John Holl hosts or co-hosts three podcasts about beer and produces three more, has written six books about beer, is the editor and co-owner of All About Beer and writes about beer for innumerable publications.
When Holl talks, people drink.
A Born Journalist
Holl has been a journalist since the age of 16, landing a job in his local newsroom. “On the second day of my summer internship, I was sent to interview New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman,” recalls Holl in a video interview. So began his career as a journalist, which would see him graduate from an internship at his local paper to a full-time job at the New York Times as a crime reporter and then onto hoppier publications in the beer world.
“On my 21st birthday, I went to my local brewpub,” said Holl of how his interest in beer began. “I think I had an IPA and at that moment, I made the decision I was going to drink better beer.” Two years later, in 2004, Holl had his first byline for an article about beer, a New York Times article about the resurgence of craft beer in Holl’s home state of New Jersey.
A Career In Beer
In 2008 and 2009, Holl began writing for more beer publications, including All About Beer and Ale Street News, which were the preeminent beer publications at the time, though both would eventually cease publication, unable to keep up with a shifting demand for digital media.
When Holl took over editorship of All About Beer in 2012, a role he filled until 2017, his name quickly became synonymous with beer journalism and he was highly sought as a speaker around the world, cementing him as one of the most important voices in beer. Holl would go on to serve as editor for SevenFifty Daily and Craft Beer & Brewing. If there was an important publication about beer, Holl played a role there.
In 2022, Holl purchased and revived All About Beer, alongside his friend, business partner and fellow beer writer, Andy Crouch.
Today, Holl hosts or co-hosts three podcasts about beer—Drink Beer, Think Beer With John Holl, BYO Nano Brew Podcast, and Steal This Beer—and, as editor of All About Beer, produces two more—The All About Beer Podcast (which is co-hosted by the author of this article) and Brewer To Brewer.
Besides being the literal voice of beer in America, Holl edits content on All About Beer and is a frequent contributor to many publications, including bringing beer to readers of non-beer publications such as Craft Spirits Magazine and Wine Enthusiast.
Holl has written six books about beer: Indiana Breweries, Massachusetts Breweries, American Craft Beer Cookbook, Dishing Up New Jersey, Drink Beer, Think Beer: Getting to the Bottom of Every Pint, and The Craft Brewery Cookbook.
“What is really interesting is, for a long time, there were a lot of publications covering beer,” says Holl. “People were interested in reading about the business of beer, the personalities, the history, the science, and flavor.”
“There are still people interested in reading about beer, but there are few publications covering it. That is a real disservice to the beer community,” he says. “My main goal is to make sure we’re putting out relevant, interesting content for curious beer drinkers.”