Our musical series dresses up to receive a the new selector; a guest who is a true luxury to include: John A. Paradiso, writer, editor, and photographer based in Durham, North Carolina (USA), who is currently the Managing Editor of Hop Culture, a digital craft beer magazine.
Founded in January 2016 by journalist Kenny Gould, Hop Culture magazine was born with the desire to create high-quality content and promote small independent craft breweries. Since then, it has become an editorial benchmark in the industry, with its own circuit of festivals and events and line of merch, as well as a platform recognized and admired by many - including myself - for promoting, as part of its mission, values such as inclusivity, positivity, accessibility, sustainability, and good vibes within the craft community.
John, in addition to being the Managing Editor of Hop Culture and contributing as an author in several of its publications, is passionate about the food and beverage scene and has written for Cool Hunting, InsideHook, It's A Passion Thing, Edible Brooklyn, Boston.com, and Boston magazine. As he himself recognizes, his excitement about the food and beverage industry stems from its people, the creators who make an art out of their profession.
When John isn’t writing or shooting photos, he admits to being likely to spend way too much money on vinyl, watching Premier League soccer, or reading longform journalism. He’s probably down for a beer tonight.
With this spotless resume, I’m wondering why it took me so long to ask him to prepare a selection of songs for our Bottle Share Playlist series. Well, there is no doubt that John meets absolutely all the requirements to be a spectacular host when it comes to pairing an evening with good music and delicious craft beers.
“In my opinion, a good playlist is not distracting. It sets the mood but doesn't intrude. Maybe occasionally someone's attention will drift and they hear a great song. "Woah, what is this?" They'll ask. And you can share how you first heard that Bill Callahan song at a cozy bar in Brooklyn. And that's sort of how I feel bottle shares should go. Sure, there's room to nerd out about a particularly fun beer. And I love hearing the personal stories and moments of discovery from folks. But, the night is about more than the beer.
So, I made a playlist of some of my favorite songs that have played in the background of great beer moments. A few of the songs played at some of my favorite bars, while others I've played with friends over a few beers. So, crack open a beer and enjoy!” ¡Thank you so much John, I really love it!