We had the pleasure of finally meeting Joe a couple weeks back at the Beer Bloggers Conference in Boston. During the conference we were treated to a demonstration of a new application for mobile devices that could potentially change the way people buy beer. Enough of us though, let Joe tell you the story...
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| Joe Callender of BrewHorn app |
Hometown: Ramsey, NJ
Favorite (recent) Beer: I am not one to proclaim favorites but If I were to name one that recently blew me away, it would be a local NJ brewery called High Point Brewing in Butler, NJ. They recently barrel aged their 2011 German Maibock in Buffalo Trace barrels. It resulted in a very complex, quenching and tart sour-like ale. It was amazing!
Favorite Beer Haunt: My favorite craft beer mecca is Greenpoint / Williamsburg Brooklyn. So many quaint bars and restaurants with quality craft beer portfolios on tap.
What was the first craft brew I ever tried? It wasn't craft beer but it was European imports back in 1986 at The Brickskeller in Washington DC. At 19 I began exploring their hefty list of imports. Generally I just loved the greater flavor, complexity, and challenge those beers presented to my palate. Back then I leaned toward a preference for maltier English and Scottish ales.
Do you homebrew? I have homebrewed twice. Both times I brewed a partial mash German Rauchbier and both came out excellent. I love smoked beers. For now, homebrewing is on the back burner as I develop my beer tasting app.
How did you hear about pdxbeergeeks? I have followed them on Twitter but finally met Michael at the 2013 Beer Bloggers Conference when we shared a few beers at Stoddard's Fine Food and Ales in Boston, MA.
What does being a beer geek mean to me? It means geeking out on the craft beer culture so much that I gave up a 6 figure career to blog about craft beer and figure out how I can contribute to its evolution. I am using my certification as a life coach to capture the individual pursuit of passionate careers of brewery owners and brewers on my blog Craft Beer Coach. On the consumer end I am developing a beer tasting app that will help consumers find new beer based upon a beer's match with his/her personal taste preferences.
If I could change one thing about the beer culture in the US, what would it be? I am already setting out to change that one thing. That one thing is getting beer tasting back to the individual experience it should be. A taste experience is not meant to be about what others thought about a beer. It's not about arbitrary scores or Top X Lists. Each of us knows our taste best so it should remain a decision we make based upon our personal taste preferences.
That's why I am developing the beer tasting app called BrewHorn. Users will create a personal taste profile in the app and when they shop for beer, the app will compare a searched beer's flavor profile against the user's taste profile. BrewHorn will display a simple image that represents how well the beer matches the user's taste profile.
What do I love about the NYC's craft beer scene? I love that it is just getting off the ground. I love that I should have years ahead of me watching it grow to offer more craft beer choices in more places. I love the excitement behind the sense that we are building a great new craft beer scene. As someone who is now part of the industry, I am going to enjoy the ride.
Where can you find me on the web?
Craft Beer Coach blog
Twitter- @CraftBeerCoach
Facebook- /CraftBeerCoach
BrewHorn
Twitter- @brewhornbeerapp;
Facebook- /brewhornbeerapp
Linkedin; Joseph Callender
