My name is Josh Ratliff, I'm 40 years old, and I'm a long time AHA member, but first time poster in the forums. I've been homebrewing for about 15 years now. For the past decade, I've been working in the homebrew supply industry. I have worked in 4 homebrew shops (managed 2 and started 1) over the years. For the past 3 years, I've been the Brewmaster for Mr. Beer (I'm sure you've heard of us...lol), which is owned by Coopers Brewing Co (Australia).
Mr. Beer is headquartered in sunny Tucson, Arizona, where I have lived off and on for over 20 years. As the Brewmaster for MRB, I design many of our recipes and test new products that will go on our website. I also run our 1st physical retail store in our 25+ year history called "Everything Homebrew". In addition to our retail sales, we also conduct classes and brewing/tasting events.
In addition to working within the industry, I'm also a BJCP Judge and member of the Tucson Homebrew Club. I also attend the AHA Conference annually as a Sponsor.
Because I've been so active within the homebrew industry and am very familiar with the vendors, trends, and other aspects within the industry, I've decided to run for the 2018 Governing Committee. I believe that I can be a great asset to to committee when it comes to industry matters. I also have a background in radio (10+ years) and community advocacy. I volunteered with a non-profit group called Media Island International for several years. I'm very familiar with volunteer recruiting, fundraising, and organizational management. I would love your vote for one of the 5 available seats that are coming up for election (voting starts in Feb). OK, that's enough shameless campaigning...lol.
My favorite styles of beer include anything "farmhouse" (saisons, grisettes, Bier De Garde, etc.), anything with Brett, sours, IPAs (West Coast and NE), stouts (especially milk stouts and BA stouts), and clean, crisp pilsners.
My other hobbies besides brewing, include cycling (mountain biking mostly, but I have a BMX racing background), online gaming, and reading about science. I also enjoy traveling and eating/drinking exotic foods/drinks.
Cheers!
