Casino Connection Atlantic City

King of Beers

Gary Monterosso can tell you the right beer for any occasion.

by Frank Legato

By day, Gary Monterosso is a mild-mannered computer teacher at an Egg Harbor Township intermediate school. But outside of the teaching gig he has maintained for 25 years, Monterosso is the king of beers. Since 1993, Monterosso has been reporting on the beer scene in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware. His columns on beer—he is billed as "America's Beer Authority," a title that has been trademarked—appear in five publications, including Ed Hitzel's Restaurant Magazine and newsletter, Mid-Atlantic Brewing News and others. He goes on syndicated radio shows as well, including a regular Saturday spot on Sirius Advice, channel 11 on the Sirius satellite radio network. Monterosso will tell you the direction the brewing of beer has taken since the emergence of micro-breweries. He'll tell all about the new beers coming out from all corners of the country. He'll tell you what beer matches up best with certain food, a concept which he says "elevates beer to the status where I think it deserves to be." Monterosso first discovered his love of writing in the late 1980s. After seeing his name in print for the first time when he got an article printed in a national computer magazine, he began seeking out additional writing assignments, and settled on making beer his subject of choice after a friend gave him a book on beers. In the ensuing 13 years, Monterosso has appeared on over 100 radio and television shows talking about beer, and has rode the "good beer" movement to recognition as an expert on the subject. He even co-founded the New Jersey Association of Beer Writers, and in 2001, he was awarded a Silver Medal for writing by the North American Guild of Beer Writers. "Beer is making a comeback," Monterosso says. "For the past few years, it has been under attack by spirits—go into a bar and most likely, you will see young people drinking martinis. Beer is not necessarily considered a hip drink by the young. But things are changing." The reason things are changing? Creativity, among big and small brewers alike, he says, led by the microbreweries that have sprung up everywhere during the past decade. "Microbreweries are introducing more sophisticated flavors," says Monterosso. "Because they are small, they can introduce some crazy, far-out flavors. They can roll the dice and see if it works, because they aren't making huge batches." Even the big boys are catching on, he says. Anheuser-Busch—brewer of half the beers in the country—is getting creative these days, with new products Monterosso calls "craft-like." "Michelob Celebrate, for instance, is a ten-and-a-half-percent alcohol beer, which is pretty high," he says. "But they put a little vanilla bean in it, and they age it in a bourbon cask, which gives it a really complex flavor. It's a nice winter-spring beer." Winter-spring beer? "Beers are seasonal," he says. "The winter beers tend to be heavier, fuller-bodied, more complex. They are nighttime sipping beers, for the most part. Now that we are going into the warmer months, you start seeing some fruit beers, and the wheat beers, which are a little lower in alcohol. They are quite refreshing and perfect for spring." Monterosso's spring recommendations (see below) and many others can be sampled this month at the "Celebration of the Suds," the Atlantic City Beer Festival at the Convention Center March 18 and 19. Gary is this year's master of ceremonies. Monterosso is in the process of expanding his repertoire of expertise to include rum, vodka and sake. So, look for more festivals in the future. [Spring Beers] With the warm weather approaching Gary Monterosso has made some beer recommendations. "Some people call them lawnmower beers, because when you are out mowing the lawn you want something that is more light and refreshing." Strawberry Wheat, a wheat beer from Lancaster Brewing Belgian Lambics, a wheat beer from Belgium in various fruit flavors Melbourne Brothers, a hard-to-find English brand of fruit beers (try Red, White and Brew distributor in Mount Holly, says Monterosso)

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