Introductions and expectations

Hi, I’m Steph. I love beer.

Ever since the tender age of 21, when I tentatively purchased a six-pack of Dogfish Head Chicory Stout, I have been obsessed with craft beer. Since then, I’ve visited countless breweries, beer bars, and beer events, constantly seeking out new and exciting beers to try.

Not only am I a craft beer enthusiast, but I’ve actually been making the stuff at home since 2006. My husband and I have brewed over 100 batches of beer since then, in a never-ending quest to make the best beer ever.

At some point during all of this, we decided that we want to open our very own brewpub, which we’ll hopefully be able to start seriously planning in the next 5 years. (It’ll be called Twin Leaf Brewery & Restaurant, opening somewhere in North Carolina, so keep an eye out for it!) The first step toward our goal will be to attend the American Brewers Guild, where we’re enrolled in the 2011 Intensive Brewing Science & Engineering Program. I’m so excited that I’ve already begun outlining chapters from the text books. Seriously.

I’m also very much a foodie, so naturally I love pairing beer and food. There’s something about finding just the right beer to match a meal that I find incredibly gratifying (and delicious). Discovering a perfect pairing, savoring it, and talking about it with others is one of my favorite pastimes.

In 2008, I decided I should probably start writing down some of the crazy beer/food things I do, so I started a blog called brew.cook.pair.joy. For the last year and a half, I’ve really enjoyed writing about my experiences with beer, food, pairing, homebrewing, and cooking. So when I was approached by RateBeer to write a weekly article for the Hop Press, I was ecstatic.

And so, here I am!

So, what can you expect to see from me here? Well, obviously, beer. Beer beer beer. I’ll taste beer and talk about it. I’ll go to breweries, beer bars, and beer events, and I’ll write about my experiences. I’ll talk to other beer folks and share my conversations.

I also plan to learn y’alls about pairing. Like I said, I love to talk about beer and food pairing, so I’ll share my humble opinions about the perfect beer to match with any given dish.

I think you’ll find that due to my math/science/engineering background and my predisposition to geek out, I have a slightly obsessive personality. In fact, “making-an-unnecessary-fuss-and-going-way-over-the-top” is my middle name. So, as a tribute to any fellow geek readers I may obtain, I plan to delve into how beer is made. From the basics to the highly unnecessary. Hopefully we can all learn from it!

So that’s me. I cannot wait to start writing for you all. My first regularly scheduled post will be this Friday, November 20th. In the meantime, follow me on Twitter!

See you Friday!