Tom Schmidlin, a 36-year-old University of Washington graduate student, devout homebrewer and yeast enthusiast, won the 2006 Beerdrinker of the Year title in Denver on Saturday, Feb 25.

In a two-hour session packed with difficult beer questions from a panel of seven judges, Schmidlin used an intense knowledge of beer, a quick wit, and some impressive bribes to land the 2006 crown.

In addition to winning the coveted Beerdrinker of the Year title, Schmidlin won $250 worth of beer at his local brewpub (Big Time Brewery & Alehouse, in Seattle, Washington) and free beer for life at the Wynkoop Brewing Company.

“I’m moving to Denver,” Schmidlin joked in his acceptance speech.

Schmidlin held off serious challenges from the other 2006 finalists, Diane Catanzaro, (a Norfolk, Virginia homebrewer, beer judge and professor of industrial/organizational psychology at Christopher Newport University) and Warren Monteiro (a New York City playwright, script writer and devout beer hunter/educator).