Pat is a National BJCP Judge with mead certification. Pat grew up in Midland Michigan. He has been drinking beer for half a century and from the start he pursued small local and regional brands and anything he hadn't seen before. He brewed his first home brew in the mid 60's - a complete flop and then dabbled a little during the 70s. A three month trip to England (2 weeks) and Amsterdam (2 1/2 months) in the early 70s was an eyeopener to the world of beer. He followed that up with 4 years in Toronto during grad school in the 70s when the major Canadian brewers there produced a much broader range of brands and he drank every one of them. At the end of the decade, a trip to Portland introduced him to the first vestiges of craft beer.
Settling into Minneapolis in 1979 the lack of beer diversity rekindled his interest in Homebrewing and he brewed around 300 batches between 1980 and 1990. By 1990 craft beer had spread enough where he could feed his craft beer habit without spending the entire weekend in his basement. During the 90s frequent road tips through Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan were at times required to ensure sufficient diversity in beer but by the dawn of the new century it required far less travel to find good craft beer.
Pat publishes a monthly newsletter Romancing the Foam about the enjoyment of good beer and has just launched a website at www.romancingthefoam.com. If you do not see him biking around Minneapolis to the various craft breweries and excellent craft beer bars, he is either in his garden sampling craft beer or siting on his computer adding to his website. It is a great time to love beer.
Dolce Mio by Baxter Brewing Co. was reviewed as a Spice, Herb or Vegetable Beer (Style Category 30A) according to the BJCP 2015 Style Guidelines.
This has an intriguing ingredient list - cacao, vanilla bean, lactose, and lemon that in the wrong hands can go off the rails. An initial... Read More
Wine Barrel Aged Magic Trait by Speciation Artisan Ales was reviewed as a BJCP category 28C Wild Specialty Beer. This beer is brewed with blackberries and black currants and aged in red wine barrels. Red wine berry smells with a trace of vanilla and oak rise from the glass. Mild funk joins low... Read More
This beer smells like my last breakfast: fresh oatmeal, mild roast, traces of city roast coffee, a hint of nuts and a mild sweetness suggesting coffee and cream. The beer drops bright dark brown with light brown highlights around the edges kicking up a 1” dark tan blanket of foam with good... Read More
The beer is brilliant gold and effervescent – clear enough to read a newspaper through. Despite its mild-mannered appearance, it is packed with flavor starting with fruit, light rye, light sweet berry and then an assertive yet very pleasant bitterness carry it to the finish. The spicy rye,... Read More
This beer is reviewed as a BJCP 28B (Mixed-Fermentation Sour Beer). This beer captures an interesting Brett at an interesting stage and its worth buying a bottle to participate in the event. Wet leather, light fruit, light cigar box, old basement, traces of balsamic, and a hint of butter aromas... Read More
Raspberry Provincial by Funkwerks, Inc. is being judged as a Sour Ale brewed with Raspberries, BJCP category 28C. Traces of funk, spice and tartness season a big raspberry aroma lifting from the glass. It's hazy pink under a short-lived pinkish cap. Three or four levels of rich raspberry flavors... Read More
© 2020 The Beer Connoisseur
