From the Stage to the Stein: Alum Malcolm Purinton 98F Brewed Up His Own Academic Specialty

It turns out that beer is about much more than drinking, which Purinton explains using a uniquely interdisciplinary lens that moves across and between areas of study, emphasizing surprising, creative ways in which to consider world history and human behaviors.

We caught up with him to discuss his path from Hampshire to history to professorship.

What originally attracted you to Hampshire? 

I wanted the freedom to choose my own curriculum and focus on learning how to learn, not on grades or other statistics. I also just loved the feeling of the campus when I first visited. Walking around and having an amazing interview really solidified Hampshire as the place I wanted to be.

We were all deep-diving into unique, often esoteric avenues of interest and that was as much a part of my Hampshire education as my classes and shows. It wasn’t just school and then friends; Hampshire fostered collaboration and support regardless of each individual’s work. 

What did you study? Did your academic interests change between your first year and your last?

I went in wanting to study theater and did so throughout my time at Hampshire. I loved almost every minute of it. I was on the Theatre Board helping set budgets and slot the shows. I designed sets and built them and then performed on them. Taking classes at the other Five Colleges was wonderful, too, including an Acting III course at Smith with the amazing, Tony Award–winning Austin Pendleton. 

While my academic interests didn’t change, the breadth of interests I was exposed to through my friends, who were all doing radically different things, propelled my perception of what was possible for my future. We were all deep-diving into unique, often esoteric avenues of interest and that was as much a part of my Hampshire education as my classes and shows. It wasn’t just school and then friends; Hampshire fostered collaboration and support regardless of each individual’s work. 

Were any faculty or staff especially helpful or inspirational? 

Professor of Theater Design Peter Kallok, above all, and close seconds were Professor Emeritus of Theater Wayne Kramer and my advisor for the whole time, the irascible and supportive Professor of Biology Lynn Miller. I still count Peter as a friend. He didn’t bat an eye when I showed up my first week and asked to work in the theater shop and build myself a bunk support for my dorm room from scrap wood. He was part of my every semester and show and was a mentor throughout. 

Wayne added humor and design elements to all my work and Lynn, though I only took one science class during my whole time at Hampshire, was there to back me up for whatever I wanted to explore. I remember early on, I told Lynn to have a nice day as I was leaving his office and he replied, “Don’t tell me what kind of day to have.” After that, I always made sure to tell him to have a nice day whenever I saw him — a small thing that became part of our dry, humorous rapport.

When did you get interested in beer, both as a hobby and as a scholarly pursuit?

I became interested in beer while at Hampshire! I started trying alcohol and found myself learning a lot and enjoying the local Northeast microbrew and craft beer scene through breweries such as Berkshire Brewing Company, Paper City, Ipswich, Red Hook, and Wolaver’s — several of which have since closed, unfortunately. It was part of my relatively chill party scene of Hampshire — we shared beers while playing card games like hearts and having great conversations.

One of my mod mates returned from a time away and really blew my mind by introducing me to Belgian Trappist ales and their unique history and flavors. It was then that I realized how much more there was to beer than just taste and a buzz. I started brewing my own after graduation and dove into ingredients and developing creative and weird beers that blended styles and tastes as I learned more about the long history of this libation. 

The scholarly aspect came very unexpectedly a few years later. I had returned to school to study history with the goal of a Ph.D. and eventually teaching at the college and university level. I was focusing on the history of religion within world history during my master’s until I took a fateful course on colonialism in Africa. I didn’t know much about Africa or colonialism, but when the professor overheard friends talking about my beer interests and that I was about to start doing some freelance writing for a local beer periodical, she suggested I write about beer for the class. It was such a welcome surprise. I was following my curiosity and interests in the history of beer and brewing in a similar way to how I approached theater at Hampshire. I was taking calculated risks and following my passions for teaching, learning, and research. I eventually reached my goal of a doctorate in world history with a focus on the history of beer and brewing. 

What are you up to these days?

I’m an assistant teaching professor at Northeastern University, where my theater training comes into play on an almost-daily basis. The flexibility I had at Hampshire as well as training in performance have helped me teach on subjects as varied as the history of technology, the history of capitalism and business, imperialism and colonialism, and food history from a beer and alcohol perspective. I also regularly give public lectures on beer history topics and do interviews on current and historical trends in the beer and alcohol industries with major news organizations.