Megan Parisi
How did you get into the beer industry? Why does beer matter to you?
I started homebrewing in the early 1990s in grad school in Boston. We had some pretty good craft beer here with both Sam Adams and Harpoon and some terrific brewpubs like Commonwealth, John Harvard's, and Boston Beer Works. It wasn't until 2003 that I decided to take my decade-old hobby and turn it into a career. I started washing kegs and scrubbing floors for Will (Meyers) at the Cambridge Brewing Company, where I would spend over seven years moving up to lead brewer, then moving to D.C. to help open Bluejacket while the D.C. scene was just starting to take off. Ultimately, Boston called me back home and I worked with my friend Ben (Roesch) at Wormtown before landing the ultimate job as head brewer at the Boston Beer Company, aka Sam Adams. Never in my wildest dreams had I dreamt that I would rise up to this level! Beer has introduced me to so many amazing people and given me so many remarkable experiences. It truly brings people together with a common language. It breaks down barriers, and really is for everyone.
Why do you judge at the World Beer Cup? What does judging at the World Beer Cup mean to you?
I began judging in 2010 and have never looked back. Judging opened up a whole world of beer experience and knowledge to me. At the tables, I have met so many knowledgeable judges (from all areas of the industry) from whom I've gained knowledge, and tasted so many beers brewed by me colleagues that it has been the ultimate learning experience. Each time I judge, I learn. I love getting a front row seat to what everyone is brewing around the globe in a way that I could never accomplish by simply going out to drink beer! The other judges are so remarkably talented. It is always humbling to be in the company. They have each made me a better brewer (and now beverage developer!). Additionally, I have made lasting friendships over the years. It is an honor and a privilege to be a World Beer Cup judge.
What else would you like the world to know?
I started my professional life as a classical musician, performing as a member in the U.S. Navy Band Washington, D.C. Brewing beer was super interesting to me because it was very much like music, a combination of art and science that resulted in something that you could share with others. Very few people get to create something with their life's work, and I have gotten to do that twice over (although music is less tangible, it is still something of a "commodity"). I think the mindset that I honed growing up studying music set me up well for a career as a brewer—the transition was very natural for me. Music and beer are a perfect pairing!
