HotelChatter

HotelChatter:
How did you hear about the Four Points Chief Beer Officer position?

Scott Kerkmans:
Well my friend told me about it after having seen the full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal. Obviously, I thought it was too good to be true but it wasn't so I applied, along with 7,800 other applicants.

HotelChatter:
So, when they called you were you just totally excited?

Kerkmans:
I was incredibly excited. I was actually judging beer at the time for Draft magazine.

HotelChatter:
How fitting!

Kerkmans:
Yeah, it was pretty funny. Anyways, so me and my brother went to a local brewery here in Tempe called Four Peaks for a celebratory brew.

HotelChatter:
And what brew did you have?

Kerkmans:
8th Street Ale.

HotelChatter:
Now what are you hoping to accomplish in your new position as Chief Beer Officer?

Kerkmans:
Well I will be traveling to Four Points all over and hosting their happy hours, along with heading to beer festivals and touring local breweries. I'm in charge of getting people excited about the Four Points' Best Brews Program and teaching them that this isn't just another road-stop. The simple pleasure of a cold glass of beer can really make this an experience for them.

HotelChatter:
Can you tell us a bit more about the Best Brews program?

Kerkmans:
Each hotel's brew program will have regional relevance just as each hotel has its own feel and comfort to it. It's not cookie-cutter and its not one type fits all.

The standard menu will have four drafts and 20 bottles and we'll determine what's best for each location, including selecting local brews. We'll also help build a rapport with each guest. The bar will always have a beer ambassador or beer sommelier who can educate the guests about the different beers, offer sample trays and even suggest dinner pairings. It will be a complete experience.

HotelChatter:
What has the reaction been to your new position?

Kerkmans:
I think I've made a lot of people jealous with this new job. But my parents are exceptionally excited. They never would have thought that breweing beer would have gotten me this far. They definitely didn't see this as a career for me.

HotelChatter:
What's your favorite beer?

Kerkmans:
There's no favorite for me. I am constantly trying good beers and for me, it's all about the experience. Where you are when you have this beer. That's what I'm really excited about with this job. Going to local breweries and trying all sort of new beers.

HotelChatter:
That said, we want to know--would you ever drink a Budweiser, out of a bottle?

Kerkmans:
(Laughs) Each beer has its time and its place. If I'm at a ballgame and there's a major beer being sold, I'll have one because I'm with my friends, enjoying the game, just taking it all in. That's the time to enjoy those beers and the experience is what counts.

Tags: Interviews / Scott Kerkmans / Four Points Hotels / Hotel Jobs / Chief Beer Officer

by juliana