Tomme Arthur, left, and Todd Ashman, right, after the 2003 awards ceremony.

Since 1997, Ashman has won 11 GABF medals as head brewer at Flossmoor Station Brewing Co., including 2003. He recently resigned his position at FSBC to accept the position of head brewer at Titletown Brewing Co. in Green Bay, Wis., where he will continue to experiment with barrel aging and creative beer styles. This is his last festival with Flossmoor Station.

» May 15
"The call for entries for the GABF has arrived and we have to look into our crystal ball and look for a host of things."

» July 31
"This year I get my wish and Flossmoor Station gets selected to pour in the GABF Beer Garden."

» Aug. 26-27
"Some beers might get a little tweek by blending if the character is not up to standard."

» Sept. 2
"We've planned the beers, we entered them, we confirmed them and put the beer into bottles."

» Sept. 4
"Over the years it has become more of a ritual than a hassle. It's got to be done, so why not make the most of it?"

» Sept. 12
"With just about 11 days to go before I get on the plane and fly to Denver there is a flurry of activity among my acquaintances. It happens every year and this is very much a part of the networking."

» Sept. 16
"If you are coming to Denver and you catch me at the Festival, or at Falling Rock, or enjoying some green chile somewhere, say hi! Tell me you're reading these diaries and what you think of our 'tales of ale.'"

» Sept. 18
"It will be fun learning a new way of doing things and then applying what I bring from 7 years at Flossmoor Station."

» Sept. 22
"I look forward to judging - it truly appeals to me as it allows me to use my sensory skills and 'test' myself against my fellow judges."

» Sept. 23
"I get sort of obsessed with not trying to break from tradition for fear of screwing with karma."

» Sept. 24
"I tried Deus and Malhuer Brut for the first time. If you guys are reading, thanks alot!"

» Sept. 26
"... it is a great time to be a brewer — what these two brewers were talking about truly made me happy to be brewing in this country right now."

» Sept. 27
"The clock didn't tick backward today. Nope, it went pretty darn fast. It was a great day."