Garrett Oliver

Lore & Background

Garrett Oliver grew up in Hollis, Queens, to a father who enjoyed hunting and cooking. He studied filmmaking at Boston University, where he organized concerts for bands such as R.E.M., The Ramones, The English Beat, and The Gun Club. After graduation, he spent a year stage-managing bands at the University of London, then traveled in Europe sampling beers in Belgium, West Germany, and Czechoslovakia. Returning to the United States in 1983, he began homebrewing while working for HBO and a New York law firm.

Oliver's brewing career began in 1989 as an apprentice brewer at the Manhattan Brewing Company. In 1993, he was appointed brewmaster of that company, which closed and reopened twice in the early 1990s. In 1994, he left Manhattan to become brewmaster at the Brooklyn Brewery, a position he has held since, and he has also become a partner in the company.

Oliver has an interest in beer pairing and cooking with beer, having written several books on the subjects, including 2003's The Brewmaster's Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food. This interest led him to become involved in the Slow Food movement. He has also served as a judge at the Great American Beer Festival.

Reader's Guide

Garrett Oliver's significance in the brewing world stems from his long tenure as brewmaster at Brooklyn Brewery since 1994, a role that has made him a prominent figure in American craft brewing. His influence extends beyond brewing through his authorship of books on beer pairing and cooking with beer, notably 2003's The Brewmaster's Table, which helped popularize the concept of matching beer with food. His editorship of the 2011 Oxford Companion to Beer further cemented his authority as a beer scholar. Oliver's involvement in the Slow Food movement reflects his commitment to traditional, quality-focused food and drink. In May 2012, he was honored by the Institute of Brewing and Distilling through the Beer Academy as an 'International Beer Champion' and made an 'Honorary Beer Academy Sommelier,' being the first (with Bill Taylor) to receive this title from the British organization that educates and certifies beer sommeliers. His role as a judge at the Great American Beer Festival also underscores his standing in the industry.

Did You Know?

• Garrett Oliver was born on July 29, 1962.
• He studied filmmaking at Boston University and organized concerts for R.E.M., The Ramones, The English Beat, and The Gun Club.
• He became brewmaster at Brooklyn Brewery in 1994 and is also a partner in the company.
• In May 2012, he was named an International Beer Champion and Honorary Beer Academy Sommelier by the Institute of Brewing and Distilling.