Oregon daily emerald., May 21, 1980, Section B, Page 8, Image 19

Tommy Piekworth’s
Tried-and-True Steps to Creating
Prize-Winning Mountain Fresh
Beer Arrangements
Competition beer arranging can be
a career in itself. The satisfactions
to be gained from it are many: the
pleasures of artistic creation, the
stimulation of striving in keen
competition, and the accumulation
of lots of dandy ribbons, plaques,
vases, and other trophies of victory
to grace the entryway of the old
fraternity house or dormitory hall.
Mr. Pickworth, veteran of several
contests, offers these steps to
hopeful contenders in the Rainier
“Thirsty Month of May” Beer
Arranging Competition:
Get as thorough a knowledge as
possible of the general principles
of beer arranging. There are |
dozens of books on the subject, as |
well as classes offered by the
A.A.B.A. (Association of Amateur
Beer Arranging) at various
watering holes around the country.
Pay close attention to the rules and
regulations of every contest you
enter. Analyze the theme and
make sure your arrangement will |
convey the proper mood. If the
theme is “Springtime Freshness’’
and you enter an arrangement
using crumpled and crushed cans,
you’re not going to win doodley
squat. The same arrangement,
however, might walk away with
first prize in the “Autumn Riot”
category.
Make a checklist of everything you
will need for the arrangement and
gather the components well ahead
of time. You may need to spend
weeks lurking around the
dumpsters of public houses and
fast-food joints in order to get the
best selection. If you plan to empty
every container in your
arrangement yourself, you will also
want to get as early a start as
possible.
It is advisable to make, a few days
in advance of your final
arrangement, a dry run. Assemble
the arrangement, using the
essential components, so that if
there are some details that do not
work out — and there almost
always will be — you will have a
chance to change them. For
instance, if your pickled egg keeps
slipping off the platform of bonsai
pepperoni, you can abandon that
idea before it is too late.
One final word: if you fail to win
an award, don’t criticize or
threaten the judges — at least not
out loud. You do not want to get
the reputation of being a “kicker!’
Judges often travel long distances
to judge shows, and spend long,
hot thirsty hours on their feet,
judging arrangement after
arrangement. Annoying one could
be dangerous.
Well, good luck and good
arranging! May the thirstiest win!
And remember, it matters not
whether you win or lose, its how
many Rainier cans and bottles you
can cram into that arrangement.
There are tricks to all trades — beer arranging is no exception. Here are some of
Mr. Pickworth’s Do’s and Don’t’s for creating successful arrangements every time:
DO keep it simple. Resist the temptation to use every kind of bottle and container
that you have gathered. You want this to look like a pleasing arrangement, not like
a recycling center.
DON'T water the arrangements too often or too much. Some of the crispier
elements have a tendency to absorb water, leading to snack food rot, which can
ruin your arrangement.
DO steer clear of the more exotic ingredients that may be perishable, if you want
the arrangement to last more than one day. A pickled egg left out in an arrange
ment for more than 24 hours, is not pleasing to look at and gives off a foul aroma.
DONT use a vase tnat is too large or small for your arrangement. It looks dopey.
Why not try your hand at beer arranging? So what if you are a rank amateur? This
is your chance to enter the ring in a jousting match with fellow beer arrangers from
colleges and places of higher learning all over the Northwest.
The Mountain Fresh Beer Arranging Competition Rules and Information
1. The theme is “The Thirsty Month of May)’ or “Beer Arranging Hath Charms to
Soothe the Savage Thirst!’
2. The competition is open to students of all member colleges and universities of
the A.A.B.A. (Association of Amateur Beer Arranging) Pac Six division.
Mr. Tommy Pickworth, designer of a prize-winning arrangement, is the current
Northwest Regional Beer Arranging Champion. President of the local chapter of
the Petrified Florists, Tommy is a relative newcomer to the art and is referred to by
his admirers as “The Lone Arranger!’ He rose to national prominence when he
began gathering and using only wild Rainiers in his arrangements instead of the
usual hothouse brews, a technique which changed the face of beer arranging
forever. He likes the light, fresh, satisfying touches the Rainiers add to his creations.
Tommy is social chairman of a local fraternity, and he says that one tour of the
hallowed hallways after a successful function keeps him amply supplied with raw
materials for his fascinating avocation.
1
3. Do not send actual arrangements. Photographic documentation of your entry
must be sent to Tommy Pickworth, Department of Beer Arranging, Rainier
Brewery, 3100 Airport Way South, Seattle, Washington 98134, on or before July
31st, 1980.
4. Winners will be published in the fall, with full credit, honors and possible
consideration for late-night television programming, given to the arrangers and
their schools. Decision of the judges shall be final and judges may withhold any
award, if in their opinion an arrangement is just too ugly to believe.
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