EP-165 Arianna Auber of Austin American-Statesman

Texas continues to receive plenty of attention from the beer world, and here on the GBH podcast, this episode rounds out a trio of recent opportunities to hear about what's going on in the Lone Star State. Jester King's Jeff Stuffings and a whole crew from Austin Beerworks have offered some context of what's going on with them in their corner of the beer world, and now we turn to someone sitting just outside the industry for extra perspective. Arianna Auber has worked as a journalist covering the city for the Austin American-Statesman since 2012 and has written about beer, wine and spirits for almost that entire time. The position has allowed her to watch the local scene evolve as foodies and beer lovers have made Austin a popular destination. Many beer enthusiasts know about Jester King, but the city provides so much more in terms of its drinking culture, whether about beer or not. During her time at the newspaper, Auber has had the opportunity to not only cover the stories shaping Austin's food and drink industry, but she's also been one of the people helping to shape perspective, informing residents on what's cool, interesting and even the basics of beer, from vernacular to state and country-wide trends. I love talking to other journalists, especially about the details that make reporting so special, and Arianna's insight is a great example of why it's important to take a step back and survey the entire beer landscape, especially as the industry tries to attract new drinkers and get people to think about beer differently.