Interview with Robin LeBlanc from The Thirsty Wench
The Thirsty Wench is the successful blog where Robin LeBlanc talks about beer and most topics surrounding it. The blog also feature some reviews, event run-downs, helpful tips, and food recipes with beer as an ingredient.
What was your inspiration to start a drinks and beverage blog?
It really just started out as a personal log of what I was learning about craft beer along with a place some of my friends could go to. Many of them were contacting me asking the same questions, so I thought putting helpful tips for them up would be a good idea. Then it kind of…grew from there.
What was the turning point for your blog? When did you realize it was successful?
Getting the handcrafted tiara in the mail was definitely a sign that I’ve Arrived. Nah. Becoming a finalist in SAVEUR’s Best Food Blog Awards in the Wine & Beer category was definitely a good start to things. But looking back and seeing a bunch of television appearances, radio interviews, newspaper features, and panel invites were a great indication that my little site had some legs to it.
What’s your personal advice about blogging to new bloggers?
Just write about what you love and don’t focus on anything else. I see a lot of bloggers who write twaddle and focus on being a famous blogger that gets put on exclusive lists. They tend not to last long.
Don’t care about the impact you’re making. Just write. It makes it all the more surprising when you look up from your computer and find out how your work is viewed.
Another bit of advice that is somewhat related: focusing on your view count paves the road to Madness. Craft your writing abilities. Keep writing. Be active in your community. Those are more important.
What was your readers’ most favorite blog post? What do you think is the reason why the post got people’s attention?
A post about a premium non-alcoholic beer. I think the big reason is that people have this view that non-alcoholic beer is supposed to be crappy, which is just wrong. People also don’t really know why non-alcoholic beer exists and how it’s made. This post smashed a lot of misconceptions, made people learn a bit, and even had them interested in trying them!
What’s the craziest drink you ever made? Why?
I guess an American Brown Ale with Chamomile and Lemongrass? Is that crazy? I don’t know. Sure.
Where do you see blogging in five years?
I don’t really focus on the state of blogging and just really do my own thing, but I imagine that as long as there are people who have a camera and want to write about the food they eat or the drinks they drink, then blogging for that type of thing will be around and remain strong.
Your favorite photo on the blog that you shot yourself. Why do you like it?
This was a photo from my post about 2013’s Cask Days festival, one of North America’s biggest cask events. I love it because the light just hit the rain-soaked table just right.
What’s your favorite Restaurant? Why do you love it?
The Only Cafe in Toronto. It’s my kinda-sorta local. Dark but not too dark, small but comfortably populated, great music playing, wonderful staff, and a rotating tap line with quality beers.
What’s their best drink you could recommend? Why?
They have a rotating line, so I couldn’t say.
If you do not like a particular drink at your favorite restaurant, what will you do?
I go in to an inconsolable rage. I flip tables over, throw glasses, beat up innocent bystanders, and then burn the place to the ground while listening to some old Marilyn Manson songs. It’s pretty glorious.
…mostly I just order something else.
Name your favorite drinks and beverage blog and tell us why.
Saint John’s Wort, the personal beer blog of Sun Media Beer Columnist Jordan St. John. His posts are meticulously researched, well written, and fun to read.
If you could banish any drink from the earth, what would it be? Why?
I would do no such thing. Just because I dislike something doesn’t mean that people who actually enjoy it should no longer have it. Really. I know people who would probably say something like “Bud Light Lime Mojito”, but the truth is there are people out there who love that drink. I’m not one of them, but they’re out there.
What’s your guilty pleasure when it comes to drinks? (Something you love to eat, but feel guilty right after)
I don’t have a drink guilty pleasure.
What’s the most exotic drink you’ve had?
As far as most out there, I’ve had a smoked meat and Brussels Sprouts beer. It was terrible.
Another favorite photo on the blog that you shot yourself. Why do you like it?
A profile on Muskoka Brewery’s Summer Weiss, a fantastic beer. I just think that I captured the spirit of the beer really well in this shot, which was taken on a beautiful Summer day.
What’s your favorite ingredient to make drinks with?
Cascade hops. They bring such a wonderful, citrusy aroma to beers. I absolutely adore them.
Who is your favorite bartender or mixologist? Why?
I’m torn between the bartender in the 1983 video game Tapper or Lloyd from The Shining. Tapper is a fun game and Lloyd is the best bartender from Timbuktu to Portland, Maine. Or Portland, Oregon for that matter.