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Former Brewers Association Board of Directors Member Steve Crandall Passes Away

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Senior Vice President of Professional Brewing Division

Paul Gatza is the Senior Vice President of Professional Brewing Division at the Brewers Association. Paul’s origin in the beer community started when he took up homebrewing in 1990. He worked on the bottling line at Boulder Beer and would sneak over to the brewhouse when opportunity allowed. He owned a pair of homebrew supply shops in Boulder and Longmont, Colorado from 1994 to 1998. He served as director of the American Homebrewers Association for seven years and is in his 23rd year as Brewers Association director. Paul is ranked as a National Beer Judge by the Beer Judge Certification Program. Paul is also a former judge director of both the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup, before moving to the judge panels for these elite competitions.

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Following a long battle with cancer, former Brewers Association board of directors member Steve Crandall passed away on May 2, 2021. The packaging brewery members elected Steve to the board in 2014 for a term that started in February 2015. He stepped off the board in 2016 when he announced the sale of Devils Backbone Brewing Company. Steve chaired the Brewers Association’s Market Development Committee during his board service.

Steve was a builder. He founded Tectonics II Custom Homes with his father in 1982 and served as owner and president. Steve parlayed that success and bought 100 bucolic acres in Nelson County, Virginia. He built and opened Devils Backbone Basecamp Brewpub in 2008. In 2012, he opened the Devils Backbone Outpost production brewery. He helped form the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild. Steve touched many in the beer industry, and will be missed. Our thoughts go out to his wife Heidi and his family. He was 64.

Link to author biography
Senior Vice President of Professional Brewing Division

Paul Gatza is the Senior Vice President of Professional Brewing Division at the Brewers Association. Paul’s origin in the beer community started when he took up homebrewing in 1990. He worked on the bottling line at Boulder Beer and would sneak over to the brewhouse when opportunity allowed. He owned a pair of homebrew supply shops in Boulder and Longmont, Colorado from 1994 to 1998. He served as director of the American Homebrewers Association for seven years and is in his 23rd year as Brewers Association director. Paul is ranked as a National Beer Judge by the Beer Judge Certification Program. Paul is also a former judge director of both the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup, before moving to the judge panels for these elite competitions.

See Paul Gatza's Articles