OnTap Magazine

ontapmag.co.za | Spring 2025 | 51 and present of the location. Did you base this on any specific brewery, and if so, what is your connection to it. A: Gosh, that book was written a very long time ago, and I haven't looked at it since 2000. I'm sure it probably was based on a real brewery, as I'm a bit of a magpie that way. I'm always looking for shiny little details that might add something to the novels. As for Prohibition, I've only recently noticed that Portland was a hotbed of prohibitionists in the 19th century, which is ironic given the number of breweries in Portland now: 27, at last count. One of my friends is a salesman for a company that distributes independent beers in Maine, and he struggles to keep up with the new ones. If nothing else, it tells us that Prohibition didn't work. Q: There are a few references to Allagash Brewing Company with a slight nod to craft beer. Are you a craft beer enthusiast, and if so, do you have a particular favourite style or brand that you seek out for yourself? A: I am a huge craft beer enthusiast, with a particular affection for amber and brown ales, so I look forward to autumn and winter brews when I'm in the US. I'm one of those people who doesn't care much for IPAs, which are big in the US. I taste IPAs as slightly soapy, which I believe may be genetic. My introduction to craft beers came in the late 1990s in the form of Pete's Wicked Ale, which was a brown ale that, I think, originated in California. I'd never tasted anything as good, as craft brewing didn't really exist in Ireland. A friend of mine, who was a pilot for a US airline, would bring me over a six pack or two if he was flying the transatlantic route to Dublin, but otherwise I'd have to wait until I was engaged in North American promotion to drink it. Pete's went out of business about a decade ago, but I still have one of their lovely pint glasses to remember their beers by. Q: The Great Lost Bear, is somewhat of a craft beer institution. I believe they were the early supporters of the Allagash White and the bar is famous for its wide selection of “local” craft beers. Why did you pick this very “beery” bar for the Parker character to work? Is there a personal connection? A: The Great Lost Bear is a little off the beaten track, as it's away from the main tourist drag of Portland's Old Port area. It doesn't really have any natural light, so the distinction between day and night falls away when you're inside, which kind of suited Parker, I felt. Also, I'd met Dave Evans, who was one of the owners (with his wife, Weslie), and Dave was, and is, a big fan of mystery fiction. He was also willing to let me use the bar, as I always think it's polite to ask first. (I assured him that I wouldn't kill anyone in the Bear. He told me I could kill anyone I wanted, and to start with the line chefs.) Q: Parker occasionally has a beer when he returns home in scenes of introspection about certain cases. What beer do you imagine him drinking? And would he be drinking from the bottle or does he use a glass? A: He'd drink from the bottle, because I tend to. I see him drinking Negra Modelo, which I think is the best Mexican beer, with a lovely hint of caramel to it. Q: Other mentions are made of wine, in particular South African unwooded Chenin Blanc; what is your connection with South African wine? A: My wife Jennie is South African, from Benoni, and we have a house in a small village in the Western Cape, near some fantastic wineries: Springfield, De Wetshof, and more. So, whenever I get the chance, whether in the novels or just sending wine as a gift, I opt for South African wines, and there's always something new to discover. Most recently, André van Rensburg, the former winemaker at Vergelegen, who's been coming to my signings for many years, has begun making his own wines, and he brought along two bottles to an event I did in Cape Town in June. They were just fantastic... John Connolly is a bestselling author of mystery and supernatural fiction. With over 30 published works, including the popular Charlie Parker series, his books have captivated readers around the world. He has won the Edgar, Anthony, Shamus, and Macavity awards in the US, a CWA Dagger in the UK, and an Irish Book Award, as well as numerous international accolades, and has published more UK Sunday Times Top 10 Hardback Bestsellers than any other Irish writer. https://www.johnconnollybooks.com/ JOHN CONNOLLY