As one of the founders of the Philly Beer Geek competition, I am privileged to meet the most dedicated people in Philadelphia beer. Not only do I meet them, but I also get to pick their brains to find out what really makes them tick, how they think, and what they feel during the competition.

Serving brunch? Nothing goes better than sour cream and Saison for making a coffee cake or quick bread for the occasion. The two ingredients combine well to create a buttermilk substitute which lends itself well to baking.

For a beer geek, knowing beer – really knowing beer – is one of the greatest joys in the world. Some may scoff at the idea of acquiring knowledge about beer, but when one considers how vast the beer universe is, beer knowledge is a true accomplishment.

Nothing is quite so satisfying than sweet, bourbon-soaked cranberries, hidden deep within a tasty wheat loaf. Damon Bourbon-Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Stout from Hill Farmstead Brewery in Vermont has the lusty, boozy profile that makes cranberries sing with flavor.

As spring blossoms begin to fade and pollen layers your spiffy white car with yellow dust, beer geeks in Philadelphia get the itch for some serious beer games. These are not just any games.

The 2014 Philly Beer Geek Semi-Finals Competition is taking a detour, due to Mother Nature’s foul humor.

It’s a question as old as the ages, flaming out of the brew kettle … a question that Rabbi Eli Freedman has studied in the Torah and in the Talmud, boiling in the vessel for more than 2,000 years.

If you are a true Beer Geek, you know how it feels. You find yourself searching the web for beer-quiz trivia, covering the answers, while sucking down a Belgian Dubbel cooled to precisely 49° F.

In my local Indian food market, I recently came across a horn root. Shiny and fat, it appeared to have little nubs, or horns, protruding from the sides.

Do you think you know a lot about beer? Here’s a little Q&A fun to accompany your late evening beer.