I took part in several “books & brews” events last summer. Now that I have some experience, I’m weighing the pros and cons of whether to take part in any this year.  

I can’t say that I’m a beer connoisseur, or even much of a beer drinker, although there are some beers that I like very much. What I like even better than drinking beer is visiting a brewery’s tap room.

Almost universally, there are fun and friendly people on both sides of the bar. They offer tasters, they explain the beer names, they chat about the meaning of life – it’s like walking into the quintessential neighborhood bar, even if it’s your first time.

Talking about books while drinking beer is a lovely way to spend an afternoon. I’ve bought books from fellow authors during events, and sold books, too, although not as many as I would like. Hence, my current state of reassessment.

Friends who write romance, particularly fantasy romance, do extremely well at books & brews. I suspect that’s because the primary demographic of these events is women of drinking age under forty. I did a little research, and the number of Gen Z and Millennial readers has grown remarkably since the pandemic. They are the group responsible for a noticeable increase in book clubs and book sales – in genres that appeal to them, of course.

Agatha Christie is definitely having a moment lately, even among young adults, but the people who buy Agatha Annotated tend to be older than forty. Often, they were Christie fans years ago and are now rediscovering her books and enjoying the nostalgia of my history-laden annotations. Still, I have never seen clusters of fifty- or sixty-year-old Christie fans strolling through books & brews events, while there are plenty of Gen Z groups looking for fantasy novels.

I do enjoy chatting with readers and writers, and it’s fun to try out a new brewery, but I have to decide whether schlepping out books and sitting behind a table for four hours is the best use of my time. If you are a books & brews veteran, I’d love to hear your opinion!

So far this year, I am being picky about which books & brews events to pursue. Instead, I’m looking for alternative venues that would appeal to the Agatha Annotated demographic. If they could include a nice cold beer, however, that would be a plus!