“Charlie” (1952– ) is the Anheuser-Busch Endowed Professor of Brewing Science and the Department Chair, Food Science & Technology, at the University of California at Davis, a position he has held since 1999. See brewing schools.

Bamforth was born in Great Britain and grew up in the Lancashire area of northwest England. He received a BS in Biochemistry 1973 from the University of Hull in Yorkshire. He also was awarded a PhD in 1977 and a doctoral degree in 1993, both from the University of Hull.

Before joining the faculty of UC Davis, Bamforth was the director of research at Brewing Research International (now known as Campden BRI Brewing Division) from 1991 and held a variety of positions with Bass Plc, including Quality Assurance Manager, Research Manager, and Senior Projects Manager from 1983 to 1991. Prior to that, Bamforth conducted research into brewing science at the Brewing Research Foundation and the University of Sheffield.

His academic affiliations also include fellowships with the Institute of Brewing, the Institute of Biology, and the International Academy of Food Science and Technology. Bamforth is a member of the editorial board for the Journal of the Institute of Brewing and the editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American Society of Brewing Chemists and is on the editorial board of the Technical Quarterly of the Master Brewers Association of the Americas.

Bamforth is a prolific author on the subject of beer and brewing. He has published over 260 academic papers on the specifics of beer foam, beta-glucans, dimethyl sulfide, and flavor stability and more generally for trade publications, magazines, and newspapers. He has also written several books, including the textbooks Scientific Principles of Malting and Brewing and Standards of Brewing, along with general interest books such as Beer: Tap into the Art and Science, Grape vs. Grain, and his most recent, Beer Is Proof God Loves Us.