EP6 - The Godfather of Belgium Beer

In today’s episode we are welcoming Tom Peters, owner of Monk’s Café in Philadelphia. Monk’s is regarded as one of the best beer bars in the world and one of the top 5 places to go before you die. With a cult-like following, largely in part to his passion for Belgian Beer and ability to pass that passion on to his employees and patrons, Monk’s has been serving in Philadelphia since 1997. 

Known as the Godfather of Beer in the US, Tom has a 35-year background in craft beer. His first beer was a Dortmunder Union, and he was spoiled right away. In 1984, Tom and his girlfriend stopped over in Brussels on their way to Paris, and his love of beer truly began. After seeing some sights, they stopped in a bar, ordered a Heineken, and were sad to find out that despite being in Europe, it still sucked. The bartender overheard and offered him a real beer, a Dubbel.

Soon, the bartender was introducing Tom to a host of different beers and Tom started making notes on beer mats. This experience changed his life forever. The sheer diversity of what was actually available blew him away. It was here that he began regular pilgrimages to Cantillon and started a long-lasting relationship with the brewery.

Tom tells Marcel that one of his biggest epiphanies came when beer writer Michael Jackson was in Copa 2, the restaurant Tom ran at the time. Tom struck up a conversation with him and was telling him about the aroma and notes of the beer he was drinking. Michael responded by dropping some knowledge about the background of the brewery and where it was from. This is when Tom realized he needed to know the “why” of the beer and go beyond the surface to understand the passion that goes into it. Soon after, he began travelling the world and visiting brewers.

A few short months after his first trip to Belgium, Tom was already selling a wider variety of imported beers, as well as educating his patrons about them. Word of mouth spread thanks to his passion and natural ability to present the drinks. Tom’s experience selling audio equipment taught him to fit the consumer need with the best value and product. His aim has always been to expand people’s minds and palates beyond what they are used to normally.

Before he opened Monk’s, Tom was working at Café Bola, a New Orleans style restaurant ranked among the best in the area. The owners also owned Copa 2, which at the time was struggling. Tom took over as general manager and rebranded Copa 2 as a craft beer bar. It was here that the groundwork for Monk’s was laid.

Between 1985 and 1997, Tom went to culinary school and invested in honing and improving his palate. He worked as a bartender, waiter, sous chef, and chef; basically every role in the restaurant business. Despite this, he felt he had limitations on what he could accomplish without owning a stake in Copa 2. He spent 2 years scouting locations before finding a perfect place, one block away from Copa 2. Thanks to the time he invested in educating and broadening the palates of the locals, when Monk’s did open, they had a line down the street.

The process for opening itself was fairly quick. There was a 7-day renovation of the restaurant before opening. Initially, Tom didn’t have enough time to train the staff on every beer they had. This led to the creation of the Beer Bible. Tom goes on to tell Marcel that with the pandemic lockdown, he is missing guest interaction. He loves talking to people, but it’s now been 9 months since shutdown. In contrast, his daughter is living in New Zealand where they are completely re-opened.

When it comes to creating and maintaining passion in his staff, Tom explains that employees don’t necessarily need prior beer knowledge. He just wants to know how well rounded they are as person and if they will fit with the family at Monk’s. The training on beer is gradual; new employees take home the Beer Bible, do their own research, and have beer classes with Tom. After a few weeks, they are left to make the selling process their own.

Tom has never thought of Monk’s as a cult hit. He’s just grateful that he has been able to follow his passion and share it with others. Several of his employees have been with him for 20 years, and the community around craft beer is what sets it apart. Tom loves bringing new people on board as it provides the opportunity for mutual learning. There are always new ideas and approaches.

Speaking of bringing new people on board, Marcel reminds Tom of the time that Shaun Hill, Founder and Brewmaster of Hill Farmstead, once applied for a job at Monk’s. He didn’t receive a call back. Now, the two are friends and have worked on a yet to be released collaboration called ‘Works of Love’. Tom hopes that after the pandemic they can look at doing a small batch release. This isn’t the first collaboration Tom and Monk’s have been involved with, as Tom has collaborated with many breweries over the years for limited releases.

Marcel takes a moment to ask Tom about Russian River and his relationship with the brewery, because Monk’s is the only bar on the East Coast to supply their beers. Tom views the owners of Russian River, Vinnie and Natalie, as true visionaries in the industry.

Tom and Marcel go on to discuss his induction into the Brewers Guild in Belgium. At the time, he was one of the only non-Belgians that was given the honor. To end the episode, Marcel asks Tom some quickfire questions about the oldest bottles in his legendary cellar, building relationships with breweries, and how he helped to create Philly Beer Week. Monk’s Café is currently closed due to the pandemic, but Tom is hopeful for a March re-opening to celebrate their 24-year anniversary.

Find out more about Tom and Monk’s Café here: https://www.monkscafe.com/