{"id":607,"date":"2020-01-17T14:19:20","date_gmt":"2020-01-17T19:19:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/beerme\/?p=607"},"modified":"2020-01-17T14:19:20","modified_gmt":"2020-01-17T19:19:20","slug":"get-a-taste-and-a-lesson-from-an-s-o-b","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/beerme\/region\/get-a-taste-and-a-lesson-from-an-s-o-b\/","title":{"rendered":"Get a taste — and a lesson — from an S.O.B."},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Brooke Franus is ready to start pouring samples of Rogue products at Save-Mor Beer and Pop Warehouse in Squirrel Hill. (Mike Pound)<\/em><\/p>\n

Craft beer can be mysterious. Intimidating, even.<\/p>\n

One of the things I hope to accomplish with Beer Me is to make craft beer easier to understand and embrace. And that’s a mission I share my favorite SOBs.<\/p>\n

Check out the hashtag on the sign — Brooke Franus is the chief edutainment officer of Stewards of Beer<\/a>, a group that you’ve undoubtedly come across, even if you weren’t aware of it. Where? You’ve probably seen them handing out samples at beer distributors or grocery stores. You can find them pouring at local beer festivals. And you might even attend a craft beer education class taught by married co-owners Franus and Lee Schmidt — he’s the chief SOB and proud of it.<\/p>\n

The business started as an offshoot of a group that held informal tasting sessions up at Elwood’s Pub<\/a> in Indiana Township; friends in the business pointed out the need for experienced, educated people — stewards, if you will — to help guide consumers though the maze of breweries, brands and styles.<\/p>\n

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