Craig Drehmel has created both a job and a hobby from his love of chef-driven food, craft beer and local music.

A brewery marketing liaison by day, Drehmel mines his professional connections with bands, brewers and independent restaurants for his off-hours role as an organizer of the traveling barroom-based house party/glorified kegger enigmatically known as Gastro Non Grata.

Drehmel defines the series' title (see "three and out") but you can decide for yourself what Gastro Non Grata means at its next show on July 9 at First Avenue.

Food samples will be available from Haute Dish, Grand Cafe and Modern Café. A pre-show VIP sausagefest featuring Green Ox Meat Co.'s wares also is on tap, as are the traditional "dead meat door prizes" from Clancey's Meats & Fish. Tickets are $15 in advance with three food sample tickets included.

"Everybody that's there is going to have the time of their goddamn life and I'm going to make sure of that," Drehmel declared. "That's how we do it."

Gastro Non Grata started four or five years ago — Drehmel wasn't exactly sure — in response to a wave of local restaurant closings. The goal is to promote local music, craft beers and independent eateries and, when possible, to break even too.

Drehemel's been getting a hand putting shows together from Jim Grell of the Modern Café as Gastro co-founder Jeff Mitchell has been out of the country in recent months.

I look for chefs that really love food and want to put it out there. Bands that really love music and want to put it out there. Breweries that really love beer and do what it takes to make it happen. It's all about the passion.

Everybody gets along. They're all enjoying themselves immensely, so it's easier for them to talk to each other and make connections. It's a really comfortable environment at our shows — not hip or cool, just fun.

I work for a brewing company as a marketing liaison, so I spend a lot of times going to bars, buying people beer and sponsoring shows. It's helped more than it's hurt because I see a lot more bands. I kind of got the job because of the Gastro.

Not that you can print. I can't drink too much at shows. That's been my biggest learning experience: Keep it sober because the end of night can be a little weird if you don't have all your faculties about you. Luckily, my job is my passion so I never feel like I'm working. But I'm always working.