Ohio Brew Week

Jon Sparhawk Memorial Scholarship & Community Fund

National Beer Expert to speak at 2008 Ohio Brew Week

Melody Sands
Marketing
740-591-8707
melodysands@verizon.net
info@ohiobrewweek.com

April 29, 2008

ATHENS, OH—Nationally-known author and beer expert Ray Daniels will be the keynote speaker for Ohio Brew Week, July 14-19, 2008. Daniels, author of Designing Great Beers, a perennial best-seller, popular with homebrewers and commercial brewers alike will be in Athens on Monday, July 14 in time for the 6 p.m. Official Keg Tapping Ceremony at Jackie O’s Pub & Brewery, W. Union Street. Daniels was recently named the Director of Craft Beer Marketing for the Association of Brewers, located in Boulder, Colorado. In this position, Daniels will promote craft beer to American consumers, the wholesale and retail trade and to the media.

Daniels is a writer and editor for the association’s two publications, The New Brewer and Zymurgy magazines. Daniels earned an MBA from Harvard in 1983, and then worked as a sales representative for Abbott Laboratories and become Product Manager for development and launch of the first HIV test in 1985. From 1988 to 1995 he worked in public relations, serving as an Account Supervisor at Hill and Knowlton before founding his own public relations firm to serve Fortune 100 healthcare companies and regional hospitals.

In 1995, Daniels converted an established passion for homebrewing into a professional interest when he completed the Siebel Institute Diploma Course in Brewing. Afterwards, he attempted to establish a brewpub in Chicago while writing his first book on brewing. In 1996, Daniels co-founded the Real Ale Festival in Chicago and he has served as the organizer of the event as it has grown into an internationally known celebration of beer flavor. From 1997 to 2000, Daniels wrote extensively for the brewing industry media and in 1998 was named Beer Writer of the Year the North American Guild of Beer Writers.

Daniels continues to brew at home and study brewing science while pursuing a Master of Science in Brewing and Distilling through Heriot-Watt University. He was recently appointed to the faculty at the Siebel Institute where he teaches the recently initiated Master of Beer Styles course.

While at Ohio Brew Week, Daniels will talk about the beer sommelier program, beer service, beer and food pairings, beer styles, beer history, the business of beer , and beer judging. His public speeches are free and open to the public. To contact Daniels, please call Melody Sands, Marketing Director, Ohio Brew Week, to make arrangements for interviews. 740-591-8707.

Ray Daniels Bio

Ray Daniels has traveled the world studying beer, developing a taste for everything from the delicately pale pseudo-ales of Cologne and quaffable "ordinaries" of London to the hugely smokey Marzens of Bamberg and the funk-infused barrel-aged blends of Brussels. At the same time he has made a career writing and talking about beer—often by creating events and activities that draw dedicated beer lovers into communion over their favorite brews. Past credits include books such as Designing Great Beers and Smoked Beers as well as events like the Chicago Real Ale Festival and Ben Franklin's 300th Birthday celebration. He is also the past editor The New Brewer and Zymurgy (where he still contributes a regular column), veteran beer judge and Senior Faculty at the Siebel Institute. Most recently, he started the Cicerone Certification Program (www.cicerone.org), a beer sommelier certification exam system. For his trip to Ohio Brew Week, July 14-19, 2008, Ray promises to explore the fun, fantastic and most flavorful aspects of beer.