Brewmaster, Chemist. Inventor of light beer. A native New Yorker, Owades graduated from the City College of New York in 1939 and received his doctorate in biochemistry from Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute in 1950. In 1948 he entered the beer industry as a chemist for Fleischman's Yeast, and in 1951 he went to work for Rheingold Breweries, where he rose to become vice-president and technical director. In 1967 he discovered a process that prompted yeast to digest all of the starch in malt, which in turn lowered the amount of carbohydrates and calories in the brew - thus creating the first light beer. Originally (and unsuccessfully) marketed as Gablinger's Diet Beer, Owades' product was eventually acquired by the Miller Brewing Company and developed into Miller Lite. From 1969 to 1972 he was technical director for Anheuser-Busch, and then served as vice-president of brewing for the Carling Brewing Company from 1972 until 1975. In 1975 he started a career as a consultant when he founded the Center for Brewing Studies. Considered the "Godfather of the Brewing Industry", Owades played an important part in the growth of the microbrewery and worked with such firms as Anchor Brewing, New Amsterdam Brewing, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, and the Boston Beer Company, for whom he helped develop Samuel Adams Beer.
Brewmaster, Chemist. Inventor of light beer. A native New Yorker, Owades graduated from the City College of New York in 1939 and received his doctorate in biochemistry from Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute in 1950. In 1948 he entered the beer industry as a chemist for Fleischman's Yeast, and in 1951 he went to work for Rheingold Breweries, where he rose to become vice-president and technical director. In 1967 he discovered a process that prompted yeast to digest all of the starch in malt, which in turn lowered the amount of carbohydrates and calories in the brew - thus creating the first light beer. Originally (and unsuccessfully) marketed as Gablinger's Diet Beer, Owades' product was eventually acquired by the Miller Brewing Company and developed into Miller Lite. From 1969 to 1972 he was technical director for Anheuser-Busch, and then served as vice-president of brewing for the Carling Brewing Company from 1972 until 1975. In 1975 he started a career as a consultant when he founded the Center for Brewing Studies. Considered the "Godfather of the Brewing Industry", Owades played an important part in the growth of the microbrewery and worked with such firms as Anchor Brewing, New Amsterdam Brewing, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, and the Boston Beer Company, for whom he helped develop Samuel Adams Beer.
Bio by: G.Photographer
Advertisement
