John Schlimm

John Schlimm (born December 1, 1971) is an American author, activist, artist, and educator. His books include The Ultimate Beer Lover's Happy Hour: Over 325 Recipes for Your Favorite Bar Snacks & Beer Cocktails, The Cheesy Vegan, Stand Up!: 75 Young Activists Who Rock the World, And How You Can, Too!, Grilling Vegan Style, and The Tipsy Vegan.^[1]

A member of the award-winning Straub Brewery family of Pennsylvania, one of the oldest and most historic brewing families in the United States dating back to the 1870s, John called upon his family roots to write The Ultimate Beer Lover's Cookbook. With more than 400 food and drink recipes that all use beer as an ingredient, The Ultimate Beer Lover's Cookbook made history in 2008 as the largest beer cookbook ever published. In 2009, the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards named The Ultimate Beer Lover's Cookbook The Best Beer Book in the United States and The Best Beer Book in the World. That same year, The Beer Lover's Cookbook was released as a smaller paperback adaptation of the original, with just over 300 food and drink recipes.^[1]

In August 2014, Schlimm's cookbook The Ultimate Beer Lover’s Happy Hour: Over 325 Recipes for Your Favorite Bar Snacks & Beer Cocktails debuted. It features bar bites – from Sizzling Sriracha Peanuts to Taproom Tacos to Blitzed Bean Soup – and beer cocktails, chuggers, shots, shooters, chasers, punches, floats, and shakes, with nearly 1,000 related pairing suggestions using today’s most popular craft and seasonal beer styles.

Early years

John was born in St. Marys, Pennsylvania, a small town in Northwestern Pennsylvania, that was once called the "Carbon Capital of the World". He still resides there. The great-great-grandson of Straub Brewery Founder Peter Straub, he grew up immersed in the beer culture and within walking distance of his family's brewery.^[2]

Early writing

Schlimm's first published writing was a front page feature article in his hometown newspaper, The Daily Press, about his family's 4th of July parade tradition. He chronicled how every July 4 his family celebrates the holiday with a private family parade at their woodland retreat. The tradition was started by his Great Uncle Frank Straub, who served as the family's Uncle Sam, almost fifty years ago.^[3][4]

Years later, while continuing to contribute feature articles to Autograph Collector Magazine (now Autograph magazine), in 1998, John became a contributing editor for the magazine and started writing more feature articles as well as a monthly column, "The Book Collector".^[5] Schlimm continued to serve as a contributing editor and book critic for the magazine until Fall 2010, writing about some of the world's biggest superstars and pop icons.^[6]

During this time, Schlimm wrote a column, "The Culture Collector", as well as features pieces about such notable public figures and celebrities as presidential candidates on the campaign trail during the New Hampshire primary, Monica Lewinsky, and artist Peter Max for the now defunct Pop Culture Collecting magazine.^[7][8]

Early career

During his early career in the 1990s, John served in the Vice Presidential Communications Office at The White House where he worked with Second Lady Tipper Gore as well as having worked in production and scriptwriting for the national radio series Enterprising Women, fundraising for various national and local non-profits, and Country Music PR at FrontPage Publicity in Nashville where he worked with Naomi Judd and other superstars.^[9]

In 2003, Schlimm joined the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford as an adjunct professor in the Communication and the Arts Department, teaching courses in Public Relations, Communications, and writing. He hosted the radio program Campus Crossfire for five seasons. During the 2006-07 school year, Schlimm served as the Visiting Assistant Professor for Broadcast Communications. In 2012, John returned to campus to deliver the Commencement Address. He has been a promotional writer for the country’s preeminent literary public relations firm and a leading publisher, where he has written on behalf of Hollywood and literary superstars as well as some of the country’s most respected brand names.^[10]

Books

Schlimm's first published book, Corresponding With History (1996), marked the beginning of his historic autograph collection that numbers more than 4,000 signed pieces today and has been widely chronicled in Autograph Collector Magazine (now Autograph Magazine).^[11]

Community involvement

Schlimm's ongoing community-based efforts include co-directing the award-winning TEAM STRAUB (an adjunct fundraising arm of the Straub Brewery, Inc.)^[12] serving on the Board of Directors for Citizens Against Physical, Sexual & Emotional Abuse, volunteering with the Humane Society, working as a Red Cross-certified swimming instructor for more than twenty years, and speaking at VegFests and other events across the country, among other activities. In 2013, he delivered his keynote address titled "Embrace Compassion, Change the World" on Capitol Hill at the Congressional Vegetarian Staff Association luncheon.^[13]

Education

Schlimm graduated Summa Cum Laude from Elk County Catholic High School in 1990. Beginning his college career as a Fashion Design Major at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia, he later switched majors and graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University with a Bachelor's degree in Communications/Public Relations and a minor in Studio Arts. During the late 1990s, he returned to college at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, earning dual Secondary Education Certifications in English and Speech Communications. In 2002, he graduated with a Master's in Education from Harvard University.^[14]

Bibliography

• Five Years in Heaven: The Unlikely Friendship That Answered Life's Greatest Questions, Image Books, 2015. ISBN 978-0553446579.
• The Ultimate Beer Lover's Happy Hour, Sourcebooks/Cumberland House, 2014.
• The Cheesy Vegan, DaCapo/Lifelong, 2013.
• Stand Up!: 75 Young Activists Who Rock the World, And How You Can, Too!, Publishing Syndicate, 2013.
• Grilling Vegan Style, DaCapo/Lifelong, 2012.
• The Tipsy Vegan, DaCapo/Lifelong, 2011.
• Harrah's Entertainment Presents...The Seven Stars Cookbook, Chronicle Books, 2010.
• The Beer Lover's Cookbook, Sourcebooks, Inc./Cumberland House Publishing, 2009.
• The Ultimate Beer Lover's Cookbook, Cumberland House Publishing, 2008.
• Straub Brewery, Arcadia Publishing, 2005.
• The Pennsylvania Celebrities Cookbook, Stohn Books, 2005.
• The Straub Beer Party Drinks Handbook, Stohn Books, 2004.
• The Straub Beer Cookbook, Stohn Books, 2003.
• Corresponding With History: The Art & Benefits of Collecting Autographs, ETC Publications, 1996.

References