Are you the Beerdrinker of the Year?

Pssst. I hear you're a Beer Geek. Think so do ya?

Let me ask: do you keep track of every single beer you've ever tasted, and what it tasted like? Do you write down every place you've ever been to taste that beer? Do you live, breath, think, talk and drink beer? Is your beeresume (beer resume) so hefty that when you drop the sucker on a table it wobbles and strains under the weight?

If so... you may be the next Beerdrinker of the Year!

Wynkoop Brewing Company in Denver, Colorado, is seeking the most passionate, edu-ma-kated beer geek from around the globe to become their 13th annual BDotY! But it's not just a matter of being able to throw back kegs o' beer... you gotta know stuff. Lot's o' stuff. Here are the details:

Beeresumes for the 2009 Beerdrinker search must include each entrant’s beer drinking philosophy, details on their passion for beer, and their 2008 beer experiences. Beeresumes should detail the entrant’s understanding of beer and its history and importance to civilization, as well as the entrant’s efforts to educate others to the joys of great beer.

It must be emailed to Wynkoop as an email Word document attachment to beerdrinker@wynkoop.com, and it must be received by Wynkoop no later than December 31, 2008 (so you better hurry, time is running out!). Resumes sent via any other means will not be accepted. Be sure to check Wynkoop's website for all the details and requirements.

All submitted beeresumes will be reviewed by the nation’s best beer experts, beer journalists and previous Beerdrinker winners. The top three entrants are flown to Wynkoop (at their expense, not yours) for the BDotY finals to be held on February 21, 2009. At the finals, a panel of wigged & robed judges (literally) comprised of the nation’s best beer minds and previous winners will grill the crap out of the finalists and pick the winner. The event is open to the public and starts at 2:00 PM.

So what do you get for going to all this trouble?

• Free beer for life at the Wynkoop brewery in Denver
  
• $250 worth of beer at your local brewpub or beer bar
• Apparel proclaiming you are the '09 BDotY
• Name engraved on the BDotY trophy located at Wynkoop

I attended last year's ceremony and I'll be at the '09 coronation as well. Not as a participant mind you. These devoted beer geeks must endure two hours of questioning and cross examination about a hoary host of beer facts, theory, brewing concepts, etc. Frankly, I ain't that SMRT, but my beer buddy Matt Venzke (who I met via the social networking site, The Aleuminati) is, and won last year's competition through a combination of knowledge and a lot of humor.

It's so tough to get to the finals that last year Wynkoop decided to pay tribute to some of the entrants by adding a Rookie of the Year award to the best first-time BDotY entrant. Last year, Virgil Grider (also a member of The Aleuminati) was the first recipient of the award and got himself a special "Rookie of the Year Beerdrinker" shirt. To give you just a little idea of how hard it is to win -- Virgil tasted over 1,100 different beers in 2007 and didn't even make it into the final round. DOH!

Here's what Matt Venzke had to say about winning BDotY:

The whole ex-beer-ience has been a blast. Joining the prestigious ranks of Beerdrinker winners has led to private brewery tours, much free beer and a greatly expanded circle of beery friends. I’ve also had the pleasure of representing Beer Nation in various newspaper, TV and radio appearances. My parents are very proud.

Sooooo... still think you got the hops to go toe-to-toe with these seriously hardcore Beer Geeks? If you do, throw your mug into the ring and find out. Good luck. You're gonna need it!

*And if you can't make it... don't worry. It looks like Beer Tap TV will be on hand to film and air the entire thing LIVE to the Interwebs for those of you who can't make it out to the Napa Valley of the Beer World!