Today we’d like to introduce you to Pam Catoe.
Hi Pam, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started writing about beer in 2015, I was at the Circle Anniversary Party (3.14.15 = pi day) when I ran into the owners of CraftBeerAustin.com. It was probably the 5th time we met and Irina Plakas, editor and co-founder, asked me, “would you be interested in writing about beer?” By no means did I consider myself a writer at the time, but before I knew it, I accepted and started my first series about women in beer shortly after. I knew many women in the industry at the time and they were under-represented in the craft beer scene, so I felt this opportunity was the perfect way to tell their stories. About a year later, I was approached by PorchDrinking.com to be the Texas regional writer and soon after the Southwest regional editor. In 2020, my husband and I took over CraftBeerAustin.com and expanded our coverage to all of Central Texas. I’m also the Pink Boots Collaboration Brew Day liaison for the Austin chapter of Pink Boots Society, the co-organizer of the Beer Necessities MeetUp group, co-organizer of the East-West Beer Fest event, co-founder of ATX Beer Week, and the newest co-host on The Beerists podcast.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road, like many women, I am frequently overlooked as someone with any beer knowledge whatsoever. The first thing I did to bolster my credibility was to get my level one beer Cicerone certification, which at the very least helped me speak the same language. But that’s not something people can visibly see when they talk to you. So to this day, I am offered a beverage other than beer, or when I am reading the menu to choose a beer, I’m frequently offered the lightest option or have the styles over-explained to me. One of the things that I am so grateful for is that my husband is a fantastic partner. When people look over my head and start talking to him about beer, he is quick to point to me as the expert. I gotta say, I love that. That being said, the folks in the Austin beer scene are typically friendly and welcoming, so it didn’t take long to build good relationships and work together to support the local beer scene.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
The mission of CraftBeerAustin.com is to support the Central Texas craft beer scene. We stand up local breweries by sharing news, events, and stories about the people behind the beer. Last year, we launched our first beer festival held at Turnstile Coffee Beer and Spirits, East-West Beer Fest, where ten local breweries brought their best East coast and West Coast-style beers for festival-goers to sample. We are also part of the team bringing a new event, ATX Beer Week, to celebrate the beer community.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Openness, kindness, respect, and curiosity. Each of the breweries we cover are locally owned small businesses and they play a role in the greater Austin area community. By supporting them as much as we can, we are supporting the community at large.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.craftbeeraustin.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/craftbeeraustin/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CraftBeerAustin/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/CraftBeerATX
- Other: www.porchdrinking.com
Image Credits
Photo credit: CraftBeerAustin.com, Photo credit: Beer Necessities, Photo credit: ATX Beer Week
