Jamil Zainasheff
Jamil Zainasheff is an award-winning brewer, author, beer judge, and podcaster. He began his obsession with brewing in 1999 when his wife Liz bought him a Mr. Beer Kit for Christmas. He has brewed beers in every style recognized by the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP), amassing first place awards for every style. He is the only person to win a first-place medal in every recognized beer, wine, and cider style. He also took many medals in the finals of the National Homebrew Competition every year from 2002 to 2010 and earned more than 20 Best-of-Show awards.
Recognized for his expertise in brewing and recipe formulation, he was asked to contribute articles to Zymurgy, and for nine years was the Style Profile columnist for Brew Your Own magazine. During that time, his Style Profile column became the most read over any other content in the magazine. To date, Jamil has published more than 90 articles and has co-authored two highly acclaimed brewing books, Brewing Classic Styles and Yeast: The Practical Guide to Beer Fermentation. His books are found on the desks of many craft breweries around the world. He was also a member of the American Homebrewers Association Governing Committee and the BJCP. In addition to being a prolific author, guest speaker, and columnist, Jamil hosts shows on The Brewing Network. Many thousands of home and pro brewers from around the world have tuned in to hear Jamil's insight and humor over the past 16 years.
In 2011 Jamil and his wife Liz launched Heretic Brewing Company with the dream that they could produce quality beer and stay in business. A 37-barrel brewery located in the San Francisco Bay area, Heretic in its first year of production took medals at the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup. Since 2011, Heretic brews have earned a reputation for quality and have continued to win awards and gain new customers. In 2017, Jamil added a distillery to the mix, featuring uniquely flavored vodkas, gins, whiskeys, and a line of ready-to-drink cocktails.
In 2021, in preparation for retirement, Jamil and Liz made the tough decision to sell Heretic. Jamil is looking forward to more travel with Liz, more time with his children, and more opportunities to visit wonderful breweries around the world.
