Welcome to the first episode of The Share Podcast, where we’ll hear from diverse voices in beer and explore the dynamic intersection of food, beer, and community. I'm your host, Stephanie Grant, and I thought it only right to start this podcast with a voice from The Share Community.
Today, I’m sharing my conversation with Joanne Mumbey, who has a passion for elevating beer, food, and culture. Since launching her first beer dinner, I have admired her dedication to elevating diverse cuisines with thoughtful beer pairings. In this episode, Joanne shares her unique process for creating beer pairings, drawing on her culinary education and favorite resources like The Flavor Bible. We dive into her experience hosting beer dinners that not only celebrate diverse cuisines but also give back to the community.
You’ll hear Joanne share how her personal journey and cultural heritage shape the dining experience. She discusses her passion for elevating cuisines that are often overlooked, and Joanne shares her dream of creating more fine dining experiences that elevate African and Ugandan flavors.
We covered so much in this episode, so let’s get into our conversation.
Stephanie
Joanne, I'm so excited to have you on the first episode of this podcast, and I want to dive into everything that you've been doing with BeyLoved Pairings. And the first thing though I wanted to ask is, like, how, how did you get into beer?
Joanne
Yeah, so I guess a little background about myself. So I went to culinary school in Johnson & Wales, in Providence, Rhode Island, during that time. Then I had a mixology class. So we had, like, a beer whiskey and wine class, decided beer class that day, and we had lambic for the first time. I'd never had lambics. I was just like, this is sour. It's Belgian. Like, well, what is this? Not Guinness that IPA?
It kind of triggered me to kind of explore more beer styles and go on a brewery tour. Lots of brewery tours. I explored beer that way, and I just fell in love with craft beer. And during covid, I definitely had a lot of downtime. So I went for the Cicerone Level One Certification, and really got, like into beer, more excited about it.
Then from there, I got the Beer Kulture Scholarship, "This Ain't The Beer That You're Used To" Scholarship. I did my Level Two Certification through them. Like that scholarship was amazing. I started working at Green Bench Brewing as well, and just, kind of just dove in, and I'm still in it, and I love it.
Stephanie
Awesome, awesome. So your first beer, it wasn't the lambic?
Joanne
Yeah, I'd been drinking beer because my parents always drink beer. I grew up in Uganda, so like my dad, like, always had Guinness, like, all the time, or Heineken or the traditional African beer as well. So I always grew up having beer and tasting it. I love beer to begin with, but it was cool to explore and see, like lambic and other different styles and works like macro lagers or just, you know, basic stouts.
Stephanie
Yeah, awesome. And then you work. I mean, I know that Green Bench isn't necessarily making lambics, but they're making some really cool mixed-culture beer. So it's really awesome that you're there. And I mean,Webb Celler, all of it is just amazing. So anybody, if you have not been down to Green Bench, you need to get down there.
Joanne
Yeah, come say hi.
Stephanie
So I feel like I kind of know the answer to this question based on what you said about your culinary background. Why beer dinners? Why did you want to put the two together in that format?
Joanne
Yeah, so a big thing I love about beer is that every culture has a beer. No matter what part of the world there's a beer. It's not the case for wine or cider, but every culture has a beer. So I love the idea of pairing, like every beer with a different culture, a cultural cuisine, and bringing those two together. And I just just love beer. And I just love the fact that for so long it's always been wine pairing, wine pairing this, and even liquor and spirits. But I feel like beer should be elevated to that same level as wine. There's a fine spirit, a fine beverage, a lot of craft, craft beers around in different styles. It should be highlighted and shared, and just bring that to elevated levels.
Stephanie
I love that, because I see the different pairing you're doing. So the first, if you could talk about your first dinner and then compare it to your second, and you just announce you're doing the third, you probably can't tell us any details about that yet. We'll wait. But tell us about the first two dinners and why you chose to highlight those cuisines.
Joanne
Yes, the goal for BeyLoved Pairings, I always want to make sure I'm highlighting cuisines that are not your traditional European cuisine. It's always like a Belgian dinner or cheese and beer pairing, which is nothing wrong with those. They're great too. I love beer and cheese. But I wanted to highlight things from my background, my experiences, and cultures I've been able to taste and really appreciate.
So the first theme, the first lunch, was an Afro-fusion theme. So I really wanted to pick things that are part of the African diaspora. A lot of Caribbean food has African influence, a lot of Latin food has African influence. So that was the base for that theme. And this last one I had just a few weeks ago, was Asian inspired, so a lot of flavors that were inspired by, like Japanese cuisine, Chinese, Thai and Korean flavors, just centering those non-traditional beer pairings.
Stephanie
I love how the Afro-Latin cuisine, like, there's so many through lines, there's so many, so much like, meshing of cultures, because you talked about plantains in one of your posts. I feel like everybody eats them because there's different applications to them. And I just, I love how you're using, almost, like using beer to highlight these different cuisines and how they intermingle, and then also showing like, like you said earlier about how beer is. Everyone has a beer. Beer can be paired with any cuisine. It doesn't just have to be the ones that we're usually seeing, which is beer and cheese like, but we love those. But what else do you have?
Joanne
Right?
Stephanie
You're the answer to that question.
Joanne
I appreciate that.
Stephanie
What has been your favorite aspect of hosting your beer dinner so far?
Joanne
So I didn't realize how much I would get so into researching the themes and explaining the different connections between Caribbean and African cuisine. I highlighted tamarind and how it came from India and then was brought to Africa and then spread to the diaspora. Even this last one, learning about the Korean beer drinking culture and, like, the different beer games they play. And there's a whole proper way to serve soju, and who gets it first. And like, just the whole culture that's been so cool to like, dive into those and share with the audience and the guests at the dinners and everything.
Because even at my next event, I'll kind of give a sneak peek, it's jazz themed. They're different subgenres of jazz. So I'm going to highlight Ethiopian jazz, Afro-Cuban jazz, and New Orleans-style jazz. It's kind of cool just reading about how those music came to be, and the connection between Cuba and New Orleans. The artists are traveling back and forth, and the food connections are there as well. So just that's been really fun to dive into and share with people.
Stephanie
I love when a creative thing can just open up the doors for a lot of learning. Like, I consider myself a lifelong loner, so I'm always diving into history. I love exploring what exactly is the background behind this? That stuff is really interesting, and I'm sure sharing that information with your guests is also a great part of that. It's always great to share knowledge.
You mentioned soju—if you could just talk about soju and what you learned from it, and you said that there's a way to serve it. Like, I would love to hear more about that.
Joanne
Yeah. So it's a distilled spirit made from, typically rice, wheat, sometimes barley. It can be from like 17 to like 40% depending on how crazy you want to get. So typically, when you're having soju, like, in a group, you should never pour your own soju. Someone else always pours it for you. You serve other people first. So it's very much like a communal kind of sharing thing, and like a sign of respect as well. There's different hierarchies. I didn't get too deep into it, but they also have different drinking games and ways to serve it. It's very cool to learn about.
Stephanie
What's your process for putting together your pairings?
Joanne
I typically like to have the chef get the menu finalized, and I kind of dive into the different flavors just coming from culinary school. Like a big book for us was the Flavor Bible. So I always love to reference that one first, and just kind of see, like, start with that sometimes. And I always go back and reference Beer and Food Pairing by Julia Herz.
But I'll sit down and kind of just break down the dishes, look at every individual ingredient as well to see, like, how to interact with the beers. I'll start with that and then see what beer offerings I have. And I always tell the kind of theoretical pairings. What sounds like it'll be a good match? What's going to have a nice contrast? I'll look at palette cleansing abilities, any matching flavors, anything historical or anything like with a culture, I can try to tie in or pair in.
And then I usually sit down and have an actual formal tasting with a chef, if possible. I want to see what they're tasting, if it makes sense. We look at the heat level of the dish, or any spice interactions. We consider what their vision for the meal is.
Stephanie
I love that you mentioned the Flavor Bible, because that has become one of my favorite, I guess cooking books.
Joanne
It's great.
Stephanie
It really lives up to the name of the Bible, because everything is, like, everything is in there. I saw they have a vegetarian one too. I'm questioning, what else is in there? How different are the two books? But regardless, Flavor Bible is one of my favorites, and I've been wanting to do some work with looking at Julia Herz's and Garrett Oliver's books and then in the flavor Bible, and seeing how I can start to come up with other pairings.
I think what becomes difficult sometimes is, it's easy to look up things that are common, but if you're trying to go beyond that, like, what you know, finding those guidelines for like, okay, how can I make sure that this is going to give me the pairing that I want?
And so I've been like turning to the Flavor Bible, just to see what flavors go together. So looking at the flavors in a beer, and then seeing how, you know, like cumin and coriander goes together. So then maybe I can put this thing, these two things. Together. So I'm glad you mentioned that, because I'm always like, Am I on the right track? And hearing you say it, I'm like, Okay, I'm on the right track.
Joanne
That book is gold. Yeah, it's so helpful. I've been doing beer cocktails because sometimes I can't get a beer that's like what I want it to be. So that's kind of helpful to use the book to find flavors that go together to make the pairing work.
Stephanie
That's a good idea. I saw you had one beer cocktail in your last event, correct?
Joanne
Mm hmm, yeah.
Stephanie
That's such a good idea, because you can add in those extra flavors you want in order to compliment the dish.
Joanne
Right.
Stephanie
That's really cool. And you always do like a charitable aspect to your beer dinners. What made you want to add that charitable aspect?
Joanne
Growing up, it's always been a big part of our family. We're always giving back and volunteering, whether it's your time or money. So I want to make sure that was a core part of my business always. I want to make sure I give back to different organizations and charities. Also, I'm a dietitian full time, and I'm still passionate about food and nourishing people. I really care about giving back if we're having a lavish meal, I want to know at least some portion is going towards a charity or just helping other people enjoy food too. I definitely love being able to do that and appreciate when people buy tickets and support.
Stephanie
You've highlighted some pretty cool organizations. Do you want to highlight or talk about any of those?
Joanne
I highlighted Beer Kulture for the first one because they got me my scholarship for the Cicerone exam. I would not be here without Beer Kulture. They were a really, really big part of my beer journey. I got the job at Green Bench through their job board, and Latiesha Cook and Khris Johnson have been amazing and so supportive. So I definitely wanted to give back to them.
They're doing a lot of work to help diversify the craft beer space through scholarship opportunities. They also have their back-to-school drive they usually do every year. They have different initiatives helping the community out as well. I love supporting Beer Kulture.
The last one I did recently, we donated to a local organization called the Kind Mouse. They have an interesting model where kids are helping kids essentially. The kids help pack breakfasts and lunches. They'll deliver them to other children. They actually have the kids do internships. They have to learn about managing a business, accounting, marketing and the whole back ends to get some really good life skills for college and onward.
For my next event, I'm going to work with a local church here that has a Thanksgiving drive. They fed 1,000 families last year, and they're going to try to do 1,200 this year. The holidays are coming up, so I thought it would be a perfect fit.
Stephanie
Yeah, that does sound like a good fit. So you have two under your belt. You're working on your third. I know you have some other ones. I won't spoil them. You'll have to stay tuned. I'm just so excited about how you're just rolling everything out. Have you thought about what you want things to look like in five years?
Joanne
I was asked that question today, actually. I had a mentorship call for a business thing. I definitely want to still do beer pairing pop ups and do the dinners and lunches. I want to keep doing that five years from now. I was just talking with a friend recently about maybe opening up. Maybe we'll see if I want to go into that restaurant life, but some kind of gastro pub, but like elevated gastro pubs.
You'll get really good craft beer, probably some craft cider as well. I'll have just small plates, almost like tapas and mezze style. I'm definitely sticking with my theme of highlighting different diverse cuisines and different flavors and cultures. That's kind of an idea for five years from now, but we'll see where life takes us.
Stephanie
Yeah, because five years feels like it's around the corner, but it's also like a while away, so things change. But I would be excited to see whatever you come up with in that time period. I think you've got great momentum already, and it's been so exciting to watch. And I know that other women in the community are also hype about what you're doing. It's just been great. I want to ask what kind of impact do you want these events to have on the beer community?
Joanne
I definitely want to elevate beer to higher levels. I really want to elevate other cuisines that are typically not elevated. I'm African and Ugandan, and I love my heritage. I'd love to see more African cuisine at that fine dining level and that same respect and caliber. I love seeing chefs like Marcus Samuelson and Pierre Thiam. They really inspire me so much.
So I'd love to really highlight just other cuisines as well that are not typically elevated to that point. So it's definitely a big goal for me, just sharing different cultures and cuisines. I love doing that, so I definitely want to have that impact on the industry.
Stephanie
I feel like a beer dinner is not necessarily like a gateway thing for someone who doesn't drink beer, but it could be because you are celebrating these different cultures. And I could see someone saying, oh, like, I love, like, Afro Latin, Latin food. So, like, I'm going to go to this just because I want to eat this food. And maybe I don't live near a place where I can easily access this type of cuisine and go there for that, but then fall in love with the beer. You're doing it for the culture, and I love it.
Joanne
I love that you brought that up. I always make sure to tell people that I do have tickets for just the food portion. If you don't drink beer, it's okay. You're still gonna have a great time tasting the food, learning about the culture, and just interacting with the other guests. You're going to have a good time. So definitely appreciate you saying that. I definitely think about that every time.
Stephanie
I think often about how we can diversify the beer industry. I mean, I've had this question in my mind for a while, and I don't know if I've ever come across an answer. I think there's multiple ways that we do it, but I think showing the diversity within beer is one way, and doing that through food, because we all have to eat. We all have to eat.
We all, I hope, would enjoy eating and food can be a gateway to beer. And I don't know I've thought about that, but not like, how do we do that? And I think that you're answering some of that question by like, how do we do this? Do you have a memorable moment from one of your events that you posted?
Joanne
Definitely my first one. Yeah, Khris Johnson, one of the owners of Green Bench, and he's also part of the Beer Kulture board. When I had my first event, I was so nervous that day. I was like, "I can't do it. I'm not gonna go out there. I can't talk to anybody." I was so nervous. But I came out and I saw him, and he was walking towards me, and I was like, "What's wrong?! Is something wrong?" And he's like," No, I'm just so proud of you." This is amazing. And I could just hear the genuineness in his voice.
He's been so supportive, and the entire Green Bench and Beer Kulture family. That moment really touched me. And then Tisha being there too, and, like, giving me a warm hug. That love and support I got from that first event just kept me going. And just since then, it's just been wonderful to have that community around me. They're supportive and want to see this grow. That definitely was a core memory for me.
Stephanie
Though I haven't been, I can feel the community in your recap videos and photos. Your dinners feel warm, open, and inviting, and it gives me a sense of community. I feel the community in the places that you're highlighting and the chefs you work with. You can tell that you're very thoughtful about every aspect of the dinner. And to me, that reflects your connection with the community and love for the community around you. It's really cool.
Joanne
Thank you. My work is showing through.
Stephanie
I see it.
Joanne
Some days you're kind of like, "Oh, man. Am I doing the right thing? Is this worth it?" You question yourself.
Stephanie
Yeah, it can be hard. I think that's one of the hardest parts about stepping out to start something. It's like, Am I doing the right thing? Am I doing it the right way? How can I do it better? You do the thing and you get nervous. I remember at the fundraiser that we had at Reformation a few months ago. I was like, I'm not getting in front of anybody to say anything. Everyone just have fun. It's fine. I wrote a speech. I abandoned the speech.
Joanne
It's just a lot of emotions. It's hard.
Stephanie
Yeah, it's just a lot of emotions. I was not expecting that to happen. I talk for a living. I feel like it's fine. Like, I get on Instagram and just talk and it's fine. I know these people, but I was like, I don't want to talk to these people. But you know, you gotta make it happen. You gotta see the dream through. There's no running when you're right there in the room.
Joanne
Nope! My sister was there, and she's like, you gotta go out there. They're waiting for you. And I was like, "yeah, I can't lock myself in the bathroom. I guess I gotta go right?"
Stephanie
Super cliche, but you could've crawled out the bathroom window like they do in the movies. No, your dress was too cute in that first event, you were not going to be able to do that. OK, I just have a few more questions for you. Storytelling is a big part of my identity, so I always like to hear how people approach it. I feel like there's a level of storytelling that occurs when you have a beer dinner. Is that something that you think about before you're getting up to give your spill?
Joanne
Yeah, definitely. I also like to have a theme. It helps keep me in check of what I'm doing and what I'm kind of aiming for. So I definitely think about storytelling. The first event I had was very personal to me because I grew up eating African cuisine, and I wanted to share my journey and my story. When I moved to the States, it was amazing to be able to try Latin food and Korean food and be like, "Oh, that's like, Uganda food. It feels like home. It reminds me of home." It was really comforting when I missed home and I got home sick.
So incorporating details like that and personal stories is important. For the last event, I looked up Korean culture, their drinking culture, and soju. Those things went into the event, Instagram captions, and recaps. So I definitely think about storytelling during the process. I try to find cool facts, or personal memories I have. Sometimes the chefs have a cool story about the dish they prepared, like how it's a family recipe or connected to a core memory. I love tying stories into the whole event and incorporating that into the experience.
Stephanie
The last thing I wanted to ask you was, what are, I know, you're just two in planning your third. What has been, I guess, the biggest lesson you've learned from planning this out, from having this idea to executing it and the second event, and how you're planning your third?
I'm definitely learning a lot about marketing and how to promote the events. I'm trying to figure out my target audience. Who should I really focus on? A big thing too has been value proposition. People have sticker shock and say it's so expensive, but I'm trying to show them why. That's definitely been the toughest part.
Just learning and trusting yourself while also not underselling myself either. This is worth the price point, this whole experience. I'm giving a quality experience and really taking my time and doing the work for this. It's definitely been an interesting thing to figure out and learn marketing.
Stephanie
I mean, I've worked in marketing, and I'm still trying to figure it out. It can be difficult, but I think you're doing a great job with social because you are showing why the price is what it is like.
First of all, I think beer dinners are going to at least cost you $100. You might be able to get away with 80. You're showing the value by showing the food, which looks immaculate, first of all. Then you're telling the stories of the chefs. You're telling the stories of the organizations you're supporting. You're telling a story of the venues. There's all of these things. This is an entire experience. This is what you're delivering. And I think you're doing a really great job of showcasing that. I mean, I know a ton of us are jealous that you're not here in Atlanta.
Joanne
Thank you. I appreciate that. Yeah, I'm trying to make sure that I'm not underselling myself.
Stephanie
And the price is the price. That's not to be mean or anything like that. It costs this much to have this type of experience. But pricing is, to me, I think is always going to be something that makes me nervous every time I come up with a price. I'm always like running a ditch into the carpet, because I'm like, is this the right one? Because you want to be sensitive to, you know, want people to come, you want to enjoy it and feel like they have gotten the value out of it.
Joanne
I'm definitely thinking about doing some more casual events instead of the five course, elaborate meal too. I'd like to have different customers come out. It's a learning process, but I'm getting there.
Stephanie
I feel like entrepreneurship is kind of like throwing a lot of stuff at the wall to see what sticks, and pivoting when it doesn't. It's constantly that. But it can be very fun when you get it right. I remember you mentioned this dinner you recently did was better than the first one. Could you elaborate on why? What was the difference between the two?
Joanne
Yeah, I feel like I had my workflow down better. I knew what to do this time around. I have my checklist and all my promo content written up. It was a lot less stressful. And I got to the venue earlier. It was just all these little things. My friend, who is one of my servers, helped me with just prepping stuff. It was just a lot easier having those workflows and rhythms in place.
Stephanie
You know what to expect, in a way, because you've already been through it. So it's going to get better and better.
Joanne
Yes, yeah, that's the goal.
Stephanie
Well, we are looking forward to what you're going to do next. So everyone, please go follow Joanne.
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Check out her jazzy beer dinner with BarrieHaus Beer Co.
Elevate the Culture with Joanne Mumbey of BeyLoved Pairings