The regional finals for the Stella Draught Master competition

I think it's safe to say I never thought that one day I'd be sitting with several other judges as we scored one of the regional finals for the Stella Draught Master competition at The Bier Markt, but there I was last Thursday night.

And I think it's also safe to say unless you've seen it before, you've probably never experienced anything like it.

I knew it was probably gonna be busy, but I had no clue there were going to be so many people watching and cheering on the hopeful contestants. And if you think pouring a pint of beer can't be exciting, then you certainly haven't been to a contest like this.

I mean, imagine all eyes on you, watching your every move. Nervous yet?

Stakes were high, with the winners advancing closer to the world championship in New York, after a stopover in Belgium for some expert advice.

Nor is it easy to pour like a champ. I mentioned before how many steps you have to keep straight in your head, but it's just as hard watching someone else do it - and do it well.

So I had to keep my eyes glued to the pouring station, and really look out for any missteps, bungles or second guesses. Likewise, it became clear quite early on that some contestants had a certain amount of charisma or flare about their movements, while others were slightly more mechanical, and boring.

Most were, however, exceptionally good at pouring and the whole shebang, and at the end of the day - and after several close calls - we had our winner.

Just one step closer to the top, I suppose.

Stella Artois contest

Well, the Draught Master competition is now well underway and I'll actually be heading off to a training session for judges soon to prep for Thursday's regional championship where I'll be one of the judges.

In the meantime though, to whet your appetite, I just wanted to let y'all know that the good people at Stella were kind enough to provide us with a custom fridge to contest. And believe you me - it's one hell of a sweet prize!

All you have to do to enter is head on over to the contest page for a chance to win.

And if you're in the area, don't forget to check out the regional finals this Thursday (July 9) at The Bier Markt!

In the meantime, pics of some of the regional winners are beginning to roll in, so check out the first few.

Pouring a "perfect pint"

So let me preface this by saying that pouring a "perfect pint" of Stella is far more challenging than I'd ever thought. Nine steps in all. Basically nine ways in which I'll probably muck it up somehow.

But that's how my night started at The Bishop and Belcher for one of the many contests designed to search out Canada's Draught Master.

Luckily the Stella team was on hand to walk me through the ceremonial act from start to finish. Let's see if my beer-addled brain has retained any of the information: first there was the soapy washing, the rinsing, the inspection, the drying, the pouring, the foamy overflow, the beheading of said foamy head, another outer rinse and the presentation.

A lot to keep straight.

I think my drinking companion and I managed to do the whole thing fairly well. A few slip-ups here and there, but nothing too sacrilegious.

But others faired far better and there was some pretty stiff competition within the crowd that spent the first part of the evening practicing, drinking their practice pours, practicing a little more, drinking a little more... you get the idea.

The judges were on their game too, so there wasn't much room for error. I guess it's easy to get caught up in the idea that you're just pouring a glass of beer, but I get the feeling that the ones who make it through to the finals are going to need a certain theatricality about their technique, coupled with personal flair.

Of all the pours last night, I think only one or two was judged as being a "perfect pour" while a few other nervous contestants learned what happens if you accidentally shut off the tap and then open it again to top it off (think foam eruption).

I was told that apparently the vibe of the events change from venue to venue, with the bigger clubs being a bit more rowdier and crowdier, but being in a pub for this one had its charm too.

All in all the night was a lot of fun, the Stella gang was cool and as I nurse my minor, albeit well-earned hangover this morning, I can't help but look forward to the next one.

2009 World Draught Master Competition

So by now you've seen the ads (unless you've been compelled to live under a rock away from nurturing, comforting television), and, if you have decent taste in beer (er, lager to be specific), then you can probably appreciate the ritual behind pouring a perfect pint of Stella.

Consider it an art form.

And now Stella's on the lookout to find the next champ Draughtmaster. Over the next several weeks, there'll be a bunch of competitions throughout the GTA, where contestants can take a shot at pouring perfection, and we'll be going along for the ride.

Check back here for our boozy blog (written by NOW Magazine's very own super secret Draughtmaster) about the competitions, the winners, and just about taking the whole thing in (albeit with very liberal quantities of Stella as well...).

We'll have sweet pictures of all the revelers, videos and words of wisdom (or maybe just words) as we follow the winners on their road to the finals in Belgium.

Stay tuned people.