First published 7 January 2019 in issue 34 of Ferment Magazine.
This article focuses on the people whose work keeps the wheels turning in modern beer culture: volunteers.
The majority of people who volunteer do so at beer festivals. It’s easy to understand why: there are lots of opportunities to get involved and for most the barrier to entry is low.
But for some it goes further. They see volunteering as a route into the industry, to where their future waits for them.
They feel the pull of beer’s current drawing them in. You may well have heard of Stu McKinlay. If not, you’ll probably recognise the name of his brewery: Yeastie Boys.