and demonstrated that virtual programming—even once the pandemic was no longer an issue—was a great alternative for reaching a goodly number of people. In some cases, it’s even the better alternative!
Fast-forward approximately one year. With this being Wisconsin, it occurred to me that while people might like to learn more about wine, one adult beverage was more popular than all the others: beer. A good mug of suds can be found at almost every occasion in these parts. And Manitowoc is lucky to have a number of quality microbreweries at our disposal that deliver the goods in a variety far beyond the usual macrobrew offerings.
There was one establishment, however, that came to mind immediately when thoughts of pursuing a “Beer Experience” came into focus: PetSkull Brewing Co., the hops-fueled and shenanigan-steeped microbrewery owned and operated by Paul and Kathi Hoffman. MPL had partnered with PetSkull a number of times in the past, most-notably for the “Brew & Bee,” a spelling bee for adults.
As PetSkull’s operations were moving from the original brewpub on North 9th Street to their new, more expansive digs on Buffalo Street in the newly-established River Point district, it felt like a perfect time to approach Paul about doing a show that discussed the Wide World of Beer. Fortunately, he agreed that it was a good idea and that, miraculously, he had the time to do it.
So, what can viewers expect from this “Experience”? First off, this program will livestream on both MPL’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/manitowoclibrary) and YouTube’s channel from the new home of PetSkull Brewing Co. at 1015 Buffalo Street. It will be broadcast three consecutive Mondays—July 26, August 2, and August 9—at 6 PM. Each week, PetSkull Paul and MPL Tim will explore different styles of beer from week to week—traditional German pilsners and lagers in Week 1, followed by Belgian ales in Week 2, and then onto IPAs for the final installment! As this series will be broadcasting live, we encourage viewers to type comments and/or questions into the “Comments” area on either platform. We’ll do our best to get to as many of your queries as we can.
Increase your knowledge and appreciation of Wisconsin’s beverage of choice from the man behind some of the finest brews on the Lakeshore. Definitely not your run-of-the mill beer-focused program! Fun and informative, with every episode finishing off with “Stump the Brewmeister”—a weekly pop quiz that will test the limits of Paul’s knowledge NOTE: questions in “Stump the Brewmeister” may or may not always involve beer.
Join us for “The Beer Experience,” won’t you? Cheers!
