A New Religion in Mecca
By Harry Levins
POST-DISPATCH SENIOR WRITER
11/15/2006

Lest the title "A New Religion in Mecca" throw you, press on into the subtitle: "Memoir of a Renegade Brewery in St. Louis."

It's the history of the St. Louis Brewing Co., which on the day after Christmas in 1991 started serving its Schlafly beer at the Tap Room on Locust Street. Not since 1977 had Anheuser-Busch faced competition from another commercial brewer in St. Louis, and much of "A New Religion" is a good-humored account of tiny Schlafly's playing David to the Goliath on Pestalozzi Street.

"At times," founder Tom Schlafly writes, "I compared what we were doing to opening the first Toyota dealership in Detroit. At other times I said it was like starting a new religion in Mecca."

Given the author's credentials as an English major and a fussbudget with the language, I was a bit taken aback by the subtitle's use of the word "memoir." Usually, the word describes an autobiography, not a history. But in this case, the word fits, because much of the book is a memoir, a rambling account of Schlafly's life and thoughts, on topics ranging from neo-Prohibitionists to the health benefits of beer, with a strong seasoning of literature and philosophy.

Take, for example, his account of his public-relations bonanza when Schlafly commemorated Pope John Paul II's visit here in 1999 with a new smoked porter dubbed Holy Smoke Papal Porter. Schlafly couldn't keep the stuff in stock.

Ever since, he has included smoked porter in his seasonal rotation, but never again under the once-in-a-career brand name of Holy Smoke. The result? Schlafly paraphrases Shakespeare:

"What's in a name? That which we called Holy Smoke Papal Porter by any other name might smell as good and taste the same, but it sure as hell won't sell as well."

A precautionary note about this book: Back in the 19th century, Anheuser-Busch pioneered brewing techniques that would let beer "travel" — that would preserve beer so it could be shipped far from St. Louis and still taste good when finally sold. Given the intensely St. Louis flavor of Schlafly's memoir, I doubt that it will travel well.

But here in town, well, give it a pop. Like Schlafly's craft beer, it tastes good on the St. Louis palate.

Hlevins@post-dispatch.com