International Brewers Day

Today is International Brewers Day. To honor that it has been suggested that bloggers post a profile of a brewer. Well, we thought we would start with us.
Justin & Carrie Cox, home-brewing since March 2007, members of Star City Brewer's Guild in Roanoke, Va., Justin is 27 (4-28-81) & Carrie is 30 (11-19-77), we've been married for 3 years, & we like beer so much we got married on St. Patrick's Day!!
We decided to begin homebrewing as an anniversary gift to ourselves. We have been beersnobs for years, drinking good beer is actually what helped us become so close in our relationship (we were best friends before dating, kids, and marriage came along), so brewing was the natural next-step. Justin is a true hop-head, though he enjoys all good beers; Carrie is a stout-lover, liking her beers dark, thick, and with flavor to really chew on, but she will drink most brews as long as they aren't too hoppy. Add these two tastes together and you get some nice debates on what type of beer ought to be brewed next, but it does help balance us out in the end.
While Carrie is a good taster and good idea-chick, Justin is the true brewer. He's the one with the patience to do it right (Carrie barely follows a recipe when cooking in the kitchen!). It is definitely a passion for him and something he was born to do.
Justin and Carrie (aka: we) also grow hops in the back yard of their home. The reasons for this are plentiful: the hop shortage, the strive to be self-sufficient, the ability to produce a superior product that is grown organically, and the joy of knowing exactly what is going into their beers.
So, take a moment to enjoy a good brew today. If you aren't able to hug a brewer, at least toast one (or more!) while you're sipping your beer.
For more info on International Brewer's Day go to: http://brewersday.org/