How long have you worked at Great Divide?

6 Years on May 9^th.

What is your favorite GD beer?

The next one I get to develop however of the current beers I would say Hoss, I was sad when it went seasonal.

What is your favorite GD icon and why?

Colette because I am DUB

What’s your position at GD and how long have you worked here?

I am currently running the Pilot system, before that, I was the lab rat and before that, I was researching and helping to purchase new equipment for the company.

How did you end up working for GD?

The former Production Manager, Ryan Fox and I worked together at a different brewery and when I became available Ryan brought me in to help out.

How long have you been making beer?

I have been brewing professionally for 24 years and home brewed for a couple of years before that.

We heard that at one point in time you were pretty big in Japan, tell us about that.

That’s actually a long story. I worked for the first craft brewery in Japan, Echigo Beer (they were first by about 1 hour…) and as a foreigner and a “Brew Master” I was in several magazine articles.  Years later I was at a very small beer festival in West Virginia and my co-worker got mad at me because she wanted to chat up one of the beer drinkers but all he wanted to do was talk with me (yes, he was a beer geek). He came up to me and said I was kind of a big deal in North Carolina (due to the fact I was the head brewer at my last job) so I started making the joke that I was HUGE in Japan and kind of a big deal in North Carolina.

What was your favorite part about living in Japan (besides being low-key famous)?

A tie between all of the natural hot springs (Rotemburo), the food and the scenery, Japan is truly a beautiful country.

Did your obsession with knives also come from your time overseas?

No, I have always been fascinated with a well-made blade, kind of a form and function thing.  As an aside I almost became a knife maker before brewing diverted me.

You’re known around the brewery as Uncle Bob. What’s the best nickname you’ve ever had?

Define best… probably “Rooster”. It was given to me at the first brewery where I was the head brewer. They said it was because of the way I was always walking around checking up on everyone like a rooster walking around the yard.

Do you have any pets? Rumor has it, you have a pet fish.

I had a pet fish, Clark, but he has moved on to a higher plane.  I also have more fish, 3 cats and 3 dogs.  A regular menagerie.

What’s your go-to karaoke song/artist?

When you live in Japan you need to have at least one song that you can sing halfway decently. It was hard for me as I am a HORRIBLE singer but I finally found one I could kind of sing: CCR’s “Have you ever seen the Rain”

What’s your favorite memory from working at Great Divide?

My interactions with all of the wonderfully crazy people aka Whack Jobs that we have working here.