Today would have been the birthday of Mike “Tasty” McDole, homebrewer extraordinaire, and one time co-host of “The Jamil Show,” or “Can You Brew It?” and also was a regular on the “Sunday Show” on The Brewing Network. Tasty would never refer to himself that way, and on Twitter he claimed to be simply a “homebrewer and a craft beer enthusiast.” But most of us who knew him would, as he also admits, “make [him] out to be much more.” And that is correct, I believe, as Tasty was one of the best. He’s a former Longshot winner, has given talks at the National Homebrew Convention and has won countless awards and had collaborated with numerous commercial breweries on beers. Unfortunately, he passed away a couple of years ago after battling cancer. Join me in raising a toast to Tasty’s memory.

With Justin Crossley at the Bistro Double IPA Festival in 2010.

With Shaun O’Sullivan at 21st Amendment in 2009.

Vic Krajl, from The Bistro, Mike & Shaun O’Sullivan, from 21st Amendment at GABF in 2009.

Tasty at GABF in Denver in 2014.

And a couple of years ago, 21st Amendment Brewery released Tasty IPA in collaboration with Mike.