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Our 71st ASBC Annual Meeting in beautiful Victoria, BC, Canada, was another huge success. The second time around was just as much fun as our previous ASBC meeting held in Victoria in 2001, which was spectacular. When the decision was made to go back to Victoria for 2007, I knew no one who attended would be disappointed. For those of you who heard my acceptance speech, you heard me mention something about hot rods, flames, and pinstripes, well my “President’s Columns” will have a car theme intertwined throughout. That is me sitting in my hot rod, a 1964 Chevelle, which I have had since 1981. I have built other hot rods, but this one I have had the longest. So, be sure to check the next “President’s Column” in the fall of 2007—I will have something that ties in with the start of ASBC.

The ASBC meeting began this year with a short course organized by Bob Foster (Coors) on Modern Day Applications of EPR/ESR Technology in Malting, Brewing, Packaging, and Beer Flavor Stability. The course was first class, with presentations by Bob, Hillery Hight (Sierra Nevada), and David Barr (Brucker BioSpin Corp.), followed by a high-energy roundtable discussion. There were several presentations given in Victoria that discussed EPR/ESR; all were very thought provoking. The Past Presidents and First Timers/Students reception on Saturday night was the perfect icebreaker to welcome new ASBC members to their first annual meeting; Karen DeVries did an excellent job explaining the behind-the-scenes activities of ASBC and introduced all the current board members and past presidents. The opening ASBC General Session began with a presentation by Arthur Klatsky titled “Alcohol and Cardiovascular Conditions in 2007,” providing a very intriguing perspective on alcohol, the role it plays, and understanding its effects on overall cardiovascular health. Karen followed with an excellent presentation on the current and future states of the ASBC.

The meeting was full throttle after that, with many intriguing oral and poster presentations, plenty of networking time, many workshops to pick from, and many technical subcommittee meetings to attend throughout the week. The Silent Auction again was a big hit; all the items were auctioned off and could be easily taken back with their buyers on the trip home. The opening Welcome Reception at the Royal British Columbia Museum on Monday night was a grand experience—a night of excellent cuisine, ice-cold beer from around the world, time to catch up with friends and colleagues—all while enjoying some of the finest museum artifacts on modern history. The Gourmet Food and Beer Pairing Event—Celebration of Brewing in Victoria, which was held at the oldest brewpub in Canada, Spinnakers, was a blast. Paul Hadfield the proprietor and Master of Ceremonies Greg Evans took everyone who attended on a culinary and beer pairing journey extraordinaire. The closing keynote presentation was given by Greg Evans, “The Devil Hop: A History of Brewing on Vancouver Island,” providing an amazing walk through Victoria’s brewing history. I know there was something for everyone who attended; there was an energy from all who attended that will be passed on and shared.

The success of every ASBC Annual Meeting is due to many behind-the-scenes activities of the staff in St. Paul, MN, the ASBC Board, and the countless hours of ASBC members who participate and help move forward the ASBC in a positive direction. I would like to recognize the ASBC Board members who give countless hours to move ASBC forward. First, Past President Greg Casey—what a great ride, I tip my hat to all you have brought to the ASBC; your contributions have been remarkable. Current Past President Karen DeVries, your well-organized planning and great people skills have moved ASBC to another level of excellence. President Elect Xiang Yin, your insight, global networking, and positive attitude in finding a working solution will keep the ASBC moving forward. Vice President and WBC Program Committee Chair John Engel—in constant motion, is the way I describe John, always planning the next step ahead and keeping people moving with a positive attitude. Dave Maradyn, Technical Committee chair, is in one of the toughest Board positions and makes it look easy. He is respected by those who he leads, pushing all the ASBC collaborative subcommittees forward. Cindy-Lou Dull, Publications chair, is one of the most dynamic personalities on the board; we can always count on Cindy-Lou to bring out the best in all the Board members. Treasurer Rebecca Newman—I would always pick Rebecca to play on my team; she brings an enthusiasm and passion that is unmatched. ASBC will always move forward with Rebecca on the Board. International Director Paul Hughes, what a great addition to the Board—Paul brings a positive energy and global insight to the Board that raises the bar. Secretary Joyce Carr, in another of the toughest positions on the board, thanks for your positive attitude and patience, always keeping us on track. Editor-in-Chief Charlie Bamforth—thanks again for making the ABSC Journal one of the most respected peer-reviewed brewing journals in the world. ASBC/MBAA Liaison Mary-Jane Maurice—this newly revised role is in good hands, and Mary-Jane will be instrumental in moving the ASBC/MBAA Collaborative Steering Committee forward. Finally, the fantastic support from the staff in St. Paul—Steve Nelson, Amy Hope, Jody Grider, Ronda Thompson, Marci Smith, Greg Grahek, Karen Cummings, Steve Kronmiller, Jordana Anker, and Beth Elliot—thanks for all you do collectively to keep ASBC volunteers engaged.

The past year has been a very interesting ride to say to the least. We signed the ASBC/MBAA updated Collaborative Agreement in February 2007—a special thanks to all involved, Gil Sanchez, Larry Sidor, Ruth Martin, and George Reisch from the MBAA, what a pleasure to work with dedicated and professional members of the MBAA with the goal of working in parallel to make both the ASBC and MBAA stronger. A special thanks to Ray Klimovitz, who helped me run the ASBC/MBAA exhibition booth at the 2007 Crafter Brewers Conference in Austin, TX, we both had a great time educating visitors and selling ASBC and MBAA to the craft-brewing segment. Also, a special thanks to Paul Gatza, director for the Crafter Brewers Association for inviting us to attend. There is one quote I will never forget, it came from one of the opening keynote speakers in Austin, Jim Hightower, who concluded his presentation with a phase for all of us to ponder, “Even the smallest dog can lift his leg on the tallest building.” A little Texas humor to remind us all that anything is possible if we put our mind to it. A special thanks to Fred Strachan (Sierra Nevada Brewing Company) for organizing a very successful Brewers and Vintners Symposium in the spring of 2007. The upcoming 1st International Brewing Symposium: Hop Aroma and Flavor is one of hopefully a string of many more brewing symposia that the ASBC and MBAA will work on together in the future. A special thanks to Tom Shellhammer (Oregon State University), who has poured a tremendous amount of energy into making the 1st International Brewing Symposium a success. The WBC Planning Committee is well on its way to putting together what will be a world-class program in 2008. Hang on for the ride! One thing you can always count on is change—the ASBC will not sit idle; we will always be looking for ways to bring our membership the latest in brewing science, working more closely with our brewing science partners around the globe, and striving to stay in front of scientific issues that confront us on a daily basis. I’m honored to serve as ASBC President and look forward to the year ahead.

—Michael J. Joyce
President

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