How to write about beer with Pete Brown

A comprehensive introduction to writing about the good stuff – from articles to blogposts and books

The ever-increasing interest in craft beer means that there’s a growing thirst for good quality beer writing. If you want to turn your passion for ales into sparkling prose, this evening seminar will show you how it’s done. Expert beer writer and Cask Report editor Pete Brown explores all angles of the craft – from blogging to books – introducing the essential elements you need to get started.

Suitable for writers of any level of experience, this refreshing course covers the basics of establishing a successful beer blog, including how to find an original angle, source stories and use social media to find an audience. You’ll learn the best ways to build contacts within the industry, promote your work effectively and monetise your writing. You’ll also learn how to pitch your work to specialist and mainstream publications, and even how to create professional pitches for long-form beer books that will grab the attention of publishers. Perfect for the enthusiastic hop-head who wants to share their knowledge and passion for beer with the world.

This course is for you if...

• You’d like to start writing about beer, regularly or professionally, but aren’t sure where to begin
• You’re already blogging about beer and would either like to reach more people or make money out of it
• You already write professionally but would like to extend your writing into new areas

Course description

This large-scale event covers the essential creative and professional aspects of beer writing, including audience and industry engagement, and how to source original stories. Topics covered on the evening include:

• Setting up a blog: finding an angle and an audience
• Ten approaches to writing stories about beer – and their pros and cons
• Writing resources: how to build contacts and source stories
• Freebies and full disclosure: the ethics of beer blogging and writing
• Marketing your blog and yourself: building your profile and potential sources of income
• Pitching your work to magazines and newspapers: how to get published and paid
• Developing a proposal for a book, and options for getting it published

Tutor profile

Pete Brown is a British writer who specialises in making people thirsty. He is the author of five-and-a-half books as well as the annual Cask Report, and numerous articles in the drinks trade press and consumer press. He appears regularly on TV and radio, and is a judge on the BBC Food and Farming Awards, and the Great Taste Awards. He was named Beer Writer of the Year in 2009 and 2012. In 2003, after looking for a book that explained the British love for beer but not being able to find it, Pete wrote Man Walks Into A Pub: A Sociable History of Beer. It sold so well that it was nearly turned into a BBC TV series, but was pipped at the final commissioning meeting by a series about mountains. Pete has written numerous other books about beer and cider. Find out more on his website.

Full course and returns information on the Masterclasses website