Ohio Homebrewer Among Sam Adams LongShot Winners

BOSTON (PRNewswire) — A homebrewer from Ohio was one of three winners in the annual Samuel Adams LongShot American Homebrew Competition.

Barnstorm Saison, brewed by David Cousino of Avon, will be featured in the LongShot American Homebrew Contest variety pack when it is available in the spring of 2017. It will be joined by American Wild Ale by Duane Wilson of Horseheads, N.Y., and Imperial Stout by Samuel Adams employee Graham Johnson of Marblehead, Mass.

Cousino began homebrewing nearly 25 years ago in college and, after a long hiatus, jumped back into brewing four years ago. He describes his Barnstorm Saison as a “nice farmhouse ale with soft malt character, delicate floral notes and a hint of pepper.”

As a pharmacist, Cousino said he applies the precision of his profession to his homebrews, moving well beyond his days of extract brewing in college.

“In my profession as a pharmacist, everything is hard science,” Cousino said. “While that serves me well in this hobby, it does not begin to describe the magic of fermentation. I create the best wort I can by carefully calculating, measuring and observing. Then the real magic happens. That transition from what I can control to what I cannot is the heart of the allure of this wonderful hobby.”

The final LongShot winners were selected by a panel of industry judges including Samuel Adams founder Jim Koch; John Holl, author and editor of All About Beer Magazine; Tony Forder, editor of Ale Street News; Jason Alstrom, founder and publisher of Beer Advocate; and Norman Miller, author and “The Beer Nut”; as well as two past winners who went on to become professional brewers: 2009 winner Michael Robinson of Newburyport Brewing Co. and 2013 winner Cesar Marron of Sketchbook Brewing. For the Samuel Adams employee winner, the beers were voted on by visitors to the Boston Brewery.

“I started out as a homebrewer and saw my dream of becoming a professional brewer turn into a reality,” said Koch. “Since we started the LongShot competition 20 years ago, we’ve seen an explosion of interest in brewing, and we’re honored to showcase top emerging talent from the homebrewer community with this year’s contest.”