Onwards and upwards

Dominic Roskrow dons the Editor’s hat for the last time and looks at his baby’s first year in existence

This is my last issue as Editor of Beers of the World and as of issue eight, Sally Toms will be at the helm.

I’ll still be consultant editor to the title and will be writing regularly for it, but I must admit to a degree of sadness at going. It’s always a little bit hard when you move on from a job, but moving on from a magazine when you’ve been instrumental in its creation, shape and direction, is particularly tough.

Beers of the World came in to existence just over a year ago, but it feels like it’s been part of my life forever. I guess all the early conversations, the planning, the dummy runs and so on all mean that it has been around for longer than these 12 months, as a twinkle in the publisher’s eye.

I don’t intend to offer a critique on the first seven issues because I don’t think that’s my job; that’s for the readers. And I receive a regular amount of email telling me how we’re doing so I have a good idea as to where we are with it.

But I would say that in some ways the magazine is evolving in to areas that we could never have envisaged, and that is probably a good thing.

A good example of this is America.

After four years away from writing about beer I completely failed to appreciate the passion and diversity of the US market.

From as early as the first issue I was scrambling to pull in more from the American end.

If I had to pick the thing I have enjoyed most about editing this magazine it’s been discovering great beer after great beer from America. And in learning from the enthusiasts over there who have embraced this magazine and enthused at our efforts.

Closer to home it’s been a delight to taste outstanding British ales, to reacquaint myself with personal favourites such as porter, and to rediscover my love for chocolate malts.

And to continually be amazed at how quickly the demand for quality products from across the world has developed. I remember being stunned to discover a specialist beer bar in the High Street in Croydon, a place that has traditionally been the main drag for the white skirt and fake tan brigade.

I’m also proud of the fact that in my final month I am hosting an evening called Fields of Gold for a Norfolk business group. I’ll be joined by the man who has put together a co-operative of Norfolk beer producers and the people behind England’s first licensed whisky distillery to talk about how East Anglia is producing some of the world’s best barley and increasingly, some of its best beers.

I’m looking forward to reacquainting myself with some fine breweries in the coming months.

But in the meantime I want to thank everybody who has encouraged and supported me in this venture, and particularly beer lovers who have got in touch with no agenda beyond to express enthusiasm for our efforts.

We haven’t got it totally right, but we have given it our best effort. I’m immensely proud of this magazine, and look forward to watching it go to greater and greater heights.

So that’s it. End of an era. I’m outta here...

By Dominic Roskrow

Section : From the Editor

Page number : 5