Had you thought about doing a pure biography in the past?
Not really. It’s been pitched to me over the years, but I just really thought of it more as a beer humor book than a biography. I don’t have a standup act, so I’m not going to do it like Ellen DeGeneres or Jerry Seinfeld. Of course, I haven’t read their books. [Laughs] I assume they’re mostly observations taken from their lives anyway. This is meant to be less of a memoir than a couple dozen beer-related anecdotes from my life.

With all the historical factoids, including Bavarian monks and Babe Ruth sneaking through underground bar tunnels, the book’s almost like The Da Vinci Code for beer. Did you know a lot of the history beforehand?
I did not know a lot of it. A lot of it was research, obviously. I know my beers and everything, but since I’ve been promoting the book, I’ve been reaching out to Oktoberfests and craft beer festivals and things like that, and I know nothing. I realized I am a complete idiot, both in terms of my palate and my knowledge of the process.

You write about being served by a blind Chicago bartender when you’re a kid, and your travels in Morocco with friends, living one day at a time and scrounging up just enough money for beer. Do you think people still go on those types of adventure in today’s modern world?
I don’t know, you’d have to ask a clueless 22- or 23-year-old, and I’ve got two or three of those at home. They have not gone vagabonding in Europe. As far as sleeping on the side of the road and living on lemons, no, I don’t really know whether kids still do that. They must, though. It’s the only time to do that. A lot of that is when you really have no idea what’s next. That was largely a function of “I am not ready for a job yet and I am not a candidate for graduate school so what do I do in between?”

Do your kids love beer as much as you do? Has anybody taken up the family tradition?
[Laughs] My daughter isn’t that much into beer. My sons have been, but not like me, no.

Are you a welcome guest of honor at any Oktoberfest event or beer festival?
Wherever there are beer enthusiasts. There are certainly open arms — at the risk of patting myself on the back — if I were to show up at a NASCAR event or a barbecue at a football game. Cheers was a tremendously popular show, and people miss it.

For lot of people who’ve played a beloved character on screen, like Batman or Superman, it’s stuck to them for their career yet they want to move on from it. However, you’ve embraced it: People call you Norm on the street and you’re very cool about it.
I certainly prefer being called by my own name, and very often they’ll say, “Oh, no, sorry Mr. Wendt! Good to see you!” That kind of thing. The Norm stuff is there and I decided early on, like in the first or second year of the show, if I’m going to let that make me crazy, I am going to be certifiable. I just decided to roll with it. If you take half a second and remember my real name and address me as that, that would be appreciated. [Laughs]

When you go to bars in 2009, do you like the atmosphere you find or do you seek out the ones like the pubs you grew up with?
I’m certainly not trying to go for any “scene.” I’m more going to a place to relax – not a sports bar, per se, but it’d be nice if there was a ballgame somewhere in the room so you can keep an eye on something. Good beers, good bites. But you know, I do like bar bands and live music, for a couple reasons: a) I like the music; and b) it’s a place to focus on the stage. It takes the focus away from me, or at least that’s what I’m thinking.

You have a great story about visiting the Hofbrauhaus in Munich as a youngster. Have you gone back in later years?
Not to the Hofbrauhaus, but I did go to Oktoberfest three years ago. Wow. That’s all I can say. Yow. I’m glad I finally got there in my old age. I would never go back, but it was an amazing experience, all quite upbeat and positive, although I was quite ill the next day.

Now that you’ve had some time to mourn, are you still bummed that Chicago didn’t get the 2016 Olympics?
Well, I’m only sad because the community really invested a lot of energy and money and emotion into the process and the hope of getting it. And the jobs – it would have meant a big shot in the arm to the construction industry, obviously, and other economic benefits. But apart from that, we would have all had to pretend we give a darn about kayaking and skeet shooting.

Finally, is that really you manning the George Wendt Twitter?
It’s kind of me. I’m like grandma with the remote, so I’m getting some help. And there’s Facebook as well, which I’m trying like hell to learn. I answered the inbox, but I’m not so sure about the “Wall” — I don’t know what that means. I am old. [Laughs]