Next week, September 20-30, marks the start of the 4th Annual LA Beer Week. Although LA is relatively “new” to the beer week scene, it is still one of the best beer weeks, in my opinion, that the country has to offer. But don’t take my word for it. Check out the epic line-up of events already on the schedule! And don’t forget to follow the LA Beer Week action on Twitter —
@LABeerWeek and the official hashtag: #LABW

LA BEER WEEK EVENT PREVIEW

Thursday, Sept 20

• Stone Total Town Takeover: Pasadena | Stone Brewing Co. previews its soon-to-open Stone Company Store – Pasadena location. Co-Founders Steve Wagner & Greg Koch will be on hand, sharing special beers and nibbles from Stone Catering, with live music. Tickets are $25; all proceeds will benefit a local charity. (7-9:30p) Other events with the Stone Brewing Co. team will also be taking place in Pasadena throughout the day. (Details)
• Fried Chicken, Craft Draft | Eva Restaurant offers Chef Mark Gold’s all-you-can-eat fried chicken and all-you-can-drink Beachwood BBQ & Brewing Foam Top Cream Ale for $39. RSVP via (323) 634-0700. (6-10p)
• Dogfish Head Craft Brewery Invades Little Tokyo | Far Bar will be pouring 12 of this famed Delaware brewery’s beers, including some very rare and hard-to-get selections. In addition, an extra special treat will be running through the “organoleptic hop transducer module”… better known to Dogfish Head fans as Randall the Enamel Animal. (6p)

Friday, Sept 21

• Poutine Paradise | No, it’s not a recipe or song from Cookin’ with Coolio… it’s five courses of gourmet poutines will be paired with five Schneider-Weisse beers, along with a special dessert pairing at P’tit Soleil Westwood. (Two seatings: 6:30p & 8:30p)

Saturday, Sept 22

• Walker’s Wild Ride | David Walker of Firestone Walker Brewing Co. will be hauling several rare sour beers around town in a vintage ‘55 Land Rover, with stops at Golden Road Brewing, Verdugo Bar, 38 Degrees Alehouse & Grill, Far Bar, and Blue Palms Brewhouse. (12:30p-??)
• Better Weather Fest | Golden Road Brewing will be celebrating their first year and their new brewery/restaurant expansions. Festival goers will be able to enjoy craft beers from a number of breweries, tour the new facilities, order eats from food trucks (Mandoline Grill, Crispy Waffle & Frite), all while relaxing to musical beats. (12-4p)
• Schneider Beer Brunch | Wurstküche hosts a tasty 5 course sausage and Schneider beer pairing, presented by a special guest from the brewery. Includes an Aventinus ice cream dessert course paired with Vintage 2008 Aventinus. (11a)
• OC Fest of Ales | The inaugural OC Fest of Ales kicks off in Anaheim with over 100 beers, VIP food pairings, music and a Beer Run 5K.

Sunday, Sept 23

• Brewer’s Brunch | Eagle Rock Brewery be opening up for brunch to chat with the owners and brewers. Resident Chef Jerry Su will be serving up some amazing brunch options as well. Entry is $15; includes two beers, food, and you get to keep the pint glass. (10a-1p)
• Berliner Brunch | Beachwood BBQ & Brewing (Long Beach) offers a special brunch menu along with several different varieties of Berliner Weisse on tap, served with or without house-made syrups. (11a-4p)
• Craft for Crap | Beer Belly wants you to educate your friend who somehow still drinks crap beers, despite the bounty of good we’re now surrounded with. Bring that friend, and one of the crap beers from their fridge and trade it up for a craft beer, at the low, low price of one cent.
• Beauty of the Barrel | The Victorian has partnered with Brew Something LA to help you enjoy both barrel-aged spirits and barrel-aged beers in one place at one time. Tickets are $40, and net proceeds go to benefit The Virginia Avenue Project. (4-8p)

Monday, Sept 24

• Ancient Ales Dinner | The Little Bear’s Chef Andre Guerrero has created a five-course meal to be paired with Dogfish Head Craft Brewery’s five “Ancient Ales.” The menu is insane. Tickets are $75; reservations can be made via (213) 622-8100. (7p)
• So You Want to Open a Brewery in LA…A Brewers Panel | Join moderator Tomm Carroll (from The Celebrator Beer News) at Rock & Brews as he talks with those brave few who have recently started brewing professionally in Los Angeles — or have plans to do so in the near future. They’ll discuss their experiences with starting a brewery and share their war stories. (7p)

Tuesday, Sept 25

• Musical Beer Crawl | Local beer darling/social media pro Cambria Griffith hosts the 2nd Annual LA Beer Week Musical Beer Crawl. This event unites the numerous extra-fantastic beer, music and food venues all along Echo Park’s W. Sunset Blvd. for a night of real beer, live music, discounts, surprises and giveaways. Printable “passports” will be available for download at MusicalBeerCrawl.com beginning Tuesday, Sept 18.
• Beer University: Farmhouse Ales | Steingarten LA hosts homebrew guru Drew Beechum, who will give an amazing talk on saisons and other farmhouse ales, selecting some of his favorite examples of the style to drink, with specially tailored food and beer pairings. Five courses. RSVP via (310) 441-0441. (7p)

Wednesday, Sept 26

• Brewmaster’s Dinner | Kinetic Brewing Company hosts an epic eight-course beer pairing dinner at their brewery in Lancaster. Tickets are $65. (6p)

Thursday, Sept 27

• Suckling Pig Roast | King’s Row Gastropub roasts a whole hog that’s been marinated in Firestone Walker beer. 8+ Firestone Walker beers on tap. (6p)
• Big Crawl in Little Tokyo | Special beers and glassware giveaways at some of Little Tokyo’s best beer bars: Far Bar, The Escondite, The Lazy Ox Canteen, Spitz, Izakaya Fu-ga, Weiland Brewery, and Xlixe Pizzeria. (6p)
• Lucky Baldwins Exclusive Pub Tour | Shuttle buses take patrons around the Pasadena environs all night, looping between all three Lucky Baldwins locations. Tickets are $45. (6:30p-12a)

• Port Brewing / The Lost Abbey night | Join the crew from this famed North County San Diego brewery along with over 20 of their beers at The Surly Goat. (6p)

Friday, Sept 28

• The Oinkster 6th Anniversary | Six burger specials from the past six years, with a tap takeover featuring Eagle Rock Brewery.

Saturday, Sept 29

• FoodGPS LA Beer Float Showdown | FoodGPS.com’s Josh Lurie has assembled five teams of top L.A. chefs and local breweries to collaborate on creating the ultimate beer float at Golden Road Brewing. Come taste and vote for your favorite. Tickets are $35; VIP $45. A portion of the proceeds will benefit The Pablove Foundation. (2-5p)
• Boneyard Bistro Brunch | Six-course brunch menu, with beer cocktail and special release beer pairings from Deschutes Brewery, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., and Lagunitas Brewing Company. Tickets are $45. (2p)

Sunday, Sept 30

• LA Beer Week Festival | The signature closing festivities for LA Beer Week. Over 70 breweries will be in attendance at Union Station, pouring unlimited samples of their goodies alongside food trucks and local artisans on-site peddling their wares. Tickets are $50; net proceeds benefit The Spero Foundation, The LA Brewers Guild, and the Glassell Park Recreation Center. (12-4p)

There are also some special events taking place over the entirety of LA Beer Week (9/20-9/30), including:

• Savory Malibu will create a special three-course beer pairing menu featuring Smog City Brewing. RSVP via (310) 589-8997.
• City Tavern will be featuring a different barrel-aged beer pairing each day.
• Bar | Kitchen (at The O Hotel) will be making special craft beer cocktails.
• Lucky Baldwins 16th Anniversary Celebration will feature rare and vintage beers from Stone Brewing Co.

And even more taking place over the course of several days, including:

• Beachwood BBQ (Seal Beach) Farmhouse Ale Festival (9/20-9/23)
• Homebrewing demonstrations at Wurstküche Venice (9/20, 9/23, and 9/27)
• Sadie (Hollywood) will be creating special menu pairings and cocktails with beers from Lost Coast Brewery. RSVP via (323) 467-0200. (9/20-9/22 & 9/25-9/29)
• Tony’s Darts Away IPA Festival in Burbank (9/23-9/28)

Also super cool: LACraftBeerTours.com is offering shuttle bus service between breweries to help celebrate LA Beer Week. Email pat@lacraftbeertours.com to RSVP or for more info.

• Saturday, Sept 22
  • LA: Eagle Rock/Strand/El Segundo/Golden Road (11:30am & 5:15pm. Free.)
  • South Bay: El Segundo/Brewery at Abigaile/Monkish/Beachwood BBQ & Brewing (1-10pm; shuttle runs on a continuous loop. Tickets are $15.)
• Sunday, Sept 23 (11am. Free.)
  • LA to OC: Golden Road/Noble Ale Works/Old Orange/The Bruery
• Thursday, Sept 27 (5pm. Free.)
  • South Bay: El Segundo/Strand/Monkish/Select Beer Store
• Sunday, Sept 29 (1pm. Free.)
  • OC: Old Orange/Noble Ale Works/Bootlegger’s/The Bruery

welcome to the main event.

Last year, I teamed up with some kickass women from all corners of the country and various facets of the craft beer industry to present the first ever “20 Most Eligible Bachelors of Craft Beer”. After reviewing last’s year process, we made some tiny adjustments to this year’s competition, and added more women to the nomination committee and the judging panel.

All though the process was slightly tweaked, the basic qualifications and the judging criteria remained the same.

The basic qualifications were as such:

1. Must work for a craft brewery (all positions considered)
2. Must NOT be married (other relationship statuses accepted)

Now, this whole concept might sound simple, but I assure you that it is more complicated than it looks. We accepted nominations via Twitter, Facebook, the comment section on this site, email, etc. After sorting through the various nominations from the outside, adding more to the list from the inside, and then reviewing the previous year’s winners, we were able to narrow down the pool. Many men were evaluated, and only 20 made the final cut. The top 20 nominees were then submitted to a judging round, where they were each judge on three very specific criteria.

The judging criteria were as follows:

1. Industry Talent
2. Personality
3. Appearance

I hate to disappoint, but this was not a “beauty pageant” type contest. In fact, the qualification that had the most impact on the scores, and the overall rankings, was personality. Looks and talent can get you far, boys, but personality will get your further.

20 men of all ages and positions were scored and ranked — but only ONE man will take home the crown of Mr. Craft Beer 2012. Without any further ado, let me present the winners of the 2012….

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#20 Mr. Troy Casey

Photo Source: Facebook

Brewer, AC Golden Brewing Company

Golden, CO

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#19 Mr. Matt Cole

Photo Source: Cleveland.com

Brewmaster, Fat Head’s Brewery & Saloon

Cleveland, OH

__________________________________

#18 Mr. Brandon Borgel

Photo Source: Facebook

Director of Sales & Marketing, Speakeasy Ales & Lagers

San Francisco, CA

__________________________________

#17 Mr. Randy Clemens

Photo Credit: Stone Brewing Co.

Media & Communications Linchpin, Stone Brewing Co.

Escondido, CA

Personal Twitter: @RandyClemensESQ

__________________________________

#16 Mr. Doug Rehberg

Photo Source: Widmer

Brewer, Widmer Brothers Brewing

Portland, OR

__________________________________

#15 Mr. Jared Rouben

Photo Source: Goose Island

Head Brewer, Goose Island Brewpubs‘

Chicago, IL

Personal Twitter: @jbrew312

__________________________________

#14 Mr. Victor Novak

Photo Source: Facebook

Brewmaster, TAPS Fish House & Brewery

Brea, California

__________________________________

#13 Mr. Michael Steffing

Photo Source: MyLastPint.com

Co-founder & brewer, Jester King Brewery

Ceres Park, TX

__________________________________

#12 Mr. Noah Regnery

Photo Credit: MSN Today

Brewmaster, Hollister Brewing Co.

Hollister, CA

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#11 Mr. Matt Dauffenbach

Photo Source: Matt Dauffenbach

Colorado and Oklahoma Sales Manager / Craft Beer Evangelist at Tallgrass Brewing Company

Manhattan, KS

Personal Twitter: @mkdauff

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#10 Mr. Brent Cordle

Photo Source: FeastingFortCollins.com

Manager of the Pilot Brewhouse & Barrel-aging Program, Odell Brewing

Fort Collins, CO

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#9 Mr. Jason Yester

Photo Source: Facebook

President & Brewmaster, Trinity Brewing Company

Colorado Springs, CO

Personal Twitter: @SaisonMan

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#8 Mr. Ben Edmunds

Photo Source: OregonLive.Com

Brewmaster, Breakside Brewery

Portland, OR

__________________________________

#7 Mr. Garrett Oliver

Photo Credit: Facebook

Brewmaster, Brooklyn Brewery

Brooklyn, NY

Personal Twitter: @GarrettOliver

__________________________________

#6 Mr. Tyler King

Photo Source: Cal Poly Pomona

Brewmaster, The Bruery

Placentia, CA

__________________________________

#5 Mr. Shaun O’ Sullivan

Photo Source: Facebook

Co-founder & Brewmaster, 21st Amendment

San Francisco, CA

Personal Twitter: @ShaunOSullivan

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#4 Mr. Jamie Floyd

Photo Source: Facebook

Co-founder & Brewmaster, Ninkasi Brewing Co.

Eugene, OR

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#3 Mr. Dustin Kral

Photo Source: Facebook

Head Brewer, Firestone Walker

Paso Robles, CA

__________________________________

#2 Mr.  Adam Avery

Photo Credit: Imbibe Magazine

Founder & Brewmaster, Avery Brewing Co.

Boulder, CO

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And this year’s Most Eligible Bachelor of Craft Beer crown goes to….

MR. CRAFT BEER 2012

Colin Presby

Photo Source: Weyerbacher

Cellerman, Weyerbacher Brewing Co.

Easton, PA

Possesing one of the less glamorous positions in the industry, Colin’s duties include (but are not limited to) bottling, kegging, machine operator and mechanic, transferring of brews, cleaning crew, quality control, and helping out as a sales rep which includes bar events, beerfests, and liquor store tastings — all of which he does with ease, pride and joy.

Photo Source: Weyerbacher

(And meet Peggy: the three legged goat he helped rescue!)

__________________________________

Well folks, that wraps up this year’s Bachelors of Craft Beer Competition! As you can see, we had quite a number of upsets — only eight men from the previous year made it to the top 20 this time around. The craft beer industry is ever evolving and this list will most likely continue to evolve with it. If we missed your favorite beer fella this year, make sure to leave a comment below, or send me an email to routson@gmail.com, so we can put him on our radar for next year.

Lastly, congrats to all the men that made this list. Although it was fun to objectify these lovely gentlemen, the overarching goal was to give credit where credit was do and promote some of the most talented and amiable men of craft beer in a fun and playful way.

The Beer Tweeter Interview Series

Beer bloggers are not the only people using social media to share their passion for and knowledge of craft beer. Twitter is one of the most important tools in today’s craft beer industry. Beer tweeters all over the world are influencing and impacting the way people interact with and experience craft beer. The Beer Wench has embarked upon a mission to interview as many beer tweeters that she can — from all over the world.

Are you a beer tweeter? Do you want to share your story? Send me an email!

INTRODUCING BEER TWEETER: RANDY CLEMENS

Background “Snapshot”

1. Where did you grow up?

In and around the San Fernando Valley in SoCal

2. What sports if any did you play growing up, through college and beyond?

Does marching band count? Being both nonathletic and nerdy as a child, I took up marching band, and loved every minute of it. (I marched in the Rose Parade twice!)

3. How old were you when you had your first beer?

19. I made it all through high school without any booze or drugs. (Told you I was nerdy…)

4. If you can recall, what is the story of your first beer? Where did you have it? What style and brand was it?

Well, to be perfectly fair, I’d had a Coors Light when I was around 12, but it was because there was NOTHING to drink in the house and the water had been shut off for some strange reason. My mom said I could have one of my dad’s beers with dinner — I thought I was cool at the time, even though I couldn’t stand the taste. It would be 7 years before I tried another beer. (After all these years, I still find Coors Light disgusting. Honestly, I don’t know how anyone drinks it.)

5. Where, if applicable, did you go to college? What did you study? What additional activities, organizations, sports did you partake in during college?

I attended the California School of Culinary Arts, completing the Le Cordon Bleu program. On the side, I became a member of the Culinary Historians of Southern California and the Bread Bakers Guild of America (See? Total nerd).

Craft Beer Epiphany

Every craft beer enthusiast has at least one pinnacle craft beer experience that completely changes ones perspective on beer. I refer to this mind-blowing moment as a “craft beer epiphany.”

1. What was your first craft beer epiphany? Recall as many details about it as you can:

After culinary school, I took an internship at Bobolink Dairy, an artisan creamery in New Jersey. I’d gone to learn more about bread and cheesemaking, but unexpectedly developed a taste for beer. One of their cheeses was washed with Forêt, the organic saison from Brasserie Dupont, and at the insistence of the owner, I poured myself a taste. What a far cry from the Coors Light I’d detested so many years before! This was fruity, yeasty, slightly spiced, a little sweet even. Hell, it had flavor — a vast improvement over my previous beer experience!

2. Have you have additional craft beer epiphanies since the first? Detail as many of them as you wish:

Oh, god. So so many. To spare everyone, I’ll take the easy road and lump most of them into when I took a BJCP class through the Maltose Falcons homebrew club. It was an excellent learning experience, and I was exposed to so many different beer styles — it was truly invaluable. Besides having my first IPA, Gueuze, Kölsch, etc., someone was kind enough to bring in a small stock of 1987 Bigfoot for us to try alongside the 2007. It was mindblowing.

Other huge eye-openers: My first Black Butte Porter, Duchesse de Bourgogne, Old Viscosity, and Pliny the Elder…

Beer Talk

1. What are your top 3 favorite beer styles?

Saison, Flanders Red, Russian Imperial Stout

2. What are your top 3 favorite breweries?

I’ve gotta stick with my local boys — The Bruery, Port/The Lost Abbey, and AleSmith

3. If you could work with or for any one brewery, which one would it be and why?

Probably Stone Brewing Co. It just seems like they have a lot of fun with what they do, and aren’t afraid to try different brewing and marketing approaches. Their support of fellow brewers, innovative seasonals/special releases, collaborations, dedication to good causes, etc. are all quite admiral. Rogue would be a close second though, for much of the same reasons.

4. Are you a homebrewer? If yes, what is the most unique and interesting beer recipes you’ve brewed as a homebrewer?

Yes, but not an exceptionally good one. It’s always a fun experience though, and I’ve yet to brew anything I’ve had to throw out, so I suppose that’s an alright sign. The pumpkin stout I brewed last year turned out pretty great, and I found a few loose bottles laying around this year and discovered they’d gotten even better with age. I’m so impatient with aging, so anytime I do cellar a beer, it’s usually by accident.

5. Do you have any beer certifications (BJCP, Cicerone, Siebel, American Brewers Guild)?? If so, what are they?

I am a BJCP Recognized Beer Judge, which came as a bit of a shock. When I took the test a little over two years ago, it was such a crash course for me as I knew so little about beer at the time. The class really did prepare me well, but it was probably the hardest test I’ve ever taken. I really didn’t think I was going to pass. Continuing to taste and evaluate beers, both at home and at the judging level, has really expanded my knowledge over the years, and I can’t recommend the BJCP strongly enough to anyone who really wants to learn more about beer.

6. What is your favorite beer and food pairing?

I tend to like beer and dessert pairings, just because I like to see people’s faces when I tell them the pairing, and then their face once they try it. Being there for someone else’s “craft beer epiphany” is priceless. That said, I suppose the Beeramisu I make with (and pair with) AleSmith Speedway Stout might take top honors. I also paired Spicy Mayan Chocolate Ganache Truffles with Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen, and it was pretty ridiculous.

7. What are you top 3 favorite beer blogs/beer websites?

Beside Drink With The Wench?!

The Full Pint, Beer Advocate, and BeerNews.Org

The Personal Side

1. What is your current day job?

I peddle beer, wine, and cheese at an enormous Whole Foods in Pasadena, CA.

2. If you could change your career at this very moment, without any restrictions on what you could do, what would you want to do and why?

I’ve been enjoying writing quite a bit, and I’m trying to get that to take off more seriously. I’ve been published in several magazines, and am hoping to have a cookbook out next year (not delving into a beer book quite yet though). Other than that, I have a calling somewhere in the food & drink world — I’m looking into it

3. Are you married? Children?

Single as a pringle, ladies.

4. Outside of beer and writing, what are some of your other hobbies?

Cooking, definitely, and reading. I also love to travel, even though I don’t get to often. I still play music from time to time, although I’ve fallen out of it a bit. I’ll join another concert band after the holidays, I promise. (Anyone need a baritone horn or trombone player?)

Off The Beaten Path

1. If you were a style of beer, what style would you be and why?

Hmmm, maybe a gueuze? While I may not be particularly bubbly, I have plenty of complex character. A blend of old and young that will continue to improve with age, the bold, assertive flavor may seem a bit tart at first, but you can’t help to go back for another sip to appreciate its nuances. (However, I don’t smell like barnyard, although I’m sure it could be arranged.)

2. You were caught smuggling beer illegally, which has now been made punishable by death. Right before you are sent to the executioner, you are offered one last beer. What beer would you chose and why?

Oh dear. I suppose I’d have to hark back to the Forêt — having my first beer also be my last beer — kinda nifty and deep.

3. If I contracted you to brew a beer (or design a beer recipe) called “The Beer Wench” — what style would you chose and what, if any, extra ingredients would you add?

It would definitely be a collaboration brew, in honor of what you’re doing to build the beer blogger/twitter community. I’d have bloggers and tweeters vote on the style and adjuncts, and then let some of your favorite brewers go wild, each adding their own sense of flair and style. In the end, I’d work with a few of them to come up with a final blend, and release it unto the world!

4. If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?

Being able to make myself and others see sides to an argument other than our own. Flight, invisiblity, and/or teleporting would be cool too.

5. What is one of the craziest things you have ever done and lived to tell the story?

Skydiving. Frightening, but so amazing.

6. What are your thoughts on bacon?

“Bacon is Sent From Heaven”

Call it shameless self-promotion if you must, but I think it’s the best damn answer I can give

SPECIAL THANKS TO RANDY FOR AN AWESOME INTERVIEW AND ENTERTAINING TWEETS!

CHEERS!