Good evening.

As always, thank you for watching and supporting PBS Kansas.

I am Ted Ayres and I want to welcome you to a special edition of Inside the Cover in an effort to provide our viewers with a more lengthy and considered program about books and reading, we have expanded our show.

Please let us have your feedback as we seek to improve and enhance our programing for you.

Tonight's book is Celebrating Kansas Breweries by Michael J. Travis.

This book was released earlier this year, and I found it to be a fun, enlightening and enjoyable read.

Please join me as we go inside the cover.

Michael Travis is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire.

He worked in corporate retail for years, spending the bulk of his career with Payless Shoe Source in Topeka.

The pandemic forced him to redefine his professional career after losing a position in the first year that COVID struck, he established a retail consulting company catering to small businesses, which gave him the time and opportunity to follow up on an early writing experience.

His spiral bound journal capturing a 1972 family's summer road trip in a blue Volkswagen van to the West Coast and back.

Michael Travis is a man who appreciates his family, a social man who enjoys people and conversation, a fellow who likes beer, and a man who is enthusiastic about Kansas, and particularly optimistic about the future of the state.

And the many small towns spread across our 105 counties where craft breweries have been established.

Michael, welcome to this special edition of Inside to Cover.

Thank you for taking the time to visit with our viewers across south central Kansas.

And we'll get started if you're ready.

Absolutely.

Thank you.

In the introduction, I referenced your 1972 family summer road trip in a blue Volkswagen van to the West Coast and back.

Tell us about that trip and how it laid the foundation for this book.

The trip was memorable from the moment we were about ready to embark, so my two brothers, my younger sister and I were just about to to step into our VW bus in our assigned seating driven by my older brother.

And we thought, you know, we're on a journey, we're going to have fun.

Our first stops, the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Well, before we left the driveway, my mom paused and said, Kids, you've got some homework on this trip.

And she handed us.

You mentioned spiral bound school notebooks blank, 350 pages.

And her challenge to each of us from my baby sister, who is five, to my older brother, who's 14, was to look at the trip on a daily basis in journal.

So, you know, that trip Ted brought to me a love for being on the road.

We put a lot of miles on that VW bus, but very importantly, it also instilled a passion for capturing what I thought might be the story of the day.

Wonderful.

And if I may ask, how old were you when you began that trip?

I was ten.

Wow.

I still have the journal.

Yes, I do.

In fact, it sits it sat next to me as I wrote this book as inspiration.

Oh, wonderful.

Kind of kept me grounded through the entire process.

Well, you talk about on that trip mileage, you put 6000 miles on your Honda pilot as you traveled for 28 consecutive weeks, visiting 59 breweries in 37 cities and communities.

Was it worth it?

Absolutely.

You know, Ted, I think it was priceless for me.

You know, I mentioned in the book that the journey took place during the pandemic.

And what was so striking to me during the journey and as I reflect back on it, I met more people and made more friends during a pandemic year than I have in my entire life.

So, you know, the trip was a journey and it was I was blessed to have the opportunity to meet some wonderful people from all walks of life who are pouring their passion into making a difference in their communities through a vehicle of craft brewing.

Would you say, Michael, that the trip was therapeutic for you?

It was.

You know, I you mentioned that, you know, I went to the University of New Hampshire.

So I am a New Hampshire kid.

Our girls have grown up in Kansas and I'm proud to say I'm a Kansan.

I've said that across the board in many of the events I've had supporting the book.

But I found the the, you know, the quiet state highways and the landscape between my visits very therapeutic.

You know, I fell in love with the state all over again in many ways.

I went to communities I'd never been to.

So it was therapeutic from that standpoint, and it was inspirational when I would take the time, which typically could be a two hour visit with owner slash brewer, sometimes the same people talking about their passion for what they do.

I found that very inspirational as well.

You know, we'll talk about it later perhaps.

But I was struck in reading your book that you really do have a passion for Kansas.

It comes out very clearly in your book.

It you know, it was there to begin with because obviously jumping in a car and taking a couple of days a week and putting a lot of miles on the car and at times facing some hazards on the journey.

I had to have the energy and drive to do it, but I was so excited at the opportunity to really start peeling back the layers on the stories of these people in the communities that they're in.

And, you know, couldn't wait to hit the road.

Quite frankly, Ted could not wait.

And that comes out very clearly in your book, which I think is the reason it's so readable and so, so fun to read.

And in that regard, Michael, what has been the response to the book?

It's you know, it's been a blast.

So, Ted, I, I the book was launched or published on August 15th that week, living in Lawrence, Kansas.

We had a grand party launch party at Fields and Ivy Brewery.

The next night we were at the Lawrence Public Library.

And since that week, I've had 28 brewery appearances and signings.

I've had seven talks from museums to an Oddfellows Hall in Minneapolis, Minnesota or Kansas.

Excuse me.

And what's been so heartwarming is I've heard stories whether I'm through a combination of seeing posts, a great story.

These two guys came into 1524 Brewhouse in Clay Center with my book in hand, and they're dear friends that don't live in the same community.

One had given gifted my book to the other gentleman and they decided that they wanted to relive my book.

So they have started the journey going to every brewery.

I just wrapped up last weekend with a festival called Beers of the Cob in Lawrence and what was again, heartwarming.

I heard stories about my book being on a bedside table, and I had readers of my book come up as they were tasting beer, saying, I love your book.

We've found some new discoveries.

And that's exactly what I was hopeful would happen as book fans picked up the book and started turning the pages.

I would think, Michael, as an author, that has to be very gratifying to see the impact that your writing and your book is having on Kansans and people in our state.

It you know, it was striking, Ted, because the first day I was out in the public signing the book and being called an author, I really struggled with it.

I really struggled with it.

And what I found during these events was I was almost benefiting the same way as I did during the journey of writing the book, through meeting people that wanted to talk to me about, you know, the dad they wanted me to sign it for or, you know, the homebrewing they're doing.

So I was making connections in a different way and, you know, have worked really hard to try to personalize on the fly what I've been signing to all these folks to try to connect with them.

But it's been it's been humbling and it's been incredibly exciting.

I've been on the same side.

And we may talk about this.

One of the fascinating things about your book was I think it again, it comes out in your writing and in the stories you tell, but you clearly connected to use your word with these brewers and entrepreneurs around Kansas.

And I think that is one of the reasons the book is so readable.

You wrote that writing the book did come with some roadblocks, including a herniated disc injury.

Did you suffer that injury on the road?

It's I'm sure the road didn't help it.

So I have a history of some back issues from many years ago.

And, you know, I would say maybe it was from lifting one too many pints.

But yes, I did suffer that herniated disc and that sidelined me for almost two weeks to the point where I couldn't even sit to do the writing, you know?

So I was sidelined and anxious to get back out on the road.

I bet.

Yes.

And I have to ask any other roadblocks and any traffic tickets along the way?

No traffic tickets.

But I did have a very close encounter with a beautiful buck on a state highway as I was heading from one brewery to another.

Dusk had fallen on one of our classic Kansas State highways, and all of a sudden I saw movement.

Thank God the movement was in my direction as well.

And we happily just kind of kissed each other and both moved on safely.

So, you know, I've had I've had the occasional surprise along the journey, but I would take a deep breath and get right back into the moment and say, you know, I've got another 50 miles to go, but I can't wait cause I know there's a story on the other end of this journey.

Well, and I would say that that is somewhat of a classic Kansas story of seeing the deer alongside the road as you're driving at dusk or dawn.

Yes, absolutely.

Michael, what was the hardest part of writing this book?

Well, the one of the first hurdles was working around the pandemic.

You know, quite frankly, a lot of breweries had to go through kind of redefining how they were approaching their business model.

And a lot of that centered around reducing hours.

You know, and I'm trying to map out and keep pretty concise, hitting 59 breweries in a you know, in a window of time that I felt I needed to address that.

So from a calendar management standpoint, from scheduling, it was very challenging at times.

Thus that created a lot of repeat journeys to get back to see more folks.

So that was a significant hurdle.

I did not have a hurdle with writing the story.

I think the other heavy lifting I had, quite frankly, Ted, was through these wonderful conversations.

I had 180 hours of audiotape that I needed to go back and listen to moment by moment, because, quite frankly, these brewers and owners really helped write the story.

And I needed to be right back in that moment at that table with the sun shining or the snow coming in sideways, remembering, you know, the energy that was coming forth from from a brewer or an owner at that time.

Yeah.

Marci Penner of the Kansas Sampler Foundation is quoted in your book as saying, quote, Your book could be a conduit to bring people together.

End of quote.

Do you agree with Marci on that?

I do.

Marci has been a great partner.

In fact, community connections are continuing through Marcy.

So she's introducing me to someone that is running a school in Kansas and wants to talk to me about how she can approach the craft brewery industry in the state and maybe find a a platform for her school and her students.

But, you know, I think what was so magical about the entire journey was that the breweries and what has always drawn me to these footprints is the community aspect of it.

And, you know, I think a lot of these folks that are working really hard to open up doors for a taproom or restaurant and brewery, they're creating the magic that I kept wanting to capture, which is, you know, why do people like us want to go and relax, have conversations with friends and newfound friends over a pint of beer?

Well, as a transplanted Kansan, why is that connection important to you?

You know, I think what I love about the fiber of towns is there are certain businesses or nonprofit organizations that are gathering spots, whether it's a public library or a community center.

And from a, you know, a retail environment, a coffeehouse to an independent bookstore to a brewery, the beauty of all those organizations and businesses is that people view those as a chance to go in and have an experience.

They're not transactional.

You know, so someone's coming in not saying, I need to have a pint and leave in 3 minutes.

They're coming in and saying, I want to have a conversation.

Exactly.

You know, and I want this to be memorable.

I'm you know, I'm looking at spending several hours here and maybe even having a conversation with a brewer or finding, again, a new found friend.

You know, just through engaging at a common table.

Exactly.

You know, and I think that that has been captivating to me, experiencing that and witnessing it.

Going back to your book.

Michael, you wrote that your goal was to write a feature focused on how each of us can enjoy our brewery visits with a greater understanding of what is happening in the Brewhouse.

Why is that important to you?

You know, I think, you know, when you're when you're spending a few hours in an environment and these environments are wonderful, you know, I think that curiosity that we all have comes to the forefront.

And the beauty of most of the tap rooms and brew houses in our state is that the brewhouse itself is visible and that's on purpose.

You know, they they want to open the window, so to speak, to, you know, where the where their art, where.

They're having.

To play.

Absolutely.

And, you know, some people might be experiencing a brewery for the first time.

So I have a feature story called Brewery one on One, where I sat with the head brewer, Sam McClain of Lawrence Beer Co. And, you know, we went from thinking it was going to be a very technical discussion and sharing, you know, you know, tips on how to kind of take your journey to a brewhouse.

And we quickly realized that, you know, it's a pretty simple discussion.

And it it's you know, yes, we can talk about the cellar and what you're seeing with different tanks, just to get a sense of perhaps where that pint you're having is coming from.

But it's bigger than what's happening in the brewhouse.

You know, it's rippling from those windows to the seat you're in.

And, you know, it became a story that, you know, we chuckle about Sam and I now going, Boy, we thought we were going to be very scientific and high brow with our discussion.

And that's not what breweries are about.

You know, and that's really what brought us back down to it's a place for us to relax, you know, and give people a sense of what that window to the world is.

But we don't need to get technical.

Well, it's really a place to socialize and to connect with our fellow human beings, our fellow Kansans.

And as I think about it, Michael, they there's got to be for obvious reasons, similarities in each of these craft breweries, but they're also unique.

Would you agree with that?

Absolutely.

You know, great example.

You know, I can talk about Little Taproom in Courtland, Kansas.

A young couple opened up Taproom called Irrigation Ales in the town of just under 300 people.

And, you know, very unique.

And this young couple is, you know, awesome and bring incredible energy to what they do.

But they were very resourceful in creating a brewhouse from milk containers.

You know, dairy farm.

So you see the resourcefulness of this couple.

And then you go to the farm and oddfellows in Minneapolis.

And here you've got a brew house in this gorgeous building on a second floor.

And you look at the window to this brew house with equipment that is, you know, state of the art.

And you look up at the 20 foot ceilings and you see chandeliers.

You know, how many brew houses have you ever walked into and seen gorgeous chandeliers up above you?

So I think, you know, the beauty of what I've witnessed and seen and enjoyed is, you know, these owners and brewers bring their own personality to what they're doing and they also pay homage to the communities they're in, you know, in many ways.

I've seen buildings that were empty for decades where these folks have come in and through blood, sweat and tears, you know, recaptured the magic of what that building was back in the day and giving it a new purpose.

And I want to get into that a little bit in more depth, if we can, later in the show, because I think that's one of the great, very interesting things about the book.

But another interesting thing to me is the background of these home brewers and these entrepreneurs.

You know, I read about you have surgeons and you have lawyers and you have accountants.

What do you think explains all these various professions and careers coming together in the brewing industry?

Well, I think it starts with these people are they love people and they love community.

So, you know you fuze that with in many cases these folks have spent time home brewing you know or have been in the neighborhood with a great home brewer and found through the love of hanging out on that driveway that they have a passion for what's, you know, the magic that's happening and, you know, a small brew house sitting in that garage.

But, you know, I think that that passion, that outlet is something that these surgeons, these firefighters, these doctors, these folks from nonprofit, these attorneys, you know, want to find a way to kind of unleash very similar to what I've experienced myself, you know, with, you know, finding a blank canvas and having a publisher giving me the opportunity to put some words down, you know, and hopefully capture the magic.

I think it's people.

It's passion.

And it's in many ways, it's kind of chasing a dream and wanting to make a difference in a different way.

You have such a great analogy and the blank canvas and capturing a dream.

You know that for those of us who love writing and books and reading, that's the magic of the craft of putting a book together.

To me, did you ever do any homebrewing, Michael?

Very unsuccessfully, Ted.

You know, I tried twice using, you know, the infamous Mr. Beer kit that some of our brewers actually started on and quickly graduated from.

I didn't graduate.

I failed.

And, you know, I fell back kind of looking at my wife, who looked at a kitchen that looked like a bomb, had gone off saying, I don't think this is for you.

We love our breweries.

Let's just continue to go and support our local businesses.

And I was very happy to raise a pint to that and say cheers and let's stay on that journey.

Absolutely.

There's just so much to talk about.

And I want to try to get as many of my questions in as I can for our show and our viewers.

You wrote in the book, Michael, that the last feature story, which was called It's a Small Town Sticking Around, is the most important story that you were going to write.

Why is that?

I during the journey, I've mentioned a couple of breweries in small communities of under 300 people.

What I fell in love with and was truly inspired by Ted was during the travel and seeing these 59 breweries.

I found six that either opened in 2021 or opened early this year in communities of under 2500 people.

And the common thread was to me, it was really inspiring.

Again, I'm getting chills just thinking about it because typically you'd find a couple with one of them or both of them coming home, you know, coming back from Denver, Colorado, or coming home because they were looking for a simpler life, a quieter life in a life where they could kind of change the energy of what they were doing professionally and shifted into making a difference and kind of pouring it into a passion that they had.

And, you know, we've all seen as we've driven through the state, you know, those sleepy, tired communities that are on the edge of no longer being.

And I found it so exciting, you know, as a as a witness in, you know, have shared aggressively in a lot of my talks with the Kansans that this is so heartwarming for us as a state because we've got these folks coming back and putting a lot of risk, you know, into investing in a town of 300 people or, you know, 2100 people.

But the communities have just come out with such support because they're creating a, you know, a footprint, a gathering space for book events, for book clubs, for, you know, bringing your dogs and family and just relaxing and being part of a bigger community.

And, you know, I think it really bodes well for us as a state.

I would agree with that.

And of course, I found very several ongoing themes in your book, people returning to their hometown, the repurposing of buildings, I mean, the old mercantile stores, fabric stores filling stations, skating rinks.

It's just amazing, but fabulous to me that these buildings are being repurposed.

Absolutely.

As we come to the towards the end of our show, Michael.

Benjamin Franklin is alleged to have said that God made beer because he loves us and wants us to be happy.

Do you agree that beer is on a heavenly plane?

Absolutely.

You know, I think this last weekend is a great example.

My wife and I spend time at Manhattan Brewing doing a book signing and in the midst of a huge football weekend at K State.

And we just, you know, sat back, you know, in between signing books and looked out at who is enjoying themselves in Manhattan brewing.

And you just see a relaxation, a warmth, you know, a very free flowing conversation.

And I view that noise, that gathering of voices as music, you know, because it's it it's a community that's very relaxed and a wonderful environment, and they're there for the experience.

You know, and I absolutely think Benjamin Franklin was spot on with what he had to say.

Michael, I wish we had more time for our program.

I as you know, I think we could chat about your book and breweries in Kansas for a long, long time.

But we I sure appreciate them being with us on the cover in this pilot program.

Tonight's book has been celebrating Kansas Breweries, People, Places and stories written by Michael J. Travis.

Our wonderful guests tonight here in the studio on this expanded version of Inside the Cover.

As I said, we would love to hear from you about the program, what you like, the suggestions for future programs, because we really aim to please and respond to your wishes as our viewers.

That's the show.

Thank you again for watching PBS Kansas and Inside the cover.

And we'll see you next time.