Lew Bryson

Lew Bryson, our guest speaker for The History of Rye Whiskey in Pennsylvania:The Birth of an American Spirit, has been writing full-time about beer and spirits, since 1995.  We are excited to share his extensive knowledge about our state’s distilling history and traditions with our guests.  He will be available during the grand tasting event to sign books at our book store location.  Here are his accomplishments as listed on his blog, Seen Through a Glass.

Currently:

Regular writer for The Daily Beast
Columnist, reviewer for All About Beer magazine
Contributes to Whiskey Wash, Scotchwhisky.com, Whisky magazine, The Full Pint.

Books:

Tasting Whiskey, Storey Publishing, 2014.
Four brewery guidebooks: Pennsylvania Breweries (4th edition released in 2010), New York Breweries, Virginia Maryland and Delaware Breweries, and New Jersey Breweries (with Mark Haynie).

Former Managing Editor, Whisky Advocate

From 1996 to 2015, handled story assignments, rough and finish edits, fact-checking, and rewrites at this quarterly magazine. Staff writer: wrote the American Spirit column, regular feature writer, craft whiskey reviewer. Worked on the highly successful WhiskyFest events in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco.

Blogs:

Seen Through A Glass, a beer and whiskey blog that has been quoted in national media, including the New York Times and Slate.
Why The PLCB Should Be Abolished, a political blog focused on rationalizing Pennsylvania’s antiquated Liquor Code that began in April, 2008 and has resulted in appearances on radio and television, including a radio debate with then-PLCB chairman P.J. Stapleton.
The Session Beer Project, a surprisingly successful campaign to support the creation and appreciation of flavorful, lower-alcohol beers, referenced repeatedly in national media, that has led to the creation of Session Beer Day (April 7, mark your calendar!) and the support of several session-beer focused breweries and bars. 

Television:

The host of American Beer Blogger, a pilot show featuring visits to various breweries, brewpubs, bars, and beer festivals. The show was not picked up for further development, but did win a regional Emmy in 2013.
Appeared in the 2001 television documentary Pennsylvania Breweries, with a script taken from the author’s book; produced by PBS affiliate WQLN-TV (Erie, PA) and continues to be shown across the country on public television stations.

Presenter

Presents tastings, lectures, and presentations on beer and whiskey for conventions, restaurants, business meetings, and individuals.
Comments on beer and whisky topics in various newspapers and magazines, the AP, ABC News, and others.

Awards

Michael Jackson Beer Journalism Award (Trade and Media), 2008
Philly’s Best Beer Writer, 2012 (as voted by the readers of Philly Beer Scene magazine)

Lew Bryson lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Cathy. They have two adult children and two Welsh Corgis.