Congrats Chris Olivarez AKA More Beer Here!!
Introducing our newest Brewer of the Month....Chris Olivarez! Take it away, Chris:
I am a "native" Californian and have lived here most of my life (I moved to attend school and work) but California shall always remain my home! I have had a passion for beer since I was a teenager and I have had some pretty crappy beers in my life and that was what really made me want to brew my own beer. I knew I could do better.
I have been brewing since 2009 when I went to the local drugstore for something and saw the Mr. Beer Premium Kit and knew I just had to have it. Well, I followed the directions for the West Coast Pale Ale that came with the kit and after 1 week fermentation and another week for carbonation I had what the instruction stated: Beer! Well ,half way through the first bottle I knew I could and would do better than this.That began my "obsession" with brewing. Many Mr. Beer recipes later (with two "partial mashes" in there) I was ready to make the move to All Grain recipes and I haven't looked back. I still use Mr. Beer kits as well as using my "little brown kegs" for fermenting 5 gallon all grain recipes. I'd be lying if I said I never brewed a batch that I didn't like (first "attempt" at Pumpkin Beer, Ginger Beer) It just goes with the learning process.Just keep at it and learn from your mistakes and see where it takes you. I have entered a couple of my recipes in a local fair homebrew competition and last year I did fairly well (No pun intended) didn't place but got great feedback on my beer. That was what I was after! Make me think harder about next years competition and what I can brew to place!!
What is your favorite beer?
Oatmeal Irish Stout either the Mr. Beer "St. Patrick's Day" recipe or one of my all grain recipes. I just really like the over all taste of a good Oatmeal Stout.
Who would you most like to share a beer with?
There are too many people that I'd love to share a beer with and I'd be afraid that I might forget to mention someone but the ones that I have already shared a beer with in my lifetime have all been good ones. But I wish I could share another beer with my Father (who passed away last year). If any borg member cares to share a beer with me or if your ever in the Los Angeles/Orange County Area Please feel free to contact me. I always have a few cold ones tucked away in the fridge just for that occasion.
Congrats Shawn Halstead - Oct 2012 Brewer of the Month!
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I am an avid home brewer from Tucson, Arizona and brew year round (yes, sometimes in 110 degree heat.) I am married to a wonderful woman and we are the proud owners of five rescue animals: 3 dogs, a desert tortoise and a one-eyed bunny. Aside from making beer (my main hobby) I also make: Jerky, Pickles and Olives (that grow from the trees in my neighborhood). I am also an elected club-officer of the Tucson Homebrew Club. My duties as club officer include organizing club activities.
How long have you been brewing?
I started brewing in 2007 with a Mr. Beer Premium Edition beer kit that was given to me as a gift. I have since expanded my hobby of home brewing to include partial extract and all grain brewing. I have expanded my collection of gadgets and equipment, but I still use my Mr. Beer kit on a monthly basis.
What is your favorite beer?
I like lighter, pale beers due to the hot climate I live in, although I just brewed the "Bewitched Amber Ale" and loved it.
Who would you most like to share a beer with?
I'm too much of a germaphope to share the same beer with someone, but if I had to choose someone to sit and chat with, while we both drank our own beers, I would say: Arnold Schwarzenegger. I've always been a big fan of his, plus he has enough money where he probably wouldn't expect me to pay half the tab and since his wife threw him out, I wouldn't have to worry about him getting a phone call asking when he's coming home and leave me at the bar by myself.
BeerFest 2012!
Well yet again Mr.Beer had a fantastic Tucson Beer Festival event! This epic beer festival was a charity event to benefit Sun Sounds of Arizona, an organization that provides audio access to information for people who cannot read print due to a disability. We love impactful charities and we love beer so this was a win - win for us.
We’d also like to take the time to say thanks to our staff that set up the event and served our in-office made delicious MR.BEER beer:
Congrats SamuelD!
Howdy!
My name is Sam Diggins, (SamuelD in the forums) and I'm happy to be the newest Brewmaster working for Mr.Beer. I was born and raised in Tucson, AZ, and am always looking for an excuse to beat the heat with a cold brew. I entered the crazy world of brewing about 5 years ago, admittedly while I was still in high school. I figured it was easier to make it yourself than ask a smelly weird guy outside a gas station! VPS
My first batch ever brewed was a pale ale about 5 years ago, and though it may not have actually been that good, I thought it was the best tasting beer in the world, because I brewed it. I quickly fell in love with the art of brewing and early on decided to pursue this crazed addiction as a possible career path. Since then I've learned a lot more and done a number of jobs related to beer and brewing, including working for the local homebrew store here in Tucson.
My most influential experience related to brewing has to have been while I was studying abroad back in 2010 in the city of Karlsruhe, Germany. While taking chemistry courses at the Technical Institute of Karlsruhe, I also took a side job and apprenticed at the local Brewery, Vogelbräu Brauhaus. I learned a considerable amount from them, namely the traditional strict brewing practices that make german beers so internationally renown, and always try to scale down and apply those practices to brewing at home. I also learned never to outcompete the germans in a drinking game. You WILL lose.
Though I am a huge fan of traditional beers, especially those german styles that adhere strictly to the German Purity Law, I also love to be experimental with new flavors and ingredients. Some recent favorites of mine that I have brewed were a prickly pear wheat beer and vanilla cocoa nib porter – neither lasted more than a week in the keg.
With that said I am excited to be a new member of the Borg, and can't wait to start talking beer! Borg on!