When I shot this photograph of The Big Rip Brewing Company co-owner and head brewer Bri Burrows in May of 2019, I didn’t know the importance of the image. Burrows and guest brewer Damon Arredondo worked on a collaboration beer that day. I visited and chatted about industry news, just another day in the brewhouse. Fast forward six years later. Big Rip closed on July 26, 2025, ending its 12-year run. The photograph reminded me: Writing about history both documents and provides context to the story of people and the times they lived in, a main goal of Barons, Brewers, and Bootleggers: A Social History of Beer in Missouri.
Continue reading “The Importance of Writing About History”The Importance of Writing About History
