We recently connected with Patrick Benedict and have shared our conversation below.

Patrick, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

It was in 2016. From 2007-2011 I worked various jobs in the restaurant industry, and Craft Beer was, at this point, not a popular beverage among drinkers. I had learned about wine while working at a Wine Bar, but it didn’t thrill me as much as the “special” beers we’d get to taste and try, beers like Allagash White, Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA, Dale’s Pale Ale, etc. So I learned to love Craft Beer from these weekly specials, and that love only grew over the next five or so years. In 2016, my wife Holly Kay suggested I start a long form written blog about my adventures with Craft Beer (not just the beer itself, but the people I met and connections I’d made). It was time to put my BA in English from 2005 to good use, so I started benedictbeerblog.com, which evolved into an Instagram, which brought beer sponsorships and connections in the beer world, a job as a social media manager for a brewery, and more freelance jobs creating content for brands like Yuengling, Ballast Point, Tavour Beer Delivery, and more. Currently my main focus is content creation, mostly video.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I got into the craft beer industry working for restaurants in New York City. We would have weekly beer specials, giving me an opportunity to try beers from all around the world as the Craft Beer scene in the US was on the verge of a massive hype explosion that has carried its popularity through today. I met some friends at my Retail job at a fruit-themed tech company who were starting a brewery called Moustache Brewing. My love for craft beer and the people in the industry only grew from there and have made this brand a passion, as well as an income earning opportunity for me.

At the moment, under the monicker of Benedict Beer Blog, I offer content creation and social media services to small businesses and brands. I have mostly worked in the craft beer industry, as Social Media Manager for Big aLICe Brewing in New York, as well as Content Creator for Keg & Lantern Brewing in Brooklyn. I have created content for companies like Tavour and TapRm, who offer beer delivery to customers all over the US. I’ve also worked with brands outside the craft beer space, including The Beard Club, and Cauli Crunch.

Currently, I collaborate with Miller High Life, promoting their Dive Bar Ice Cream series of sweet treats, Abita Brewing, Sloop Brewing, Sixpoint Brewing, and Creative Creature Brewing, amongst other beer brands. I am also currently a Certified Comfort Coach for Swoveralls, based in Brooklyn, who create Sweatpants overalls for comfort and style.

I’m very proud of all my work, but I’m also proud of the money I’ve raised for Social Justice and Mental Health Awareness Organizations like including The Okra Project, Asian Mental Health Collective, and The Loveland Foundation. Through sales of Benedict Beer Blog merchandise as well as social media campaigns, my community has raised thousands of dollars to help these organizations continue their missions.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

Wait, is this where I’m supposed to talk about how AI is helping content creators? KIDDING, KIDDING. I think the most powerful resource for me right now is the community I’ve built on Social Media networks. Websites like LinkedIn help with that, but the community that I’ve built on Instagram and TikTok specifically has helped me get freelance jobs I never would have known about otherwise. Community is so important to the work that I do, because it helps bring out my passion for the work if I meet other, similarly passionate people.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

It’s been slow and steady for Benedict Beer Blog, but I think that when I joined TikTok in 2020, that helped expand my network and build my community QUICKLY. In my first two years on TikTok, I gained as many followers as I gained on Instagram in 10 years. And I think interacting and engaging with your audience is so important to building not necessarily the most massive amount of followers, but a dedicated group of followers that continue to support you and engage with your content.

Contact Info:

• Website: benedictbeerblog.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/benedictbeerblog
• Facebook: Facebook.com/patbenedict
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-benedict-6b639470/
• Youtube: YouTube.com/benedictbeerblog
• Other: TikTok.com/@benedictbeerblog instagram.com/bigalicebrewing instagram.com/bigalicebrewingflx instagram.com/kegandlantern

Image Credits
Patrick Benedict