Welcome! My name is Becki Kregoski and I’m a food fanatic and beer lover.
History of Brews – The first beer I ever tried was green – St. Patty’s Day up at UCSB. No wonder I didn’t like beer at first! However, my tastes were refined over the course of many years, traveling from Pacifico with lime to Fat Tire to Gulden Draak, Arrogant Bastard, Chimay, Dogfish Head and beyond.
On December 26, 2010 I took up homebrewing and brewed my first batch, “Dos Beckis”. It was love at first taste. I was a proud member of the Maltose Falcons homebrew club and brewed as often as my closet space allowed.
I worked as assistant brewer at Wolf Creek Brewery in Valencia for six months in 2012, and moved on to craft beer distribution on October 1st, 2012 where I’m at today.
I interned at Enegren Brewing Company in Moorpark, California for two years, helping with everything the owners let me get my hands on – brewing, working the tasting room, deliveries, tap cleaning, consumer education and beyond!
I began as a Certified Beer Server with the Cicerone program, and am more than proud to say that, two years after immersing myself in everything beer, I’m finally a Certified Cicerone® spreading the joys and wonders of craft beer as I imbibe upon it.
Up until mid-August of 2013, I worked as the Cicerone Certified® Craft Selection, Education and Pairing Specialist at Allied Distribution in Southern California where my duties were to design pairings for and host tons of drool-worthy dinners, and educate people about craft beer in general.
On August 23, 2013, I packed up my life into my little car and drove from California back to Colorado where I currently reside, hosting beer pairing dinners, visiting breweries, creating recipes, enjoying family and living life to the fullest.
History of Bites – I love food. Completely adore it. Couldn’t live without it (har har).
Food and I haven’t always had such an accepting relationship. During my youth, I shunned anything that wasn’t macaroni and cheese or mashed potatoes with peas. As I matured, I began incorporating more and more different foods into my repertoire, and have officially become a “foodie”. I will try any food once and welcome challenges to my tastebuds.
It was great having you at the brew last week. I took some of the brownies home for my wife and she really enjoyed them.
For the April shop brew, I will be brewing a chipotle beer. I would really love to have you participate again. Please sign up at the club’s website.
Thanks.
I’d love to, but you can’t sign up two shop brews in a row. I might swing by if I’m in town just to hang out and watch the process 🙂
…will you marry me Becki?
I don’t know your name yet… Once I find that out, we’ll talk 🙂
Michael George Ponce
Huntington Beach, CA
I’m also a food fanatic and beer lover… Shoot me an email.
Hey,
Just followed the link from The Chive (cute pic) as I’m a homebrewer too (although Australian, not American :P) and thought I’d check out what you get up to.
Over time I’ll read through your posts, looks like you’ve got good taste in food too 😛
Keep up the great work, and I hope you don’t get swamped by Chivers!
-Keith
Beer and food are quite essential to life, I’ve found. What styles do you brew?
Hey,
Sorry for the delay, I’ve been flat out moving house and working!
Yeah, I’d tend to agree. The story goes that the men in the old days that laid the rail tracks across American basically lived off steak and beer, as that provided everything they needed to do that BS amount of work.
As for the beers, we’ve been sticking to kit brews for simplicity and as a lot of professionals have compared them a professional brew and found little-to-no difference when done right. So far our top 3 that we’ve been enjoying are a ginger beer with real ginger and chili through it (knocking one back right now actually), a strong brew which we call ’70+ Ale’ (due to starting with a OG over 1.070 – and finishing near 1.010!), and just a simple slightly bitter lager.
We’ve got 3x 30L fermenters going turning over about 90 longnecks every week or two depending on the weather and how busy we are, and we’re up to our 19th batch at the moment (30 longnecks per). Mostly just stocking up, and experimenting with different methods and flavourings (strawberry honey, fruit mince, cinnamon cider, etc). Here’s about half of our stock, referred to as ‘The Wall’, and some of our supplies: https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B8bazxGRy4sYYzMzNGY4NDAtOGM4Ni00ZDg3LWJlNTUtNDk1ZjAyZjg3Y2I0&hl=en_US
Enjoy, and talk soon
-Keith
I, likewise, followed the link from theChive, after returning from the San Diego International Beer Festival. I plan to start homebrewing as soon as I have space to do so, and am attempting to get work at one of the many breweries down here, and look forward to reading more of your blog along the way.
SPACE! That’s what I’m in need of as well! I can’t wait until I can have more than one brew fermenting at a time!
What would be your ideal place to drink your favorite beer?
Just got turned on to your site. Will continue to enjoy it!
I always think that drinking the beer at the brewery it’s created in is best. For me at this very moment, that would probably be the Chesebro IPA at Ladyface in Agoura Hills on a summer day while gazing at the Ladyface mountain. Tomorrow… who knows? I try to keep things lively by trying new (new to me) beers whenever possible.
Another brewery in California to add to the list.
Best beer I ever had for a particular occasion was a Rogue Dead Guy while camping just of the Deschutes River in Oregon. Absolute bliss. Thanks for sharing.
I’ll be passing by there soon! I may just have to stop in and try some myself…
I know you will enjoy it. Some of the best breweries, in my opinion, come from the northwest part of the country.
hey there Becki! awesome blog. so you did our first beer the day after Christmas…. get a kit for a gift?
i did my first brew only weeks before you.. i’ve been hooked ever since. i would love to chat beer brewing with you… tricks you learned… mistakes you made along the way… there is so much to know and yet so little you need to know to get started. i will be diving in to your blog over the next few weeks. thanks for posting.
My brother and his wife actually got me my first carboy, airlock and ingredients and we brewed together. It’s addicting, isn’t it?
it is addicting! i’m on my 9th brew. i’ve attempted lagers… that is a tough beer to do at home… you have to be really really patient with it.
HI,
Came across your blog and couldn’t stop reading. Keep up the great writing. Gulden Draak and Dogfish Head are two of my most favorite beers. I live about 10 minutes away from a Dogfish Head restaurant in Maryland. What is your favorite beer at DFH?
You’re going to make me choose??? I think that’s impossible… I love their Punkin Ale and Aprihop for seasonal. Midas Touch is good when I’m in the mood for something kind of out there. Pangaea was a lovely rare find. 60 and 90 Minute IPA are both heavenly. Does that narrow it down a little? I have Dogfish Head restaurant envy now.
Excellent Choices. Punk, Aprihop and Chicory are my go-to beers but I will occasionally dive into a 90 minute and sometimes even mix brews while enjoying there delicious seared ahi tuni sandwich mmmmmm.
Have you ever come to Wisconsin? we have some fine brews here!
Haven’t been out there yet. I’m still working on my beer itinerary for the future! I’ll add it to the list!
Well if you ever do make it to WI
http://www.wbba.org/wisconsin-microbreweries.php
is a good resource for the microbrews here!
Keep up the great work, very entertaining.
Hello Becki, if love beer so much, you should rather come and visit Germany…
Find me a cheap or free plane ticket and I’m there! 🙂
hahaha,
Not Germany, Belgium is the place to be.
Ain’t no village with a little self-respect that doesn’t produce it’s own beer here…
It’s heaven to me, and you’d probably like it as well. 😉
(and I’m not even going to start about our “Trappisten”, but if you haven’t tasted one of those, you’ll never rest in piece :p )
Becki estas muy buena!!!!
Becki,
Your site single handedly destroyed an entire 12 hour shift of productivity.
Much love from an beer loving engineer (like there is any other type of engineer) in central Queensland, Australia.
Becki!
Found you via the CHIVE and very cool for you! If you are ever in the MI area, swing on by and I’d love to show you around. Gonna be at the GABF? Think I’m going this year again. Keep up the great work spreading the gospel!
Cheers and Chive On!
I wish I could be at the GABF, but I’ll be working in a different state. I’ll definitely be there next year! And if I ever get to MI, I’ll let you know!
Becki,
Where do you work out of? What are your favorite beers? Maybe I’ll send you a care package from Michigan. I am the “Chief Beer Geek”-yup, that’s actually my title, at HopCat in Grand Rapids. We have an array of great beers up here and are constantly getting people who are hunting us and Founders(as well as MANY other great breweries out) for some of our great rarities we might have on. You can e-mail me at: steve@hopcatgr.com Hope to hear from you soon and keep up the great work!
Cheers,
Steve
Sweeeeeet! Can you e-mail me (becki (at) Bitesnbrews (dot) com)? I have a difficult time searching through comments at the moment!
Becki, great blog! Oddly enough it makes me want to eat and drink beer. 21st amendment, from SF, great brew, great story, and I think they’ve starting carrying cans at local markets as well. They even give a solid explanaiton on why beer is better in cans. Check em out! I’d love to hear your take Monk’s Blood or The Allies Win the War.
http://21st-amendment.com/
That IS a weird ramification of reading my blog 🙂 I still haven’t tried 21st Amendment! I’ve been meaning to grab the Hell or High Watermelon since that’s the one I always see around the stores and get sidetracked each time. I’ll keep an eye out for those too – I LOVE canned craft beers!
Mmmm beer. One of my favorites. Have you ever been to Oregon? We’ve got some GOOOOOD beers. I recommend any Deschutes beer and Ninkasi Total Domination. YUM
I went to Deschutes during the few hours I was able to be in Oregon! I’ll have to look for the Ninkasi – thanks for the recommendation!
Awesome website. Too bad you are on the west coast or I’d join you on attending the festivals!
My roommate is a craft beer salesman and brews at home too.
You lucked out in roommates! Do you brew also?
Becki,
Wowww… talk about a small world! I came across your blog while looking for recipes to possibly make with my growler of Wolf Creek Full Moon Oatmeal Stout! When I saw your comment about having anytime access to Enegren’s beers in the Oatmeal Stout French Toast recipe, I figured you must be somewhat local. I didn’t realize just how “local” you are! Since you’re a food and beer aficionado, I’m sure this won’t be the last time I’m looking to you for an idea of what to cook with my beer!
Take care and I look forward to hearing from you!!
Hi Becki, Kind of a funny story, I was watching a 50 year-old old rerun of Dragnet, and this goofy guy gets arrested and sentenced to a little down time at the “Camarillo State Mental Hospital”. Sargent Friday pacifies the guy by describing the place as a haven of relaxation with caring people and splendid lawns, so I think hey, that sounds pretty nice! (especially since I’m sitting on the Michigan side of Chicago, freezing my butt off). So I Googled it up and found your pictures. All I can say is WOW, what a beautiful place. Thank you for posting those. Renovating historic buildings is my passion, and I developed an affection for Spanish Mission architecture living in south Florida a few years ago. I’m sad to see that hospital become forlorn, but it goes with the territory in today’s world. Like Kurt Vonnegut said, “there’s an apparent flaw in the human condition, where we know how to build everything, but we don’t know how to fix or maintain anything”. Thanks again for sharing those shots. I share your love for vacant buildings (especially Victorian homes!), but it’s painful that so much history is being lost. Anyway, take care, GREAT site, I promise to tip a pint in your direction. -Warren