History of the Upper Mississippi Mash-Out
Founded in 2002, the Upper Mississippi Mash-Out (UMMO) has grown into one of the largest homebrew contests in the country. The first year of the contest drew less than 200 entries but in recent years UMMO has drawn nearly 1000 entries from coast to coast.Founded by Al Boyce, Jeff Cotton, Steve Fletty, and Steve Piatz as a contest run by brewers for brewers, the original goal was twofold:
Since then, UMMO has expanded its mission to include fostering beer appreciation and education. Each year, UMMO picks a theme and brings in noted speakers or brewers to interact with contest attendees.
The contest derives its name from the song Upper Mississippi Shakedown by The Lamont Cranston Band.
From the 2002 inaugural Mash-Out (L-R) Al Boyce, Steve Piatz, Steve Fletty, Jeff Cotton.
