What’s your current position at your brewery, and how did you get started in the craft brewing industry?

I’m a brewer [at Benchmark Brewing Co. in San Diego, Calif.]. I started in craft brewing by homebrewing in my apartment in San Diego.

What’s new at Benchmark?

What’s new and cool for me is the opportunity and invitation to learn about and understand a brewery. We’re never stumped by problems; we solve problems. We join in the camaraderie of continual research, development, learning, and evolution of understanding. No question is stupid. I’m learning a lot from brewmaster Matt Akin and I hope he is learning from me.

What’s the best part of being a part of the craft brewing community?

The community itself’every brewer at every brewery. We’re all here to help each other brew the best beer in the nation.

What’s your biggest accomplishment unrelated to your job?

I’m alive.

What’s your favorite beer that your brewery does not produce?

I really enjoyed Rude Boy, a big red ale from Burley Oak (I designed it). I also like Smuttynose Robust Porter.

What do you like to do in your time away from the brewery?

I love to surf, travel, and continually explore and visit other breweries and other examples of craft production-style businesses (everything from distilleries to dockyards). I love to seek out other craft endeavors.

What’s the most memorable travel destination at which you’ve had a chance to sample the local beer?

Indonesia. Some islands were so remote, there was not enough electricity to refrigerate food. So you could find the local beer, Bintang, but it was not chilled. Even warm, the beer was delicious.