Richard Christy

March 18, 2017 by Marco Leyte-Vidal

1. When did you start to find your passion for craft beer?

I discovered craft beer well before the age that I was supposed to be drinking beer haha. I grew up in Southeast Kansas so I've moved Boulevard Beer since the early 90's. Boulevard is still my go to during Kansas City Chiefs, KU Jayhawks, and Kansas City Royals games at my favorite bar in Queens where I live, John Brown Smokehouse. You can't go wrong with Tank 7! I know this is going to sound like I'm doing an advertisement for them, but I'm so lucky that I live a few blocks from the gathering place for all New York City fans of everything Kansas City! This BBQ is incredible too, the burnt ends are delicious! John Brown Smokehouse is like my "Cheers" and they always have amazing craft beers on tap there. I also tried Sam Adams Triple Bock around 1993 and I instantly loved it and wanted to find more beers like it. I've also been a big fan of Belgian beers and Trappist beers since the early 90's. I discovered Samichlaus in the early 90's too and it's still one of my favorite beers - I drink it every year on St. Nicholas Day, December the 6th, the day it is brewed in Europe!

2. You've become an expert at pairing beer and horror movies, even writing an article for Decibel Magazine about it. How can our readers go about learning how to pair the right beer with their favorite horror movie?

Thank you for the kind words! There are so many great beers nowadays that are horror film themed so it's not too hard to find a great beer to pair with your favorite horror movie. Alesmith's Evil Dead Red goes great with any of the Evil Dead fiylms. I recently had it while watching the newest season of Ash vs. Evil Dead, which is one of my favorite TV shows ever! Unibrou's Maudite goes great with Satan themed films like John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness. Great Lakes' Nosferatu obviously goes great with vampire films. Pumpkin beers pretty much go with any horror film because they all remind you of Halloween and come out in the fall. I personally watch John Carpenter's Halloween every year on Halloween with a nice bottle of my favorite pumpkin beer, Southern Tier Pumpking! Elysian's Dark O' The Moon pumpkin stout goes wonderfully with the werewolf masterpiece An American Werewolf in London.

3. What's your funniest/craziest beer related story?

I won't get into graphic details but I've drank beer though an orifice that isn't my mouth where I work on Sirius-XM satellite radio! I also got to drink one of my favorite beers, Ballast Point sculpin, right out of the tank in San Diego, and it sprayed uncontrollably all over my face so we called it brewkakke! I'm also trying to convince my family that when I die I want my body to be put into a barrel full of beer and I want to ferment for a few years and then be released as the first corpse fermented craft beer so that all of my friends and family can drink me. I think it's safe to say that qualifies as a crazy beer story! Richard Christy Barrel Aged Corpse Barleywine, hopefully not coming very soon!

4. What's your favorite beer right now? Why?

Wow that's a tough question because I have MANY favorite beers! If I had to choose one, I've really been digging Evil Twin Imperial Biscotti Break on Sunday mornings lately. I LOVE coffee beers, and it is so relaxing to go for an 8 mile Sundaymorning run, come home, shower, pop open a can of Imperial Biscotti Break and sit down to watch a relaxing episode of CBS Sunday Morning! I love the brewery Funky Buddha too because they make tons of amazing breakfast beers like Maple Bacon Coffee Porter, which is like heaven in a glass! Their French Toast beer is unbelievably delicious on a weekend morning too! I also recently traveled to Chicago and brought back some Three Floyd's Zombie Dust Pale Ale, which is my favorite pale ale ever. Also, The Alchemist's Heady Topper is my favorite IPA, see I told you I couldn't pick just one favorite! Spring is here now too so I'll be drinking plenty of my favorite spring beer Pretty Things' Fluffy White Rabbits if I can find some!

5. Ever think about starting a beer review channel where you review beers alongside your dad?

Maybe one day, although my dad is more old fashioned than I am and he just likes a good Coors. I tried to get him to drink an IPA recently and he thought something was wrong with it, although it could be fun to have my dad try some of the crazy beers that I'm into! I'd love to have my dad try Wynkoop's Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout, which I think is delicious, but a lot of people can't get past the fact that bull testicles are involved in the ingredients. My dad would probably love that one though because we grew up on a farm and ate Rocky Mountain Oysters quite often! Trust me, you don't want to see what Rocky Mountain Oysters look like in their raw form, sitting in a pan before getting breaded and fried, I still can't get that image out of my head 30 years later!

6. You can only have one beer for the rest of your life. What is it?

Southern Tier Pumking. I have so many great memories of drinking that beer because October is my favorite time of the year, I love Halloween and horror films, and Pumking reminds me of all of my favorite things every time I drink it. My birthday is April 1st and I always save a bottle of Pumking to drink along with my favorite movie of all time John Carpenter's Halloween. I save that beer and that movie for two special days a year, April 1st and October 31st. I even have some Pumking that I've been aging for several years that I'll be popping open this year, it ages very well, especially the Rum Barrel Aged Pumking that came out a while back. I LOVE the Rum Barrel Aged Pumking after aging it for a year. I didn't just jump on the pumpkin beer bandwagon either, I discovered it in the mid 90's and have loved it every since!

7. We know you like traveling for beer related events/festivals. What's the best trip you've taken so far and what made it so special?

Luckily there are many! My wife is awesome and she loves traveling to fun beer related events like me! We traveled to Belgium a few years back and visited Cantillon in Brussels which was incredible. We got to tour the brewery and drank tons of Cantillon there. We even bought several bottles to bring back in our luggage, we were like rock stars to all of our craft beer friends when we got back haha! Moeder Lambic is an incredible bar in Belgium that has Cantillon on tap, that was definitely a highlight of our Belgium trip too, I had one of the best IPA's ever while I was there, Amiral Benson from Brasserie du Monte Saleve in France. While in Belgium we also visited the most unique and cool bar we've ever been to in Ghent. It's a bar that one of my beer gurus, my friend Robert Hodson, told me about. Called Velootje, and also known as "The Bicycle Bar", it's unlike any other bar I've ever been too and I don't even know if it's still open. It's at a very friendly guy's house and you have to walk a path through his collection of oddities to get to a bench to sit down. He has two types of beer Delirium regular and Delirium dark and it's unlike anything my wife and I have ever witnessed. We stayed there for five hours and even went back the next day. If you google "Velootje Ghent" you'll see what I mean! My wife and I were fortunate enough to travel to Oktoberfest in Munich last year and it was beer HEAVEN! If there is a heaven, I want it to be a mix of two events, Oktoberfest and Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando.

8. Burnt Hickory makes a beer for your band, Charred Walls of the Damned. What is it and how did that come about?

Scott Hedeen, the owner of Burnt Hickory is a big music fan and he contacted me one day about doing a beer for my band Charred Walls of the Damned and I of course said hell yes! It's a Belgian style barleywine and it is so freakin' delicious! I'm so proud to have our band's name on the beer because it is such a well made beer and people love it. I'm so excited for the Decibel Metal and Beer Fest April 22nd and 23rd at The Fillmore in Philadelphia because Scott will be pouring Charred Walls of the Damned there! I've never had it on tap so I'm so excited! One of my beer gurus, Dave Witte, who is the drummer for the band Municipal Waste, is a beer genius and he'll be hanging at the fest and I'm sure bringing some crazy rare beers! We recently were both part of a massive drum jam at Hardywood Brewery in Richmond Virginia which was incredible! I LOVE Hardywood's beers (especially the Farmhouse Pumpkin and Gingerbread Stout) so getting to visit their brewery and play drums there was a dream come true. Dave also took me to a bar he's been telling me about for years that is beer heaven on earth, Mekong in Richmond, VA.

9. Are you buying into the hazy IPA craze?

Yes I LOVE hazy IPA's! The hazier the better in my opinion! I love IPA's that you can almost chew, with things floating in them! There are so many breweries making incredible IPA's these days like Tree House, Grimm, Other Half, The Alchemist, Finback, Lawson's Liquids, Prohibition Pig, and Maine Beer Co. It's a wonderful time to be an IPA lover! My wife and I live right near an amazing brewery in Queens called Rockaway and they make an IPA called Hawaiian Pizza that we're obsessed with! I'm such a beer geek that I have a specific IPA Glass at home that's made to enhance the aroma of IPA's. I pretty much have a glass for every different style of beer which drives my wife crazy cause half our cabinet is beer glasses haha!

10. What beers motivate you and get you ready for that double bass pedal?

The motivation for me is knowing that once I'm done playing that double bass pedal I'll be rewarding myself with a craft beer! I don't drink beer before I play drums, unless I'm playing a goof off gig with my buddies in the bands Pisser or Bung Dizeez haha, because I look at metal drumming as a race that you're running. It's so physical that I couldn't imagine doing it after having a few beers. I'm a runner too, thanks to my wife motivating me to run because she's a marathon runner, and I use beer as my motivation for running, just like drumming. I know after a half marathon that I've earned a nice craft beer and I've burned off enough calories to deserve it! My wife and I run the Brooklyn Half Marathon every year, it's our favorite race of the year and it ends at Coney Island which we love! We go right to Coney Island Brewing Company and have some of their delicious beers like Beermosa, Freaktoberfest, and the Cotton Candy Kolsch. Then we ride the Cyclone and the Ghost Hole! I consider myself lucky because when I toured with the bands Death and Iced Earth I got to drink beer all over the world and discover so many great beers that I still drink today! All this beer talking is making me thirsty, I think I'll go have a beer right now, awesome talking beer with you, Cheers!

Great Notion Brewing

July 06, 2016 by Marco Leyte-Vidal

1. Where is your brewery?

In the cool Alberta Arts District of Portland, Oregon - at the corner of NE 22nd and Alberta St.

2. What was the first beer you had that made you realize craft beer was going to be a bigger part of your life?

James: Stone Brewing "Arrogant Bastard" and Andy "Pliny the Elder".

3. What is your favorite style to brew and why?

NE-style hazy, juicy IPAs.

4. If you were stranded on an island (with a working refrigerator that automatically replenished itself) and you could only have one beer for the rest of your life in that fridge, which would it be?

Cantillon Fou Foune or maybe our very own Juice Jr.!

5. What is your favorite music to listen to in the brewery?

Depends who you ask! James leans towards the Grateful Dead and Andy mid-90's indie rock.

6. Which other brewery has inspired you the most? Why?

Russian River for the reasons most would say. Locally, we loved watching Breakside grow from a little 3 bbl brewery to a regional powerhouse.

7. Single hop beer - which hops are you using?

We are loving Mosaic right now.

8. Where is your favorite place to get a beer after work and why?

We tend to like Hop and Vine, as we live nearby and they always have a great selection of beer and creative cocktails.

9. What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone who thinks they want to get into the craft beer industry?

There's a lot more to it than brewing! Make sure you have some partners that will balance out your own weaknesses.

10. Dogs or cats?

We have both in the GNB family, so how about we just say giraffes.

From left to right: Andy, Paul, and James

Julia Rosenthal - Co-Founder Pair O' Dice Brewing Co

May 09, 2016 by Marco Leyte-Vidal

1. Where is your brewery?

We're located in Clearwater, FL, but further Southeast than you'd expect. We're very close to I-275 because we wanted to be centrally located to Pinellas and Hillsborough residents.

2. What was the first beer you had that made you realize craft beer was going to be a bigger part of your life?

Dogfish Head's beers are what really started to change the way I thought about beer. My go to beer early on was their 90 Minute IPA, until the day came where my palate changed and I decided that it was too sweet and just not hoppy enough. That was the day Ken won me over with his dry, West Coast style IPAs.

3. What is your favorite style to brew and why?

IPA because it's one of my favorite styles to drink. Every brewery makes an IPA because it's the largest selling segment in the craft beer industry, but that doesn't mean everyone should make an IPA. There's a lot more to IPAs than just dumping a bunch of hops in. We have a passion for it and we focus on balancing the hops with the malt and adjust our water chemistry to get the most out of every one of our IPAs. We love the flavors and aromas you get from the different varieties of hops and we balance to create an experience. As Ken would say, "it's poetry in a glass."

4. If you were stranded on an island (with a working refrigerator that automatically replenished itself) and you could only have one beer for the rest of your life in that fridge, which would it be?

Our Clearwater Honey Cream. It is light enough to enjoy stranded on an island and the orange blossom honey and orange peel give it just enough flavor to keep it interesting.

5. What is your favorite music to listen to in the brewery?

Our music changes daily depending on who gets in to work first. Today it's country, tomorrow might be Michael Jackson, last week it was a lot of rock and Frank Sinatra. I'm a Rock & Roll girl at heart.

6. Which other brewery has inspired you the most? Why?

We take a lot of inspiration from west coast breweries in California from the styles of beer to the design of our brewery and tasting room. Russian River is the brewery that has been the biggest inspiration to us. Their commitment to quality over quantity is something we really admire.

7. Single hop beer - which hops are you using?

Mosaic has been a favorite of ours lately. We love Simcoe and Amarillo as well. We're looking forward to experimenting with some of the newer varieties this year though.

8. Where is your favorite place to get a beer after work and why?

Pair O' Dice, we've built this amazing community of friends and family at out little tasting room. It feels like our home away from home which is a good thing because it is.

9. What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone who thinks they want to get into the craft beer industry?

Building this business is definitely the hardest and most rewarding thing Ken and I have ever done together. It's not for the faint of heart. If you're willing to risk everything for the chance to won and operate a successful brewery then go for it. If you just want to brew beer for a living then I recommend that oyu go work for another brewery.

10. Dogs or cats?

Dogs. Did I mention that our brewery dog is named Simcoe?

Eddy Torres - South Florida El Lector Cigar City Brewing

December 23, 2015 by Marco Leyte-Vidal

1. Where is your brewery?

Tampa, Fl, not in Ybor.

2. What is the first beer you had that made you realize craft beer was going to be a bigger part of your life?

Technically it would be Sam Adams Winter Lager but I always give credit to Ommegang's 3 Philosophers and Victory Golden Monkey. Those two really changed me for good.

3. What is your favorite style and why?

It really depends on my mood. For the most part a really hoppy session IPA really hits the spot but I really enjoy sipping on a nice barrel aged stout. I really do enjoy every style of beer, except for Lichtenhainers. Not a fan of smoke in my beer.

4. What has been your favorite memory working for Cigar City, thus far?

Honestly, it's the comradery with my co-workers and other breweries. Being able to travel to other cities like Boston and Denver to share our beers with other craft beer enthusiasts.

5. If you were stranded on an island (with a working refrigerator that automatically replenished itself) and you could only have one beer for the rest of your life in that fridge, what would it be?

This is going to sounds so masturbatory; but honestly, fresh Guayabera.

6. Where is your favorite place to get a beer after work and why?

My real preference is someone's house to share some bottles with friends.

7. What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone who thinks they want to get into the craft beer industry?

Volunteer. Try and get involved with any local beer festivals or brewery events. Let your presence be known. Do your research. When someone sees you know what you're talking about, putting work in, and donating your time, they will take notice.

8. Any sales trends that you've noticed lately? What do you predict as far as popular styles and/or specific Cigar City beers emerging in 2016?

I definitely see a shift towards more sessionable beers. CCB Lager is poised to be a big mover for 2016. Also goses, berliners, and wild ales will continue to grow, especially here in Florida where it's so hot. People want to down something refreshing.

9. What music do you listen to while working?

If doing computer work, usually something low key and electronic heavy like Puscifer or Aphex Twin. Most of my work however requires me to be on the road driving in which case I blast metal all day. Pantera, Mutoid Man, Dillinger Escape Plan, Deftones, amongst many others.

10. Dogs or cats?

Dogs for their loyalty. I am allergic to cats anyways.

3 Daughters Brewing

June 15, 2015 by Marco Leyte-Vidal

1. Where is your brewery?

3 Daughters is located in St. Petersburg, FL, about five blocks away from Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays. Our tasting room is at 222 22nd Street South, but our beers are sold on draught and in cans throughout the state of Florida.

2. What was the first beer you had that made you realize craft beer was going to be a bigger part of your life?

Our owners actually come from the retail side of hospitality with Mike having a long history at Outback Steakhouse and then owning his own Italian restaurant on Beach Drive. With a focus on farm to table recipes, our introduction to craft beer came in the form of a beer battered fish. At that time, our Head Chef, Ty Weaver, was an avid home brewer. When he made the blonde ale that went in our fish recipe, we decided to put the rest on tap under the name "To Be", as in whatever Ty wanted the beer to be. That beer and subsequent others began to outsell our domestic beers on tap. That is when we decided to sell our interest in the restaurant and move full time into the craft industry.

3. What is your favorite style to brew and why?

Just like a parent is not supposed to have favorite children, so we shouldn't (in theory) have a favorite beer. When asked, our head brewer will talk about a lot of beers but his favorite came down to the Stern Line Stout because of the rich aroma during the boil.

4. If you were stranded on an island (with a working refrigerator that automatically replenished itself) and you could only have one beer for the rest of your life in that fridge, which would it be?

We asked around the brewery to see what everyone would say...

Ty (Head Brewer) - Stern Line Stout; Mike (Owner) - Stern Line Stout; Leigh (Owner) - Belgian Dark Strong; John (COO) - Bimini Twist IPA; Chris (Sales) - Rod Bender Red

There really is something for everyone!

5. What is your favorite music to listen to in the brewery?

Depending on what music you hear when entering the brewery, you can guess who got there first to open. If you hear bluegrass, Susan or Tim may have turned the music on. If you hear Rock, Captain Steve (one of our brewers) is in charge of the tunes. That is definitely playing during the day while they are brewing. However, if you hear any country music, it is a good bet that Mike, Ty or Leigh had control of the playlist that day.

6. Which other brewery has inspired you the most? Why?

Everyone has a different answer to this story. At 3 Daughters Brewing lots of breweries have given us inspiration and assistance. We appreciate all the help given by Cigar City who came by before opening and gave very helpful suggestions. They have led the craft beer revolution in Tampa and it is awesome that they are also great people. As we were designing our tasting room in 2013, we went to Asheville, North Carolina, and toured many breweries including Highlands Brewery, Green Man, Wicked Weed, and a few others. They are all great but we were inspired by Wicked Weed who we consider true innovators and leaders in the market.

7. Single hop beer - which hops are you using?

Using Cascade in several of our beers like the Beach Blonde Ale and it works really well.

8. Where is your favorite place to get a beer after work and why?

We love to go to other craft breweries when we have spare time. It is great to support the craft beer industry and taste what others are doing.

9. What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone who thinks they want to get into the craft beer industry?

Ask others for help and advice! Find the breweries that are leading the industry and ask them for assistance. The craft beer community is closely connected and everyone is willing to other breweries. We have given others our business plan and are glad to let others come in and learn from our experience. Biggest advice: ask others who've done it before you.

10. Dogs or cats?

Dogs!

Aaren Simoncini - Founder Beer'd Brewing Co.

March 31, 2015 by Marco Leyte-Vidal

1. Where is your brewery?

The Beer'd Brewing Company is located in Stonington, CT. Just about as far Southeast in the state that you can go. We're housed within an old velvet mill that operated until the mid 90's. It's a very unique building that now houses artist studios, a glass blower, a cheese maker, and us!

2. What was the first beer you had that made you realize craft beer was going to be a bigger part of your life?

This is a tough one because it happened back in college, and my memory these days is shot! I'd have to say, at the time I started to venture into the world of "better beer" I was drinking a lot of Long Trail and Saranac. I'd have to call it a tie between both companies' IPA's at the time.

3. What is your favorite style to brew and why?

Based on our offerings, I'd say that the Double IPA is my favorite style to brew. I love the variety of hops available and how they can be so nuanced and different. There's nothing like dumping pounds of pungent hops in to a boiling kettle and just living in the aroma they provide the brewery for the rest of the day.

4. If you were stranded on an island (with a working refrigerator that automatically replenished itself) and you could only have one beer for the rest of your life in that fridge, which would it be?

I'd have to say the Bissel Brothers Baby Genius would fit the bill. I'd assume it's an island based in a warm climate, so I could slug these all day and still handle my business making fire, catching fish, and working on a killer base tan.

5. What is your favorite music to listen to in the brewery?

It changes almost daily! If you asked my staff, they would without a doubt say Modest Mouse is in the highest of rotations. We also like some Rise Against and Thrice once in a while.

6. Which other brewery has inspired you the most? Why?

I hate to be cliche, but Hill Farmstead has definitely had a heavy influence on how we operate here at Beer'd. We have an extremely limited distribution footprint, brew a bunch of highly sought after hoppy beers and don't package for sale anywhere other than the brewery. I admire the business Sean has built for himself up there in VT and I thoroughly enjoy his beers anytime I get my hands on some.

7. Single hop beer - which hops are you using?

If I had been quick to answer this, back when it was originally sent, it would have been Nelson Sauvin. It's such a unique flavor profile and our fans come specifically searching for our Hobbit Juice DIPA. Recently I've been playing with Azacca not only in a single hop fashion but also as a blend with some other infamous players. I really enjoy the super ripe mango character that this hop lends to the big yet clean double IPA malt profile.

8. Where is your favorite place to get a beer after work and why?

One of our best accounts is the Engine Room in Mystic, Ct. I love stopping there because it's on my way home, they always have beers that I've never tried, and everyone knows your name when you walk in.

9. What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone who thinks they want to get into the craft beer industry?

I'd have to say to find some experience and learn as much as you can from someone who's been there and done that before making the leap. It's a fun industry to be a part of and it's consistently changing as flavor preferences, ingredients, and techniques change. Just be ready to roll with the punches and adapt easily.

10. Dogs or cats?

Dogs, no explanation necessary.

Megan O'Boyle - Brewer Cigar City Brewing

March 02, 2015 by Marco Leyte-Vidal

1. Where is your brewery?

Tampa, Florida

2. What was the first beer you had that made you realize craft beer was going to be a bigger part of your life?

Someone once handed me a Deschutes Black Butte Porter and I never looked back.

3. What is your favorite style to brew and why?

Saison: it's such a diverse style category. You can do just about anything with a saison! Dry it out for a light and refreshing beer, use seasonal ingredients such as herbs, fruits, and vegetables, make it hoppy... Get creative and have fun.

4. If you were stranded on an island (with a working refrigerator that automatically replenished itself) and you could only have one beer for the rest of your life in that fridge, which would it be?

I could drink Zombie Dust from Three Floyds all day, every day, and that's a no brainer.

5. What is your favorite music to listen to in the brewery?

I'm guilty of listening to a LOT of My Morning Jacket.

6. Which other brewery has inspired you the most? Why?

Definitely 7venth Sun. The owners Justin and Devon taught me so pretty much everything I know about brewing and I will forever be grateful to them for that.

7. Single hop beer - which hops are you using?

Galaxy, hands down. I love the intense passion fruit aroma.

8. Where is your favorite place to get a beer after work and why?

If I'm not sticking around the Cigar City tasting room, you can probably find me at Pour House. It's close to home and they always have a great selection of craft beer on draft and in cans.

9. What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone who thinks they want to get into the craft beer industry?

Do your research. Know what you want to get out of it before you take a job and be willing to do plenty of grunt work. Make sure you love to clean!

10. Dogs or cats?

I love my cat, but she's a jerk (see: cat). I'll go with dogs on this one.

Doug Constantiner - Founder Societe Brewing Co.

February 16, 2015 by Marco Leyte-Vidal

1. Where is your brewery?

San Diego, CA.

2. What was the first beer you had that made you realize craft beer was going to be a bigger part of your life?

Rogue Chocolate Stout. I remember it vividly.

3. What is your favorite style to brew and why?

The simpler the better. Brewing is though and has a lot going on. If I can avoid extra nuts and bolts, it's great.

Credit: @fourbrewers c/o Societe Brewing Co.

4. If you were stranded on an island (with a working refrigerator that automatically replenished itself) and you could only have one beer for the rest of your life in that fridge, which would it be?

The Harlot. The Harlot is a Belgian Extra Pale Ale at 6% ABV and it is the first beer that we brewed at Society. It is desert island worthy (trust me).

5. What is your favorite music to listen to in the brewery?

Everything from bluegrass to death metal to country. We're an eclectic group.

6. Which other brewery has inspired you the most? Why?

It's hard to only name one. Probably Russian River Brewing Company. My pallet aligns with their flavor profiles really well. Additionally, I like their approach to beer and business.

Credit: @Instapint c/o Societe Brewing Co. — Credit: @Instapint c/o Societe Brewing Co.

7. Single hop beer - which hops are you using?

Amarillo.

8. Where is your favorite place to get a beer after work and why?

Here at the tasting room. It's great to hang out with co-workers after the day is done. Plus, we've made good friends with our regulars and it's nice to catch up with them.

9. What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone who thinks they want to get into the craft beer industry?

Definitely work at a brewery for at least one year before you consider starting your own place.

10. Dogs or cats?

Dogs!

Nik Mebane - Brewmaster Wynwood Brewing Co.

February 09, 2015 by Marco Leyte-Vidal

1. Where is your brewery?

Our brewery is located in the Wynwood Arts District in Miami, Fl.

2. What was the first beer you had that made you realize craft beer was going to be a bigger part of your life?

I grew up in Pennsylvania so I was raised on Yeungling lager. By the time I was 21 I had been into beer for a while and going to different festivals but still couldn't get in to really hoppy beers. Even Sam Adams Boston Lager was on the bitter end of beers that I could handle... until one time at an even after a beer show I was handed a double IPA, called Edgar, made by Bullfrog Brewery in Williamsport, PA. I don't know why this particular beer affected me the way it did but I remember after drinking it I knew that my palate was forever changed. After that, hops became a major part of my life.

3. What is your favorite style to brew and why?

I love brewing the big beers; 9% and up. The ones with two mashes to one boil. Yeah its more work, longer day, etc., but it just makes the beer taste that much better.

4. If you were stranded on an island (with a working refrigerator that automatically replenished itself) and you could only have one beer for the rest of your life in that fridge, which would it be?

Either Magic City Pale Ale (my favorite beer style and a recipe based on a beer I drank almost exclusively for close to a decade) or Father Francisco (a recipe based on Duvel, another one of my favorite beers).

5. What is your favorite music to listen to in the brewery?

It all really depends on the mood and time of day in the brewery. We start really early, so in the mornings I like something a little more mellow, maybe some Pink Floyd or Sublime. If we are hustling around and have a ton of work to do, we may need something more up-beat like some punk rock or metal. But one safe thing to say about the music selection in our brewery... anything goes! You never know what you might hear.

6. Which other brewery has inspired you the most? Why?

That is definitely a long list, but I have to say that Sierra Nevada is at or near the top of that list. I had a chance to visit their new facility in North Carolina and I was blown away. The amount of thought they put into recycling energy and water is just awesome. They have also become one of the largest craft breweries in the Country, yet they still don't budge on quality... I will never turn down a bottle of their pale ale.

7. Single hop beer - which hops are you using?

Something amazing and hard to get... Simcoe, Falconer's Flight, anything from New Zealand. Some of those hops have an absolutely amazing flavor and aroma.

8. Where is your favorite place to get a beer after work and why?

I'm a dive bar kind of guy (as long as they have decent beer!) After work I like a nice quiet place with some decent scenery. Anything outside and by the water will work.

9. What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone who thinks they want to get into the craft beer industry?

Go down to your local brewery and volunteer. There is A LOT more to this job than just brewing beer. Get a feel for what it involves on a daily basis, then decide if that is something you REALLY want to to do. Especially when you start out, you are going to be doing back breaking work for very little money. Still interested? Start reading. Working in a brewery encompasses many different fields: microbiology, chemistry, and engineering to name a few.

10. Dogs or cats?

Fish.

Steve Theoharides - Brewer at Harpoon Brewery

December 01, 2014 by Marco Leyte-Vidal

1. Where is your brewery?

Boston, MA and Windsor, Vt.

2. What was the first beer you had that made you realize craft beer was going to be a bigger part of your life?

It is really difficult to name one, but if I had to, I would say Magic Hat, Jinx. I went to school in northern Vermont and that beer stands out as one of the first real offerings I had. I remember thinking, "this is remarkable. I didn't know this was possible in beer."

3. What is your favorite style to brew and why?

I am an iconolast when it comes to style. I want to brew something that tastes great; period. That is what I strive for. These days I am either trying to create something well balanced or taking things in different direction. At the moment, I am working on a session Pale Ale with big aroma and a generously hopped Braggot. Believe it or not, for as much as I make it, I really enjoy brewing Harpoon IPA - the end product is fantastically well balanced.

4. If you were stranded on an island (with a working refrigerator that automatically replenished itself) and you could only have one beer for the rest of your life in that fridge, which would it be?

So much time and one option, that is a cruel question to ask a craft brewer! From the Harpoon lineup I would have to say The Long Thaw White IPA. World over? Rodenbach, Grand Cru.

5. What is your favorite music to listen to in the brewery?

The music choice tends to reflect the mometn at the brewery and is therefore pretty dynamic. If things are going well it would be something like Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell, Caroline Rose. If we are troubleshooting, formulating recipes, doing research, etc., something a little more low key: Ben Howard, Chris Smithers, The Barr Brothers, Beirut, Neil Young. If I am hand milling, working on our pilot brewhouse, or something equally as labor intensive, the energy level gets kicked up a notch: Waylon Speed or some 90's grunge rock. The lab crew, on the other hand, get pretty deep into death metal at times... Who would've thought?!

6. Which other brewery has inspired you the most? Why?

What the traditional German lager brewers are capable of is mind blowing to me. I dare you to try a classic Weihenstephaner and say the yeast signature is anything less than remarkable. It demonstrates an unprecedented mastery of the craft.

7. Single hop beer - which hops are you using?

Simcoe.

8. Where is your favorite place to get a beer after work and why?

The Beer Hall at the brewery here in Boston here is pretty remarkable. Alongside the regular offerings there is a series of rotating pilot beers available. Experiencing the beers through the brewing process to their culmination is pretty cool. Beyond the brewery my local is Highland Kitchen, in Somerville, MA.

9. What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone who thinks they want to get into the craft beer industry?

Offering just one piece of advice would be tough, I would say three things: (A) Enjoy cleaning - you are going to do more of it than you can imagine. (B) For every ounce of hard work you put, the dividends are exponential. The camaraderie in the craft community is incredible, get ready to have alot of fun. (C) If you are planning to serve a local community where demand is unmet, then the standard craft offerings are fitting - brew what you like and the styles that have become commonplace. If you are planning on expanding your distribution beyond your locality, think long and hard about offering something unconventional to the craft beer segment. I am a hophead through and through, but there is an IPA or two out there already. Do something different!

10. Dogs or cats?

Daaags - like the pikey kind.

Gabriel Magliaro - Founder of Half Acre Beer Co.

October 20, 2014 by Marco Leyte-Vidal

1. Where is your brewery?

Sunny Chicago, IL

2. What was the first beer you had that made you realize craft beer was going to be a bigger part of your life ?

I don't know what that beer was. It was more about visiting Avery in CO where I used to live. I saw a bunch of dudes making beer and enjoying themselves. That impressive was lasting. For me, beer is second to that culture.

3. What is your favorite style to brew and why?

Hops still reign king at our brewery.

4. If you were stranded on an island (with a working refrigerator that automatically replenished itself) and you could only have one beer for the rest of your life in that fridge, which would it be?

Right now I'd say Heyoka IPA - a winter IPA we're brewing.

5. What is your favorite music to listen to in the brewery?

The brewery gets a lot of music run through it. My favorite part about that is that it's very varied. The Growlers to Ween to Bongripper to Huey Lewis.

6. Which other brewery has inspired you the most? Why?

Rather than one being the biggest inspiration, it's more about pieces of many. Our favorite breweries are ones that are most sincere and typically strange.

7. Single hop beer - which hops are you using?

One of the classics - Chinook, Simcoe, Amarillo

8. Where is your favorite place to get a beer after work and why?

Our tap room is the easy dunk on that one. Peeling out of work more and walking through a door into your tap room and selection of the beers your brewery is working through is about as tasty as it gets.

9. What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone who thinks they want to get into the craft beer industry?

Today, I’d say our industry is feeling the weight of more. I’d tell anyone to think hard about great ideas. If you believe you have some, then seek out your favorite brewery and approach the owner/founder/president/head brewer regarding your ability and willingness to fuel their brewery. If you hit obstacles, then worm your way through the back door like so many before you. Always be ready to do shit work for a long time.

10. Dogs or cats?

If we’re talking about your garden variety family pet, then I’ve always been partial to dogs. I’ve always had them. I like cats, too, but cats in the city means litter boxes, and I’m against litter boxes.