Why I’m a Brewer

Many breweries were founded by beer geeks looking to turn their obsession with craft beer and homebrewing into a full-fledged business. I’m no different. My appreciation of craft beer began with a bottle of Deschutes Black Butte Porter when I was 14 years old. I was on vacation with my family in Sunriver, Ore. I remember the rich, smoky, chocolaty flavors and being content amidst the pines of Central Oregon. I also remember being a bit buzzed after drinking half of the beer. It was fantastic.

I began homebrewing almost nine years later, right at the point where I was agonizing over what I wanted to do with my life, during my first month of my first year in law school. I decided to become a lawyer because, frankly, I didn’t have a better idea of how I should be spending the next three years. Homebrewing was a great diversion, and having a few kegs on hand at all times was a necessity. In the next few years, I began spending more time homebrewing than studying. I’m not entirely proud of this fact, especially when I’m reminded on a monthly basis that I took out a lot of money for student loans. I’m almost more proud of my Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) rank as a national judge than I am of my Juris Doctorate—at least I’m a judge of something.

When it came time to find a job at a law firm or work for the government, I couldn’t do it. I found it hard to commit my life to something that would distract me from making beer. As I “studied” for the California bar, I wrote my business plan. A few months later, I bought a bunch of used brewing equipment and leased an industrial warehouse. It’s now a year and a half later and my life is 100 percent about beer. Take that, Professor Vu!

My approach to The Bruery is to create beers that challenge my palate, and ultimately, your palate. When I create a recipe, I recall all of the great and unusual beers I’ve had over the years and I think of how I can make a beer balanced but completely original. In our short time as a brewery, we’ve brewed with yams, lavender, Thai basil, Zinfandel grapes, chamomile, wild yeast and bacterial strains and barrels of many sorts. We’re intentionally all over the place, just as I am as a homebrewer.

Homebrewers and beer enthusiasts have been instrumental to The Bruery. We host an annual homebrewing competition where we collaborate with the winning homebrewer, brewing their beer as one of our specialties. The first beer we brewed was the result of our Batch No. 01 competition. Many of the best beers I’ve had were brewed by homebrewers, and hosting this competition has given us an invaluable perspective on keeping beer innovative.

I admit that every morning while I drink my coffee, I read the reviews of our beers online. The positive reviews confirm that I’m living up to my own expectations. The negative reviews play a more important role, as they spur me to look into our processes, or they confirm that my beer isn’t for everyone and that’s the way it should be. I gain a great deal of insight into the craft beer business by being involved with beer-centric communities.

You allow me to have a kickass job. Your almost perverted taste buds give me purpose in life. Thanks for your support—I hope you’ll like where we’re heading. ■