Fred Eckhardt

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Fred Eckhardt

Fred enjoying a beer at the Dixie Cup
Born May 10, 1926 (1926-05-10) (age 82)

Fred Eckhardt is an American beer critic and writer.

Contents

[edit] Biography

"Fred is [an eighty-one] year old ex-marine Buddhist who teaches swimming classes to children back in his native Portland, Oregon. . . . He wrote a book on how to homebrew lagers in 1969, ten years before homebrewing was relegalized. His 1989 book, The Essentials of Beer Style, has become a kind of Rosetta Stone for homebrewers and those who judge homebrew competitions. "Eckhardt (as mentioned by Ken Wells of The Wall Street Journal) is a soft-spoken, diminutive, roundish man with blue twinkling eyes and a white mustache and goatee. Imagine Shakespeare's Puck reborn as a beer mensch."[1]

Fred has many friends in the beer and homebrewing world, including the Foam Rangers homebrew club of Houston, Texas. Fred has been an honored guest at the Foam Rangers' annual Dixie Cup homebrew competition and celebration, where he has conducted the infamous "Fred Tasting" since 1987 [2]. Decked out in whatever costume the Foam Rangers present, Fred advises and entertains Dixie Cup attendees with excellent food and beer pairings, the latest developments on relevant political issues, and the newest (or, at least, classic) jokes.

Fred currently writes articles on beer, brewing, and other miscellany in Celebrator Beer News and All About Beer. He also has the honor of having a beer named in his honor, "Fred", by the Hair of the Dog Brewing Company in Portland, Oregon [3]. BridgePort Brewing Company brews a barleywine named "Old Knucklehead" where a "Knucklehead" is inaugurated every few years; bottling "no. 11" features Fred [4].

Fred holds the distinctive rank of National judge in the Beer Judge Certification Program.

[edit] Bibliography

  • Sake USA (1992)
  • A Treatise on Lager Beers (1970)
  • The Essentials of Beer Style (1989)

[edit] References

  1. ^ Wells, Ken; Travels with Barley
  2. ^ Dixie Cup Speakers
  3. ^ Fred Eckhardt on a beer named Fred
  4. ^ BridgePort Brewing Company | Old Knucklehead

[edit] External links


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