So, I like craft beer. My wife, Becky, is my traveling partner and beer buddy. We travel as often as we can and many times, finding taprooms, breweries, and beer bars are part of our itineraries. We love to meet people, visit new places, and experience new beers.

Brewing fascinates me. It’s part science, part art, and almost always magic. Sure, I’ve got my favorite styles and some not so favorite, but I’m willing to try almost anything with an open mind.

I’m also a home brewer. I picked up the mantle from my wife who initially got into homebrewing in the early 2000’s. It’s been an exciting trip going from bottling and extract kits to all-grain custom recipes and kegging (I LOVE kegging). We both like to sit around and think up ideas for new beers, test them out and tweak recipes. Sometimes even a name can bring on ideas for new beers.

Being a part of a community and the social aspect of not only beer, but the craft beer culture, is another large part of why I’m so passionate about it. I’m a very social creature so it didn’t take long to join my local homebrew club, the Cloud Town Brewers, and the American Homebrewers Association. Both are great groups and I’ve learned a ton about brewing and enjoy the meetings and everything being a part of the club offers. Highly recommend.

Another trait I have that I enjoy about homebrewing is I love learning. I’m a voracious reader and have an insatiable appetite for finding out what things are and how they work. Books, people, magazines, videos, podcasts, beer tastings, events – you name it. If it has something to do with craft beer and brewing, I’m probably into it. I’ve recently become a Certified Beer Judge under the BJCP Program, which is a way for experienced brewers and tasters to help improve our own and to also give back our experience to those who come after us. I’m now studying to obtain a National Rank Judge and become a Certified Cicerone (a Sommelier for beer).