The Diablo Order of Zymiracle Enthusiasts (DOZE) was conceived by Olin Schultz in June of 1996, just a few months after he and his brother, Darren, created Beer, Beer & More Beer. Olin realized, soon after he began supplying ingredients to homebrewers, that there were accomplished homebrewers in our corner of California (the Diablo Valley of Contra Costa County), and he wanted some vehicle for their knowledge to be passed along to those just entering the hobby. The idea coalesced throughout the summer, and the first meetings were held. There were eleven founding members: Olin Schultz, Darren Schleth, Chris Graham, Regan Dillon, Mike Milem, Kevin Lawson, Jimmy Blair, David Price, Brian Connor, Charles Carter, and Shea Comfort.

For four or five months the nascent organization was known as “The Club with No Name” until a contest was held to come up with one, and the winner, “Diablo Order of Zymurgy Enthusiasts,” was submitted by Charles Carter. Olin suggested the substitution of “Zymiracle” for Zymurgy, perhaps in a nod to the ofttimes mystical, and always artful, nature of brewing.

The club with no name now had one.

In September, the first club brew took place at the home of Regan Dillon. A spiced ale was brewed for the upcoming Christmas party. Plans were made for an Oktoberfest at member Shea Comfort’s house.

From its very beginnings, the club participated in the events of the yearly beer calendar; buses were rented for excursions to destinations such as Lagunitas Brewery, which was a new brewery at that time, and the Boonville Beer Festival. The first Northern California Homebrewers Festival took place in 1998, two years after the club’s founding, and DOZE was among the first clubs to participate. In short, the club has a long tradition of participation in the fellowship of beer.

Olin began to find that the demands his thriving new business made it impossible for him to continue as club president. Brian Connor took on the role for one year, after which Bob Schwartz and Dr. Scott Lothamer served as joint presidents until the first year of the new century when Bob assumed responsibility for the yearly Christmas party (a role that he performed for the next 18 years) and Doc Scott took on the presidency. He held the office for eight years, the longest tenure of any of the club’s presidents.

Aaron Porter remembers Doc Scott toting his battered briefcase, filled with information about some aspect of brewing science, to monthly club meetings where he introduced new brewers to zymurgy – from grain to glass, fulfilling a major mission of DOZE: which is to share brewing knowledge and enthusiasm. The club’s focus on expanding brewing knowledge was rewarded in 2010 when DOZE was awarded the first of its two American Homebrewers’ Association’s Homebrew Club of the Year awards.

A second mission of the club, one that emerged as the club matured into its teens, was to be of service to the community – both the brewing community and the larger civic community. DOZE has always had a handful of members who are BJCP beer, cider and mead judges. In 2018 the club undertook a successful effort to increase those numbers. DOZE has created more than thirty certified BJCP beer, mead, and cider judges as a result of this program.

Those who have attended a beer festival in our area have, quite likely, stood in line at the DOZE popup, where the lines are always the longest. We have been proud to continue the tradition, inspired by the late Mike “Tasty” McDole, of “Tasty’s Tasting Room” at the Brewing Network’s Spring Brews Festival in Concord. We also share our brews and introduce the public to our hobby at the Bay Area Craft Beer Festival, the Downtown Martinez Zombie Brew Crawl, the Downtown Martinez Santa Brew Crawl, and other local festivals and charitable events.

We have partnered with a number of organizations in the local service community by participating in their fundraising events. Among these are Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund, Hops for Hope, and Operation Dignity. DOZE’s efforts toward beer stewardship and community service were rewarded in 2021 with the Radegast Award from the American Homebrewers’ Association.

DOZE past presidents: (from L to R) Bob Schwartz, Scott “Doc” Lothamer, Eric Beer, Brian Connor, Vito Delucci, Jordan Reed, Paul Brown, and (kneeling) Robbie Proctor.

Twenty-twenty-one was a big year for DOZE. Not only was it our twenty-fifth year as a homebrew club, and not only did we have the honor of receiving the Radegast Award, but we were also the American Homebrew Association’s “Homebrew Club of the Year.” This was the first time a club had earned both awards in the same year. We celebrated these accomplishments with a blow-out party in October of that year.

If you are a homebrewer, or if you are just interested in beer, cider, and mead, check us out. We meet in the Manzanita Room of the Lindsay Wildlife Experience in Pleasant Hill, California. (Consult the Calendar for more information).