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Checking In On The Four Points by Sheraton's Chief Beer Officer

Forget Fashion Week, this week New York is celebrating Beer Week! As regular HotelChatter readers know, we have a bit of a soft spot for Four Points Chief Beer Officer Scott Kerkmans. So we were thrilled to drop into the Four Points Chelsea last week to celebrate the launch of the 2nd annual NY Craft Beer Week.

Sampling a variety of the microbrews on hand was a nice way to end a day, but even better was the chance to steal a few moments of the CBO’s time. Despite the other beer experts in the room, Kerkmans was by far the most popular dude at the party.

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Holiday Boozin' Tips From Four Points' Chief Beer Officer

Nobody has very much money as 2008 draws to a close, so people are forgoing champagne and just reaching for some trusty cheap beer. According to a new study by Four Points by Sheraton, 80% of people who threw parties this year ranked beer as their drink of choice, beating out champagne and wine by a mile (this is pretty shocking — unless the survey was done at frat houses). Also, the study found that 66% of those surveyed see themselves drinking more this holiday than last year (hmmm, we wonder why).

So you've got beer, you've got a strong desire to get drunk and you need to do something creative to entertain your guests. Enter Scott Kerkmans, Four Points' Chief Beer Officer.

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Big Box Hotel Chains Are Stepping Up Their Game With Fancier Cocktail and Mocktail Menus

Well, even though the economy has gone to poo, hotels know that people will still be boozing (if not drinking even more).

Luckily, hotels are offering cocktails and "mock"tails these days. Because if you happen to have a big interview for your new job tomorrow (to, er, replace the one you had), maybe you'll want to go ahead and take it easy on the alcohol and give yourself the illusion of hitting the bottle without running the risk of muddy thoughts and a hangover headache. And when you get the job, you can hit up the hotel bar again that night and order from the extra-fancy alcoholic cocktail menu.

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Four Points Chief Beer Officer Gets His Own Line of T-Shirts

Ok we have decided that being CBO at Four Points--Chief Beer Officer--is probably one of the most fantastical jobs out there. Kids in high school: Start aspiring for this role.

Since Scott Kerkmans took the position over a year ago, he's been traveling the country helping Four Points develop their Best Brews list. Aside from having all the ale and brews a man/woman could want, he also has an intern, a blog and now he's got a line of t-shirts.

Four Points is now selling the tshirt shown above that says "I Love CBO." There's also another t-shirt for sale that says, "Best Brews Intern--Here to serve you."

These are actually really cute (for hotel geeks and Four Points lovers that is) and they are made from super soft material so it's not a scratchy kind of t-shirt that you buy from your company's annual walk-a-thon fundraiser. Both t-shirts are $20 and are made for women (snug fit) and men. But we're guessing a lot of the men won't be buying the "I Love CBO" shirt.

However, we will warn you that the t-shirt is a bit of a deeper blue than shown on the website. Take a look after the jump. Man, it's good to be the CBO.

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Sweet, Dude :: Four Points by Sheraton Appoints First Ever Best Brews Intern

When Four Points by Sheraton's Chief Beer Officer Scott Kerkmans put out a call for the first-ever Best Brews Intern in March, frat boys' ears all over the country perked up. Suddenly beer was a potential career option, and 2,000 applications poured in from hopefuls of all sorts.

And now the lucky recipient of the Sweetest Internship for Dudes Ever has been selected. Home brewer Dan Suarez of Brooklyn was the named the sweetest of all sweet bros:

In keeping with Four Points' commitment to spreading the gospel of life's Simple PleasuresSM, Dan will help develop in-hotel beer "happy hours" for Four Points hotels, work closely with local breweries and conduct beer trend research. He will also help promote Four Points Best Brews' program at happy hours and on bar stools across the country.

Okay, fine. We admit we're a bit jealous. But we send all our best to Dan and Scott. This looks like the beginning of a beautiful Bromance...

P.S. Scott Kerkmans is lookin' good these days despite holding a position that requires drinking beer all day. Not too long ago, he still looked like a frat boy himself. Now, is that hair gel we spy?

[Photo: Diane Bondareff/Four Points by Sheraton]

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Interview with Four Points' Chief Beer Officer

A HOTELCHATTER EXCLUSIVE

It is safe to say that Scott Kerksman is one of the luckiest men in America right now. He's just been appointed (actually voted for out of 7,800 other applicants) the Chief Beer Officer for the Four Points by Sheraton's Starwood Brand. He spent a "whirlwind" week in New York, meeting all the Starwood hotel execs and even ringing in the bell at the New York Stock Exchange. Now, he's gearing up to tour all the Four Points hotels and host their Happy Hours along with hitting up Beer Festivals, and touring local beer breweries. "I think I've made a lot of people jealous" with this new job, Kerksman says in the understatement of the year.

Then again, life was not all that bad for Kerksman before the CBO gig.

A native of New Mexico, Kerks got his first exposure to beer brewing when his brother gave him a home brewery kit at the age of 21. (Legal drinking age, of course.) Together with his brother and a friend, the trio started experimenting with different flavors and after a while, Kerkmans felt confident enough to start working as a brewer at a local brewery where he worked himself up to head brewer. This set off a career of traveling all over to brew, including to Alaska where he was one of six brewers behind Alaskan Amber.

For the past few years, however, he has been working in Phoenix, Arizona overseeing the Draft magazine, a publication he co-founded with two friends, and judging beer.

The Full Q & A with Scott Kerkmans after the jump.

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