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Mike Kneip, a Cold Spring native, has worked for Gluek for the past 40 years and devoted his life to chemistry and perfection. Kneip received his bachelor's degree in chemistry and microbiology from St. Cloud State University and went on to the Siebel Institute of Technology in Chicago, Ill., for brewmaster training and certification. He works 60 or more hours a week, checking the quality of the brewery's beverage recipes and searching for future award winners. Kneip grows some of his own ingredients at his century-old family farm.In the past two years alone, Kneip has produced his own award-winning beers, making him one of the most winning brewmasters in the nation. His national awards are in difficult categories, such as the 1998 bronze medal for Gluek Light at the Great American Beerfest in Colorado, the largest beer judging competition in the nation. Other awards include a 1998 silver medal for Naked Aspen Honey Wheat; silver and bronze for Brown Ale at the All American Beerfest in Houston, Texas; and a bronze medal for Gluek Pilsner Gold. Kneip has also received other awards in regional competitions for contract brews in Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and Florida. | 