Lee founded Stewards Of Beer, LLC in 2011 after seeing a need for knowledgeable craft beer enthusiasts to host promotional events and educate consumers about the growing number of craft beer brands available in the Pittsburgh market. He was a founding member of the Pittsburgh Craft Beer Alliance, the organization behind Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week, and is a self-proclaimed beer geek who has enjoyed good beer since the days when there were only three breweries in Pittsburgh. Lee has become educated about craft beer and the industry through the passion he has for it. He has attended, volunteered and worked many events, read articles and books and asked many questions of his fellow professionals to learn whatever he can about craft beer and brewing. Lee is a Cicerone Program® Certified Beer Server, and a Master Brewers Association of the Americas (MBAA) Certified Beer Steward.
Brooke first started enjoying craft beer shortly after college, when she and her friends would visit the Beer Cave at D’s SixPax & Dogz to mix 6-packs to taste test and rate together. She met her husband Lee, our Chief SOB, while she was a co-organizer of Pittsburgh Beer Meetup. Back then, she “hated IPAs” but now credits Lee for helping her develop a taste for the style which is now her favorite, especially when paired with a juicy blue cheese burger. Brooke is a member of Pink Boots Society, and a former tour guide for PA Brew Tours. When she isn’t pouring at one of our beer tasting events, you can often find her volunteering at a local beer fest, homebrew competition, or any other beer event she can find. Brooke is a Cicerone Program® Certified Beer Server.
Tim cut his craft beer teeth on Pete’s Wicked Ale and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Around 2012, he started hanging out with friends who homebrewed and had regular beer exchanges, where tastes of Nugget Nectar and Hopslam propelled him on his journey to becoming the Hophead he is today. Tim’s former positions as Marketing Manager for the Pittsburgh Smokehouse food truck and Director of PA Brew Tours enabled him to develop strong friendships with many local craft beer purveyors and enthusiasts. Tim was a sales rep for Sobel's Obscure Brewery (Jeannette, PA) from 2018 to Spring 2022. Currently, he has the SWEET job of sales rep for Hershey's.
Ken is a craft beer enthusiast and home brewer. He learned winemaking from his father, with whom he’s spent many an autumn afternoon crushing grapes to make juice. Grandson of a sommelier, Ken was educated in the fine art of tasting. By applying this knowledge to craft beer, Ken can pinpoint elusive flavors to make more refined descriptions and recommendations. Ken graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelors in Music and runs a small landscaping company which utilizes organic gardening methods and techniques. In his spare time, Ken enjoys playing the fiddle and banjo.
Gregor inherited his love of craft beer from his dad, who made a few batches of beer with him and indoctrinated him at Chiodo’s Tavern as soon as he turned 21. He is a member of two Pittsburgh homebrew clubs, TRUB (Three Rivers Underground Brewers) and TRASH (Three Rivers Alliance of Serious Homebrewers). Though he is primarily a stay-at-home dad to a toddler son and infant daughter, Gregor still manages to brew some interesting beer between naps and bottles. His home brewery is known as Soul Bender Brewing, where he likes to create unique flavor combinations. He is also involved with TRUB’s annual charity event - Brewing Up a Cure. Gregor is a Recognized BJCP beer judge and works as a brew guide for PA Brew Tours. Gregor's favorite beer is the one he is drinking. Gregor is a Cicerone Program® Certified Beer Server.
Richard is an avid homebrewer and serves as the current vice president of Three Rivers Underground Brewers (T.R.U.B.). He is a Certified BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program) Judge and uses his knowledge to help educate others in preparation of the beer judge exam. Richard is active on the homebrewing competition circuit and has earned several medals and awards, including winning Best Of Show twice (out of 341 entries at the 2018 All American Homebrew Competition in Cincinnati, OH and out of 160 entries at the 2016 Westmoreland Area Zymology Enthusiasts competition), as well as several gold and silver medals at various other national competitions. As a result of winning homebrew competitions, Richard has had the privilege of having his homebrew recipes brewed commercially at Four Seasons Brewing in Latrobe, PA and East End Brewing in Pittsburgh, PA.
Kristofer's first craft beer experience was Friday happy hours with college friends at Triumph Brewing Company in Princeton, NJ, which carried over to him visiting breweries frequently while traveling and amassing a large growler collection as souvenirs. He enjoys many styles of craft beer, particularly saisons, as they can be paired with a wide range of foods. When he isn't pouring at one of our beer tasting events, Kristofer can often be found planning trips around brewery visits, or when home in Pittsburgh, enjoying a craft beer at Piper's Pub or a local brewery.
Dave’s first exposure to craft beer was in college in 1992 when his roommate from eastern Pennsylvania bought a case of Yuengling Lager for everyone in the apartment. From there, he discovered Michael Shea’s Blonde Ale and Saranac Stout to round out his scope of styles. You’ll usually find Dave reaching for a hazy, New England style IPA whenever he can, but a bourbon barrel aged stout is a nice alternative during the cold winter months, or accompanied by a big turkey dinner. When he isn’t entertaining folks at a Stewards Of Beer tasting event, Dave volunteers at beer festivals, attends monthly bottle shares and supports local breweries as best he can.
Chuck became fascinated with beer at an early age when he toured the Anheuser-Busch brewery in Virginia with his family. He was amazed at the massive production facility and how four basic ingredients can make the wonderful beverage called beer. When the opportunity arises, Chuck tours breweries to learn more about the different breweries and trends in the industry. He has also taken several beer classes at the local community college and reads beer books and magazines when available to stay abreast of current events in the beer industry. Chuck also enjoys attending monthly beer tasters meetings and enjoying beverages from the host brewery of the month, especially his favorite style of beer which is an IPA paired with spicy food.
Jerry first discovered craft beer with his first sip of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. It was full of flavor and completely different from any other beer he had had previously. Ever since, he has been seeking out new and interesting beers and sharing them with family and friends. Jerry believes there is a beer out there for everyone, there are just so many incredible styles and new ones being created every day. Currently, his favorites are Belgian Pale Ales, Dubbels, and nothing is more satisfying than a freshly hopped American Pale Ale. For the last ten years or so, Jerry has been homebrewing to try to replicate those delicious beers and create some new ones. He has won awards for his homebrewed Pale Ales, IPAs and Stouts. Jerry is a member of the American Homebrewers Association and the Three Rivers Association of Serious Homebrewers.
Scott's love of craft beer stems from his other hobby: bike riding. There is no better way to end a bike ride than enjoying a few refreshing beers with his friends. Although his go-to beer is a stout or porter, he believes in trying anything at least once. When he's not sampling beer or bike riding, he's either working his day job at a telephone company or going to the dog park with his German Shorthaired Pointer and wife.
Jim and his wife Valerie visited Whole Foods Wexford several years ago when they ventured into what was then the coffee/beer bar area. After a flight of several rather new styles, Jim promptly busted out the credit card and loaded several six packs into the car. Not being satisfied with just tasting, his research led him to study the brewing process as well as finding others to talk to about it. In 2015 he became a tour guide with PA Brew Tours which furthered his knowledge of beer types, brewing processes and the Pittsburgh craft beer scene. Barleywines and strong ales are his favorite (paired with a good cigar on occasion). In his professional career, Jim travels around the U.S. and gets to sample beers from a variety of breweries.
Amy’s introduction to craft beer began when her best friend gave her a Great Lakes Nosferatu at a backyard bonfire but it wasn't until many years later when she started working at a nearby craft beer bar that, through the help of several co-workers and regular customers, she developed a true love for craft beer. Today, her favorite indulgent treat is a sweet imperial stout with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and she is a sucker for anything barrel aged. In her spare time, Amy enjoys trying out recipes with beer as an ingredient and sharing interesting finds from local bottle shops with her friends.
Shane was introduced to craft beers about 20 years ago. He would commonly try new and different styles at 3 Sons Dogs & Suds, Sharp Edge and D’s Six Pack & Dogs. He has been home brewing beer for over 15 years and has brewed 7 collaborations with local craft breweries. Shane is one of the founders of the local homebrew club, Three Rivers Underground Brewers (TRUB). He is also a founder and committee member of Brewing Up a Cure, an annual charity beer fest which raises awareness and money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Shane is a Cicerone Program® Certified Beer Server.
Dan started craving something different in beer almost immediately after he started drinking beer. Unfortunately, in the late 1980s and very early 1990s, there weren’t many choices except large national brands and the few Canadian and European imports that made it to the US. Fast forward to the early 2000s, and the beer market was getting better. A like-minded friend introduced Dan to John Harvard’s Brew House, one of the first brewpubs in the area, and he soon became a mug club member. Although John Harvard’s closed many years ago, Dan’s interest in good beer has only flourished. Fast forward again to 2013 and the discovery of the Untappd app, which allowed Dan and his friends to record and compare beers and engage in friendly competition with each other. Dan credits many of his closest friendships to the Pittsburgh craft beer community and looks forward to making many more.
Emily took one sip of her first East End Brewing Company Snow Melt over 15 years ago and has been thoroughly enjoying craft beer ever since. While she continues to prefer darker beers, she’ll never turn down a Belgian beer, especially when paired with spicy basil noodles. When she’s not educating others as a Beer Steward, she enjoys volunteering at local craft beer festivals and sampling beer from the many local breweries in the area. Emily also loves traveling and building brewery stops throughout her road trips – favorites include trips to Asheville, Michigan, and Nashville – and is always looking for recommendations for her next adventure.
Adrien learned that she loved beer while living in southwestern Wisconsin in 2005. There she discovered New Glarus Brewery and her passion took off and soon one of her favorite things became trying new, local craft breweries and beer wherever she goes. Her first favorite styles were stouts and wheats, and while she still tends to favor dark and malty, Belgians are her current favorites. Though she is rarely disappointed in any style of beer! Adrien is a brewer by trade and is a member of the Pittsburgh chapter of the Pink Boots Society. In her free time she loves to take fancy pictures of her two loves, her beer paired with her knitting/crochet, for her thusly dedicated Instagram account! Adrien is a Cicerone Program® Certified Beer Server.
Tyler comes from a family of beer enthusiasts who passed down their love of craft beer. With aunts and uncles living in five different states, everyone would bring bottles and cans from their favorite breweries to the holiday family gatherings. Tyler and his family would get to try different styles and enjoyed sharing their recommendations to each other. He and his family would take bi-weekly visits to the New York Beer Project as well as other new breweries in his hometown of Buffalo, NY. He enjoys all styles, but his particular favorites are west coast style IPA's. He enjoys a good pairing of craft beer and chicken wings and loves to explore new breweries. When Tyler is not sampling, you can find him completing the trails in the Pittsburgh Brewery Guide or out on the rivers drinking cold craft beer on his kayak.
Allison started getting interested in craft beer about thirteen years ago. She would go to House of 1000 Beers with her parents or friends and try different styles. During this time her favorite style was Wheat beer. However, she was determined to like IPAs so for a long time she would order an IPA at every brewery or bar she went to. This helped her love of IPAs grow and they are now her favorite! When Allison travels, she finds the breweries nearby and makes sure she visits as many as she can. When going to a brewery she’s never been to before, she orders a flight so she can try a variety of that brewery's styles. She also enjoys raiding her dad’s beer fridge when she visits because it always has a good variety!
Terry became interested in craft beer about 20 years ago after moving to Pittsburgh. He would occasionally stop at Sharp Edge and Penn Brewery to sample their beers. He has been home brewing for over 15 years and is the owner of Keggle Brewing, Inc., a homebrew equipment store. He is one of the original members of local home brew club Three Rivers Underground Brewer (TRUB). He is also one of the founders and committee members for Brewing Up A Cure, an annual home brewing event benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Terry is a Cicerone Program® Certified Beer Server.
Shane became a fan of craft beers about 25 years ago while living near the Sharp Edge in Friendship. This also led him to begin homebrewing around the same time. He is one of the original members of local home brew club Three Rivers Underground Brewer (TRUB). He is also one of the founders and committee members for Brewing Up A Cure, an annual home brewing event benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Bob’s interest in beer began when Bud, Schlitz, & Miller ruled the US. Fortunately, like one of the Magi, his older brother came back from college bearing a gift of German Löwenbräu, and Bob discovered that “bland” was not a universal descriptor of beer. After discovering Molson Brador in college and Dragon Stout on an island vacation, Bob began a quest to find distinctive and unique beers whenever he could. This was made easier when President Carter made homebrewing legal; Bob immediately started brewing strong ales, bitters, and stouts. Soon after, craft breweries began to multiply and now are nearly ubiquitous. This makes it easy to find Porters, Brown Ales, Belgian styles, and Barrel-Aged Stouts that Bob particularly enjoys drinking and, more so, sharing with friends and relatives.
Although Mike had always had a fondness for the occasional quirky beers and imports, it took a visit to a bodega in Brooklyn in the early 90s — and sixers of Brooklyn Lager and Brooklyn Brown — to understand the meaning of “craft beer,” even before the term existed. A journalist by trade, Mike has produced video series on the craft beer business in Pittsburgh for the Beaver County Times and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; those videos helped Mike expand his knowledge of the local scene and allowed him to share that knowledge with thousands of viewers. And although the series are no longer active, you’ll still find Mike at Pittsburgh’s breweries, keeping up with friends in the business and tasting the heftiest beers he can find.
