Today is the 50th birthday — The Big 5-O — of Markus Raupach, whose lived in Bamberg, Germany. He founded the Bier Akademie, which trains beer sommeliers and other beer expertise. He also hosts the podcast BierTalk and is involved with BREW.CAB, GuideMedia GbR, and Antenne Bayern Group. I’ve gotten to know Markus over the years judging the Brussels Beer Challenge and other international competitions, and he’s a terrific beer ambassador. We’re also both involved in the World Beer Awards. Join e in wishing Markus a very happy birthday.