The 6 Pack: Church of the Sacred Brew's Mike Paw Paw Peters

1) Tell me about The Church of the Sacred Brew. When did you start it and why?

I started managing a group called Church of the Sacred Brews (plural) in 2015, helping out a friend of mine. I was doing lots of beer reviews, and the membership began to rapidly grow. As it got bigger, the other guy decided he wanted out, so in July of 2016, I created a new group by simply dropping the (S) on Brews. I became enthralled with craft beer, and I was reading your Beer Buddha Blog, and I wanted to do something just like it using Facebook (instead of a blog). I attended lots of beer events, began going to breweries all over the USA, and the membership grew to what it is today (over 7200). I loved the camaraderie of beer lovers.

2) What’s the most challenging aspect of running an online beer group?

I learned a ton, (me and my fellow admins) about things. We made some mistakes along the way, but it was a learning process. People are so different and opinionated, and we had to learn to keep the focus on beer (no politics). I wish we had known 10 years ago what we know now (especially about human nature). I have come to be very knowledgeable about human nature, and I have also developed some very, very lasting friendships over the years. At this point, I recognize a post as being from a specific person, just because each user has his/her own different style. One of the most rewarding things for me has been and still is all the people from different areas that have established friendships with other users they possibly might have never met were it not for the group. And I honestly feel like I have earned a degree in Human Psychology and the beer industry as a whole with all I have seen.

3) Favorite beer style? Least favorite beer style?

These days, I am loving lagers and pilsners. These beers really demonstrate what a brewer can do because there are no adjuncts to hide flaws. Least favorite nowadays is black IPA and milkshake sours.

4) You're invited to a crawfish boil. What beer are you bringing?

Either a lager/pilsner from Parleaux or Ecology or German Coast.

5) What’s your favorite guilty pleasure beer?

A classic Belgian Dubbel or Tripel or OWK from Side Project.

6) What is your current favorite beer from a local brewery in Louisiana?

German Coast Morning Star is my jam, and it has been for a while. It is a rock solid, classic Helles Lager that is perfectly executed.