Every Homebrewer in Austin Envies This Guy

Below is a press release from Saint Arnold Brewing. Let me tell you — as fantastic as the previous Divine Reserves have been, this is a high honor:

Austin Homebrewer Wins World’s Biggest Single-Style Brewing Competition

Will Have Recipe Brewed as Saint Arnold Divine Reserve No. 7

HOUSTON, May 20, 2008 – Saint Arnold Brewing Co. (www.saintarnold.com), the oldest craft brewery in Texas, today announced that Kerry Martin [ed. note: That's him in the picture], a member of the Austin Zealots homebrew club, won the 13^th Annual Big Batch Brew Bash over the weekend. The contest is the biggest single-style brewing competition in the world.

Judges evaluated a total of 66 examples of the Weizenbock style and selected Martin’s Weizenbock as the best. The Weizenbock style is a strong Bavarian wheat beer, featuring many of the same characteristics of the Weizen style but with greater intensity of malt flavor, fuller body and a higher alcohol level.

As the winning homebrewer Martin will have his recipe brewed as Saint Arnold Divine Reserve No. 7. Divine Reserve is a series of single batch beers from Saint Arnold Brewing Company, each brewed with a completely different recipe. These releases typically sell out in 24 hours at most stores. It is also critically acclaimed; Saint Arnold Divine Reserve No. 4, a Strong Scotch Ale, recently won a Gold Medal at this year’s World Beer Cup.

“It is hard to describe how satisfying it is to go into the grocery store and see a bottle of your beer made with your recipe on the shelf for the first time – it’s something few people ever experience,” said Brock Wagner, founder and CEO of Saint Arnold Brewing who started homebrewing in his Rice University dorm room. “We will also be entering this beer in the Pro/Am category at the Great American Beer Festival this year, which would make Kerry eligible for one of the highest honors in brewing.”

Saint Arnold Divine Reserve No. 6, an American Barleywine, is currently aging in one of the brewery’s fermenters. This recipe was developed by a Saint Arnold brewer and is expected to hit stores in June.