The Glen Hay Falconer Foundation has announced this years brewing scholarship winner from an outstanding group of talented applicants.

Phil Pesheck of Burke Gilman Brewing Company (Seattle, WA) is having a pretty good year despite the raging pandemic. In October Pescheck was named the 2020 Alpha King Champion for the hoppiest beer in the U.S. for his Fresh Hopotheosis Hazy Imperial IPA. Around the same time Burke Gilman Brewing Co. won a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival in the extremely competitive Juicy or Hazy Imperial IPA category for The Hopsplainer. Now he has been named the recipient of the Glen Hay Falconer Foundation’s competitive annual brewing scholarship.

More from a press release:

Phil will be attending the 2021 American Brewers Guild Intensive Brewing Science & Engineering course that runs from January to June 2021. The ABG course is a 22-week distance education program with a final week of residential instruction in Middlebury, VT. The course covers all the fundamentals of beer production and quality assurance with a special emphasis on practical issues.

Phil Pesheck is Head Brewer at Burke Gilman Brewing Company which he joined three years ago after working for a number of notable breweries in the Pacific Northwest. Phil has been an integral part of Burke Gilman’s success, contributing to numerous regional and national awards. A Selection Committee member noted Phil’s passion and dedication, saying “I was impressed by Phil’s commitment to a career in craft brewing, learning on the job until he became a head brewer in his own right. His noteworthy passion for brewing and desire to improve his skills through more formal training make him an ideal recipient for this brewing scholarship.” Phil’s natural curiosity and enthusiasm is readily apparent, as he is found constantly researching, listening to hours of podcasts, and brewing countless small batch experiment. “By internalizing this knowledge, Phil is able to successfully brew a diverse range of styles using unique techniques and approaches,” added another Selection Committee member.

While Phil’s career of learning and discovery has served him well, the ABG course will help lay a firmer foundation for advanced scientific and technical understanding. And in the spirit of the Glen Hay Falconer Foundation, Phil is passionate about using his experience and knowledge to help bring along developing brewers. Summarized so well by another Selection Committee member, “Phil’s admirable background from humble beginnings and his mission to give young brewers more opportunities resonated with the Selection Committee. Welcome to the Foundation Phil.”

The American Brewers Guild is a premier school for the craft brewing industry dedicated to providing a comprehensive learning experience that focuses on the technical, scientific, and operational matters and issues that brewers face in a craft brewing environment. This year marks the eleventh year of collaboration between the Falconer Foundation and the American Brewers Guild. We offer our deepest gratitude to ABG for its long-standing and continuing support for the Foundation’s brewing education scholarship program.

Join us in thanking the Selection Committee of Bob Craig, Founder, Owner and Brewmaster, Walking Man Brewing, Christian Ettinger, Founder-Brewmaster of Hopworks Urban Brewing, Alan Moen, freelance writer for beer, wine & spirits and former editor of Northwest Brewing News and senior columnist for American Brewer Magazine, Shaun O’Sullivan, Brewmaster and Co-Founder of 21st Amendment Brewery, and Steve Parkes, Owner and Lead Instructor of American Brewers Guild who were given the difficult decision of selecting a single recipient from a deep and talented group of deserving candidates.

The Falconer Foundation has granted 47 scholarships since 2004 and is dedicated to promoting knowledge and expertise in the craft brewing industry in memory and honor of Glen Hay Falconer. For more information on the Glen Hay Falconer Foundation, visit www.glenfalconerfoundation.org and follow us on Facebook.