Jenn GarbeeIf you've heard a lot of homebrewer buzz at your neighborhood pub the past few weeks, it's likely because the National Homebrewers Conference (NHC) is being held in San Diego this year. Hoards of home brewers will be descending upon Southern California next Thursday, June 16, through Saturday, June 18, to reflect over a pint about those crazy homebrew club member parties, the latest additions to the local homebrew club scene, and whether the new homebrew guidebooks are worth their hops. But mostly, the conference buzz is focused on the National Homebrew Competition, the largest international homebrew competition of its kind.
The first round of judging took place in April at nine locations across the country. Contenders among the beer, mead, and cider entries in 28 style categories were narrowed down to three finalist in each category. The L.A.-area has seventeen (!) homebrews that made it through to next week's final round in San Diego for the Southern California-Arizona-Nevada region. Whose beers will be competing to bring home the gold, silver and bronze medals for L.A. next weekend? Turn the page. And if you happen to run into any of these brewers in the coming few days, by all means, buy them a beer. They're going to need it.
Judging At One Of Last Year's Regional National Homebrew Competitions; Credit: www.thedailypage.com
First Round L.A.-area National Homebrew Competition Finalists:
Category 2: Pilsner
Enrique Piceno Jr of El Monte, CA, Long Beach Homebrewers
Category 3: European Amber Lager
Dan Eastwood of Duarte, CA, Long Beach Homebrewers
Category 4: Dark Lager
Norman Jufer of Ontario, CA, Inland Empire Brewers
Sherwin Antonio of Los Angeles, CA, Maltose Falcons Home Brewing Society
Category 5: Bock
Matthew Petersen of Glendora, CA
Category 6: Light Hybrid Beer
Heath Haynes of Los Angeles, CA, Pacific Gravity Home Brewers Club
Category 8: English Pale Ale
Jeffrey Koehler of Pasadena, CA, Pacific Gravity Home Brewers Club
Category 9: Scottish and Irish Ale
Hank Hofmann, Rick Kinkel of Sherman Oaks, CA, Maltose Falcons Home Brewing Society
Category 10: American Ale
Richard Solis of Sun City, CA, Temecula Valley Homebrewers Association
Category 11: English Brown Ale
Dan Eastwood of Duarte, CA, Long Beach Homebrewers
Category 15: German Wheat and Rye Beer
Robert MacMeekin, Mike Frink of Placentia, CA, McSwiggin Brewing
Category 22: Smoke-Flavored and Wood-Aged Beer
Norman Jufer of Ontario, CA, Inland Empire Brewers
Category 23: Specialty Beer
John Aitchison of Northridge, CA, Maltose Falcons Home Brewing Society
Steve Kinsey of Lancaster, CA, Crown of the Valley Brewing Society
Category 24: Traditional Mead
John Aitchison of Northridge, CA, Maltose Falcons Home Brewing Society
Category 25: Melomel (Fruit Mead)
Brent Galaway, Kristen Galaway of Manhattan Beach, CA, BrewTechs
Category 26: Other Mead
Todd Peterson of San Dimas, CA, Crown of the Valley Brewing Society
Category 28: Specialty Cider and Perry
John Aitchison of Northridge, CA, Maltose Falcons Home Brewing Society
Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.