The story of the 2005 competition
The story of the 2004 competition
The story of the 2003 competition
The story of the 2002 competition
Previous Winners
How to Enter the 2005 Competition

Washington brew expert wins
2004 Beerdrinker of the Year crown.

In a competition conducted by Denver's Wynkoop Brewing Company to determine the nation's best beerdrinker, John Marioni, 40, won the coveted title, The 2004 Beerdrinker of the Year.

The National Finals of the competition involved two hours of intense questioning by an elite panel of judges, beer experts all. (Above, they toast his victory. As you can see, they were very judgmental in their white wigs and judges' robes.)

The Bothell, Washington beer expert explained why he is so well qualified to be crowned America's king of suds: "I have not made a decision in my adult life without first considering its impact on my ability to purchase or consume beer."

In his opening statement, he likened beer to religion, and led a glass-raised prayer to beer: "Lead us not into incarceration, but deliver us from light beer."

Although this is decidedly not a contest to see how much beer one can drink-the emphasis is on beer knowledge and appreciation-Marioni went from 155 lbs. to 156 in the course of the two-hour Finals.

Marioni is the sales manager for a high tech company,

His winnings include:

• Free beer for life at the Wynkoop Brewing Company.
• $100 worth of beer at his home brewpub, McMenamins in Mill Creek, Washington.
• Various articles of clothing proclaiming him the winner.
• Having his name engraved on the trophy on permanent display at the Wynkoop.
• Much acclaim.

The judges ponder the answers to some very intriguing questions that were asked at the 2004 Beerdrinker of the Year competition.

• What does the term, "Burtonize," refer to?
  
• Who invented the "church key"?
  
• What beer blend would you make with one mass-produced beer and one craft beer?
  
• If you were a yeast strain, which would you be-and why?
  
• Is there any circumstance under which you would order a low-carb beer?
  
• You meet three people at a party. They say they don't like beer. Instead, they're drinking coffee, brandy and soy milk. What beers would you offer them to win them over to our side?
  
• What was the greatest advance in brewing history?
  
• Which of these traditional styles of beer is generally lowest in alcohol: American light lager, German Hefeweitzen, or Irish style draft stout?
  
• What's your favorite beer quote? (Marioni's choice: "Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he'll sit around drinking beer all day.")
  
• Explain what "beechwood aging" does in the manufacture of Bud.
  
• One bottle of Sapporo says, "Import." The other says, "Imported." What's the difference?
  
• In 1976, what brewery opened in Anchorage -the first new brewery in Alaska since prohibition?
  
• What kind of beer would Jesus drink?

Four mystery beers were served to the contestants during "Beer Listening" (they had to tell the judges what the beers told them).

These are the four beers:

1. He'brew Messiah Bold
   
2. Coors Winterfest
   
3. Sam Adams Cream Stout
   
4. Michelob Light-from 1986!

The trio of National Finalists - all exceedingly well-qualified challengers for the title:

Richard Pedretti-Allen, 45, of McKinney, Texas. A recording producer, Pedretti-Allen is a certified beer judge - and has nearly 7,000 beer coasters.

Tom Ciccateri, 47, of Kansas City. Ciccateri has tasted over 2,000 different beers in 28 countries. He's a project manager for Honeywell International.

John Marioni, the ultimate winner.

The National Finalists were selected by a panel of judges - primarily editors of national beer publications - on the basis of their three-page beer resumes. Read John Marioni's beer resume.

They were flown to Denver by the Wynkoop Brewing Company for rigorous examination by a panel of eleven beer experts.

Just as the National Finals were winding up - the panel of judges had returned from their chambers to announce their selection - John Hickenlooper arrived on the scene.

Hickenlooper, founder of the Wynkoop, has traded in his responsibilities as a brewpub operator to serve as Denver's mayor.

Here, he presents Marioni with the card that entitles him, as the winner, to free beer for life at the Wynkoop.