DELRAY BEACH – Many comics supplement their income by selling DVDs, CDs or trinkets following their shows.
Anna Lepeley isn’t many comics. She sells books.
Books that she’s authored.
Her latest, “Beer is Good for You,” is a thinking person’s guide to drinking and health.
“It’s written for someone whose inclined to read the book while drinking,” said Lepeley, who headlined Sunday’s show at Monroe’s Red Light.
That doesn’t diminish the validity of the information contained within its 80 pages.
A holder of a Ph.D. in Exercise, Biochemistry and Nutrition Research, Lepeley proves scientifically what many at least anecdotally already believe – that beer can be good for you.
“It’s written to be in layman terms,” Lepeley said. “All the scientific reference is in the back of the book.”
A public speaker, teacher and researcher by trade, Lepeley spent much of her early adulthood teaching seminars about nutrition.
During those seminars, Lepeley noticed she had a gift for entertaining.
“I walked into all these conference rooms and everybody was sleeping,” Lepeley said. “In my room everybody was laughing.”
Lepeley began integrating more comedy into her presentations.
She’d also mix in some alcohol education – which proved a real attention grabber.
“People just loved it – and this was like a five-minute portion of a one-hour, boring-ass hydration seminar,” said Lepeley, who’s also been performing stand-up comedy for the last half decade. “And I realized, people love learning about alcohol more than they love learning about food and hydration.”
A presentation to bomb technicians about proper hydration and how to drink beer responsibly helped spark her desire to write about beer.
Proper hydration isn’t limited to jocks. Being as little as one percent dehydrated and affect cognitive skills.
“For me, speaking for bomb technicians was way more important that speaking to athletes,” Lepeley said. “Guys and girls who detonate bombs are way more important to me than some basketball player.”
Lepeley’s goal is to help people consume alcohol in healthier manner. She recommends drinking beer over other alcoholic beverages because of its high water content. IPAs, in particular, are helpful because they are high in antioxidants and silicon.
“Beer is Good for You” is available on Amazon and after her shows. South Florida comedy fans have a chance to grab a copy in person on Wednesday when Lepeley headlines at Gatsby’s in Fort Lauderdale. She’s also performing on Thursday at Miami’s Casa Tiki and Saturday at Miami’s Villain Theater.
Lepeley’s already considering a follow-up book, one that addresses the benefits of other types of alcohol.
But don’t look for her to extol the benefits of White Claw.
“I’m on a quest to legitimize the benefits of all other alcohols over White Claw,” Lepeley said.
She would know. She’s got a degree to prove it.
