Paul's Homebrew Nets Him a Fez

Paul has joined yet another club and entered yet another competition.

This time it's really my own fault. A daily email I subscribe to listing cheap and free things to do in New York mentioned a homebrew competition and free samples a few months back. I mentioned it to Paul, and he looked it up. It wasn't long before he became a member of the Knights of Bruklyn.

This is a club of serious homebrewers and, according to Paul, many of them make some seriously good beer. Several times a year they test their chops and invite the world to sample their brews and vote for their favorite. The judges' three favorites and the people's choice of each competition go head-to-head in a brew-off at the end of the year.

Paul entered his first competition with the club earlier this month. Although he didn't place, he was pleased with his showing -- just one point shy of being a contender for third place. I don't care what they say -- his juniper ale was still the best of the bunch for me.

Nevertheless, he still came home with a "prize" -- or at least what he considers one. All new members who enter their first homebrew competition are presented with a fez to wear at that and future meetings. If Paul ever wavered about joining the club -- and I don't think he did -- that in and of itself would have been enough to swing the balance in its favor.