CL-072 Katie Mather and The Dream Turned Reality
Have you ever dreamed a dream so perfect, so grand, so utopian that it seems impossible to turn into reality? Katie Mather has\u2014but unlike most people, she transformed her vision into something tangible.
The pastoral landscape of Clitheroe, a village in northwestern England, provided an ideal backdrop for Mather\u2019s dream to crystallize. Despite the copious amounts of lemons the pandemic dealt out, Mather and her husband, Tom, decided to make lemonade in the form of a Lilliputian shop and bar-in-progress that focuses on simple, high-quality drinks and small bites. They dubbed it Corto: a hat tip to a Spanish beer tradition that encourages a midday sip and snack, because doesn\u2019t everyone deserve a small respite from reality? In her first piece for Good Beer Hunting, titled \u201cThe Bar at the End of the World,\u201d published on March 24, 2021, Mather shares how, when, and why the two decided to create a space for community, camaraderie, and craft beer, even as she grappled with a positive COVID diagnosis last fall. (Don\u2019t worry\u2014she\u2019s better now.)
Just a quick note for listeners: There are a few moments of brief audio breaks while Mather is talking. Do not change the channel\u2014it\u2019s us, not you. (It turns out Wi-Fi in the middle of nowhere can be a bit spotty.) But I promise, small hiccups aside, this conversation has the potential to transport listeners to an idyllic land, full of promise and flavor. Throughout the discussion, she reveals the inspiration of the pair\u2019s blossoming oasis, shares their goals (both during and post-pandemic), the value they find in sourcing artisanal food and drink to share with their small community, and how opportunities disguised as dead ends can bring forth some of the sweetest outcomes.