GARRETT Oliver enjoys a drink and is not ashamed to admit it.
He freely boasts that his cellar is crammed with crate upon crate of wine, beer and other alcoholic beverages.
He talks openly about how he has been drinking for more than 25 years, still loves to do so today, and how he travels around the world to fulfil his passion for sampling foreign ales.
While figures reveal that alcohol consumption in Britain has more than doubled over the last 40 years, that more than eight million people in England and Wales drink more than the recommended amount of alcohol, and one in 20 is dependent on drink, American Oliver remains unrepentant about his passion.
After years of amateur brewing inspired by beers he encountered during a year in England (where he learnt from the Witty family who now run the Daleside Brewery), he joined the Manhattan Brewing Company as an apprentice in 1989 and is now a leading authority on traditional beer, the brewmaster of The Brooklyn Brewery and a respected author on ale.
Travelling around the world lecturing on how to match craft beer with good food, Oliver is one of a growing crowd of people who are encouraging others to feast (moderately that is) on the vast range of beers now available on the market.
While he is no advocate of downing pint after pint or bottle after bottle, he argues that beer can work wonders with food and while the idea of restaurants having a beer list as well as an accompanying wine list is now the norm back in his homeland, he believes the UK is beginning to catch up.
"I was frustrated at seeing so many restaurants that had a
great wine list but had the
same beer list as a hotel," says Oliver, speaking at an event
held at Anthony's Restaurant in Leeds.
"It has taken a long time for a lot of restaurants to catch up with what's going on around them."
While the move can be dismissed as little more than a fad, Oliver argues restaurants with good beer lists often see bigger cheques coming their way from customers and makes sound business sense.
Certainly the figures seem to back him up. Across the pond the number of breweries have exploded from 40 in 1984 to 1,700 today and while the market for beers like Budweiser levelled off in the US last year, the yearning for ales from countries such as Belgium, France and Italy saw sales of traditional beer increase by seven per cent.
In the UK, beer may still be predominantly seen as a drink for pubs rather than restaurants, the tide is slowly changing.
"Beer has a lot more flavours than wines have and there is often a tendency to force wine where it doesn't belong," says Oliver. "Someone may order spicy shrimp as a starter, followed by lamb chops and lemon tart for desert with an accompanying bottle of burgundy.
"While the wine will go pleasantly with the lamb chops, it will not bring out the best of the flavours of the other two courses.
"This is where beer can provide the answer."
Although a fan of traditional British beer (he counts Timothy Taylor Landlord and Tetley's Bitter among his favourites) he feels many don't have the range of flavours to best accompany food, unlike foreign beers.
One of the best beers he has tasted is a brew which was in its original bottle from 1869 which he describes as "mind boggling".
Clearly such vintages come at a cost, but for Oliver beer will always be a priceless commodity.
"No matter how much money you have if you miss having great food with great beer then you're poor.
"You can have some of the best beers in the world for the price of a double latte at Starbucks."
And with Valentine's Day fast approaching, does Oliver have a tip for increasing the romance levels?
"Try Liefmans Frambozen with your chocolate desert and see the flames of passion fly."
ian.briggs@ypn.co.uk
Oliver Garrett's latest book, The Brewmaster's Table: Discovering the pleasures of real beer with real food, published by Harper Perrenial, priced £9.99, is available through the Yorkshire Post Bookshop on 0800 0153232 or online at www.yorkshirepostbookshop.co.uk. Postage and packing costs £1.95 per order.

Best buys
Brooklyn Lager (5.1% abv)
Price: £1.19
Stockists: Asda

Schneider Weisse (5.4% abv)
Price: £1.59
Stockists: Asda, Oddbins, Morrisons

Aventinus (8% abv)
Price: £1.98
Stockist: Asda

Liefmans Frambozen (4.5% abv)
Price: £2.39
Stockists: Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons

Brooklyn Chocolate Stout (8.7% abv)
Will be available in the UK shortly.