I have been a homebrewer and beer educator for over 30 years. I studied at the American Brewer's Guild in Woodland California in the early '90's and have manged several homebrew supply stores from Maine to Arizona. I have trained beer judges for the AHA's Beer Judge Certification Program and developed an in-depth course titled: Enhancing Beer Appreciation 101. I like beer. And I like people who like beer. Like any technical hobby, brewing science can be riddled with egos and arguments, but I believe an inclusive, social, interested attitude has the power to bring people together in the pursuit of knowledge and a good time. So if you know more than I do- great. Teach me. But if you just need to be right, or noticed, or seem smarter than other people, well... fuck off. Learn some humility and check me later, or go get a job in some scene where they value that kind of stuff... because I believe homebrewing should be a melting pot of weirdos with all kinds of crazy ideas, who are motivated enough to try new things, and hopefully wise enough to listen when somebody with more experience says: "eeeeehhhhhh... that idea... not so good... (because of reason A,B,C...".
Homebrewers can look like anybody, they can wear leather and ride Harleys or wear suits and drive BMW's but they're all a little crazy... and they're all pirates in their own way. I've met thousands of homebrewers in my life, and I've liked (almost) every single one of them.
Just about every significant developed culture in the history of planet Earth has some kind of shamanic ritual to alter 'Normal' waking consciousness... and the recognition and appreciation of that fact is what drives me to educate in the field of world beer studies.
And... I like beer.
EBA 101:
*Enhancing Beer Appreciation 101 is a two day course and may be on the table again after Covid19 finally leaves our lives. Feel free to use the contact form on this site to inquire about the next possible course scheduling. Cheers!
Feedback from attendees of EBA 101:
"Gabe is a great teacher, He is quite knowledgeable when it comes to styles of beer, how to properly taste and critique beer, and also when it comes to brewing beer. I would take the class again without question and I look forward to the next one."
-Matthew Mahoney
I thought the EBA 101 class was excellent. Very educational yet fun! Even my girlfriend was commenting on how much fun it was. The class covered all the basics a novice or intermediate home brewer would need to appreciate and evaluate home made and commercial beers.
-Alex Macdonald
“EBA 101 was great. The best part was being with some folks who enjoy learning and sharing about beer in a non-competitive relaxed atmosphere. Everyone was open to new experiences - that made it fun. Thanks for the opportunity to participate. I'll be there for EBA 202 - and hope everyone from our group will be there as well.”
- Dwight Littlefield
"Simply put, this class is for anyone who loves beer. The historical background and sampling of quality beers from around the world is worth the cost of the class by itself. Meeting other brewers and sharing brewing tips, recipes etc. make this class a must for every homebrewer."
-Gary Best
“I thought your class was fantastic!! Much info was learned from Gabe,
our instructor. There was also a lot of idea sharing from everyone in
the class. Am ready for EBA 202 whenever you are. Thanks for a great
class!”
- Jim Nichols
Comments