Scott Birdwell

Scott became interested in quality beer while traveling Europe in the summer of 1977, discovering the beer in Great Britain, Germany & Czechoslovakia. After seeing some homebrewing supplies in shop windows in the U.K., his interest was piqued. When he returned back to Houston he stopped by DeFalco’s, bought some supplies and equipment and made his first batch of beer. It wasn’t great, but it was drinkable! 

When he returned to DeFalco’s to purchase his second set of ingredients, he was offered a part-time job there. Scott jumped at the opportunity! After purchasing the business in 1980, forty-one years after he first set foot in the door, Scott is still there!

Scott helped organize the Foam Rangers in January 1981 and the first Dixie Cup Homebrew Competition in 1984. When the BJCP was formed in 1985 as a joint venture of the American Homebrewers Association and the Home Wine & Beer Trade Association, Scott became an early participant. He became the program’s first Master Judge in the summer of 1988, by virtue of scoring over 90 points on the exam and accumulating the requisite 40 experience points. He administered several exams in the Houston area in the late 80s/early 90s including the first exam in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area around that time.

Scott has served several offices in the Home Wine & Beer Trade Association, including treasurer, vice-president and president. He also served for several years on the initial Board of Advisors to the AHA in the early 90s. Scott has been awarded the Instone Trophy Recognition Award for the HWBTA in 1996 as well as the AHA Governing Committee Recognition Award in 2001, but perhaps his real claim to fame is having a 240-barrel bright beer tank named after him at St. Arnold’s Brewing Co.!