The Pope of Beers

by Brian Howard

What makes Conrad Seidl, Vienna-based author of the just-released Conrad Seidl's Bier Guide and Bier-Katechismus, an expert on beer has as much to do with his taste buds as with his profession — nearly a quarter century of covering Austrian politics.

"I have been a political writer with large Austrian newspapers for 23 years now, and if you write about politics all day, I think you deserve a beer," says the 16-year veteran Der Standard staff writer. "More specifically: I have found out that many Austrian politicians (including our Bundeskanzler Wolfgang Schuessel) prefer beer over wine — and of course it gives you something to talk about."

Somewhat surprisingly, given the Germany-Austria region's reputation as the world's beer capital, Seidl says he started work on his first beer book, 1990's Hurra! Bier!, some 17 years ago "not only because I love beer, but also because everyone was talking about wine, and very few people had more to say about beer than the fact that they liked it."

And thus, Seidl turned a means for loosening up sources into a booming second career. His beer articles appear in gourmet magazines like Falstaff, trade publications, newspapers and on his Bierpapst (literally "beer pope") site at www.bierkultur.at. (At present, his books are, sadly, not available in English.)

So what's the self-styled beer expert for the German-speaking world doing in America, a shining Lite for watery domestics? He'll host a beer dinner at Center City's Moriarty's with Downingtown's Victory Brewing to discuss European beer culture and the merits of some of his favorite U.S. draughts.

Seidl and Victory found each other serendipitously in 2000. On the same day Seidl stumbled upon Victory's Web page while researching a tour for German brewers, Victory's Bill Covaleski e-mailed Seidl seeking his expertise on Franconian beer.

Seidl is a proud "hop head," but like any true appreciator, he remains open to all comers. His "only philosophy would be to be open to new tasting experiences — so many beer drinkers on both sides of the pond are not," says Seidl, adding that it's also important to "pick it wisely: Although I have done professional tastings of bock beers early in the morning, it is a good idea to drink weaker beers early in the day and stonger beers later."

Good advice, even if you don't have an audience with the Bundeskanzler.

Conrad Seidl hosts a Victory Beer dinner at Moriarty's, Tue., March 22, 7 p.m., $40, 1116 Walnut St., 215-627-7676 for reservations.