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Football and beer tend to go together without much thought. But in places like Pope County, Arkansas, alcohol is noticeably absent from tailgate coolers, plastic Solo cups, and concession stands. That\u2019s because the area, which is home to Arkansas Tech University, is also one of the state\u2019s 29 dry counties, where access to alcohol is restricted thanks to political influence, conservative mindsets, and tradition left from the time of Prohibition.\xa0

In his first piece for Good Beer Hunting titled \u201cNo Blitz \u2014 How Arkansas Tech University Fans Tailgate in a Dry County,\u201d freelance writer Brian Sorenson portrays a small, but proud slice of the American South, where sports like football dominate much of the culture. That culture, he says, lags behind the more liberal coastal areas of the United States, but that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s less worthy of attention. In our conversation, he describes his hope for readers and listeners to set aside their notions of what they think Arkansas is like, and to instead experience it through fresh eyes and open minds.\xa0

You\u2019ll hear about his background in beer, football, writing, and the state of Arkansas, where he grew up used to rowdy sports fans fueled by alcohol. For this story, he was fascinated by the idea of separating the two, and shares some of the surprises he came across while writing the piece. It\u2019s an insider\u2019s look at seemingly contradictory ideologies, and it\u2019s likely you\u2019ll walk away with a new framework from which to view a different, but beautiful, way of life.

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