Less than 24 hours after the news of his passing I’m still in shock, scouring social media looking for answers to questions that will really never be answered…and honestly, I have no right to know the answers to those questions, I wish and hope that his family find or get some of those answers but I can honestly say that the news of Anthony Bourdain’s death has been such a punch to the gut more than any other celebrity death I can remember. And saying that sentence makes me sound so small because who the hell am I? Really, these people are all human, flawed as we all are, marked with mistakes even though the population doesn’t get to see them as we only see what is presented on T.V. or social media. There are no easy answers to this. Many of us can sit back and say how selfish it is to do what he did and maybe that is so, and I can agree with that to a certain extent. But who really knows what is swimming in one’s head, what one is dealing with, the conflicts one faces everyday within themselves…..outside looking in is easy to judge, we all wish the reach out is easy, but apparently it’s not.

The inspiration that Anthony Bourdain had on me is monumental. After watching A Cook’s Tour one random evening about 15 years ago and becoming hooked, I never would have found myself yearning to try new foods, new restaurants, and new cuisines, and all of that transferred over to the beer world, trying new styles, new breweries, and wanting more. I know he wasn’t a huge craft beer advocate but that didn’t matter, his acceptance of different cultures and his push for us all to go outside of our comfort zone made him iconic. He will go down in American history as someone who helped transform the landscape of how we eat, drink, and socialize, and better yet, he made it ok to accept cultures and human beings for who they are.

How can the passing of someone you’ve never met hit so close to home? The answer is quite simple…they’ve had an affect on how you live your life and what you stand for, and no doubt, he had flaws and downfalls, but the mark he left on this world has been nothing but positive.

In the book “My Last Supper” by Melanie Dunea, Bourdain’s last meal was roasted bone marrow and his last drink was a pint of Guinness at St. John’s Gate..if there was ever a human who deserved a pint it was him and I hope that he enjoyed one..if not before his passing, I really hope he’s smiling from above with a pint in his hand.

RIP Chef.