Education and Certifications
B.S. Chemical Engineering, University of North Dakota (Spring 2015)
Certified Cicerone ®
Micromatic Dispense Institute: Dispense Specialist’s Program
AH&LA Hospitality Sales and Marketing Certification with Honors
AH&LA Management of Food & Beverage Operations Certification with Honors
Event Curation & Design
Dozens of festivals, classes, and dinners organized focusing on educational and abstract themes that blend beer with music, art, and food. Responsibilities include site selection, promotional media arrangements, and selection of food and beer vendors. Other roles include sourcing corporate donations and sponsors, negotiating fees, and optimizing budgets to minimize expenses while maintaining the quality of the event. Beer-focused duties include coordinating with brewers and chefs on recipe and menu design, day-of event hosting, and leading audience participation.
Sample Events
Santa Barbara Beer Garden (2013 – Present) Annual fundraiser for the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden featuring beers paired with different sections of the garden. Each beer is designed to reflect the ambiance of its respective location and is often brewed with ingredients harvested from its surroundings. Live musicians were incorporated into the garden to guide the audience and suit the mood of their specific area.
ShakeSBeer (2015) Festival combining Shakespearean performances, ballet, and live Elizabethan-fusion music with beers designed to reflect individual characters. A twenty-four person cast performed to an audience of three hundred on five stages placed around the Santa Barbara Historical Museum property. The museum’s architecture and landscaping were used as natural backdrops for scenes.
Anchors & Ales (2014) Pop-up exhibit at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum that explored the relationship between beer and water. Exhibits were placed to complement the museum’s existing displays and focused on the maritime history of beer, water chemistry, and water’s role in beer and brewery operations.
Sample Courses and Series
Beer Matinee Movie screening featuring beers paired in real-time with the movie’s scenes, characters, and themes.
Beer School Three hour courses on focused beer topics covering history, science, and food pairings.
Understanding Absinthe Tasting class that looks at the styles, serving techniques, history, and myths surrounding absinthe.
Sample Talks
Flavor Mapping: Visualizing Elemental Flavors at the Santa Barbara Center for Art, Science, and Technology (2016)
Lost and Found: The Fashion of Beer Over Time at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum (2015)
Pairing Outside the Box: Moving Beyond Food and Beer Pairings at the Beer Bloggers and Writers Conference (2013)
Writing Experience
“The Beer Guy” Column — Santa Barbara Sentinel (2013 – Present)
“Craft Corner” — DEEP Surf Magazine (2014 – 2016)
Sample Freelance Publications: Beer Advocate, Bar Business Magazine, EdibleSB
Other Work Experience
Paper and Stone, Artist, Shop Manager (2001 – 2005) Art studio producing cold castings colored with metal oxides. Overseeing formulation, Standard Operating Procedures, and casting and shipping operations.
Dutch Garden Restaurant, Server/Waiter (2005 – 2016) Historic, ninety-year-old German restaurant specializing in European beers. Five person staff cooking and serving for twenty-six tables split between three dining areas and a bar.
Fishbon, Board of Directors (2015 – Present) 501(c)3 non-profit art incubator focused on collaborative, experiential art projects. Board members oversee facility, operations, and manage funds.