Shane Welch, Founder and Brewmaster, Sixpoint Craft Ales
Ask Shane Welch a hypothetical question, and enjoy the ride—the founder of Brooklyn’s Sixpoint Craft Ales is most comfortable playing in the world of ideas. Over a couple pints of Sixpoint’s Righteous Ale, Welch talked to us about Christmas songs, running and, of course, time travel.
What beer—that’s not a Sixpoint beer—would you want on a cold Friday night where you stay in and watch a movie?
Samichlaus[from Brauerei Schloss Eggenberg]. That’s a real savory, sipping beer. But if I’m eating a big bowl of popcorn, I’m gonna want an IPA. … Bell’s Two Hearted Ale. Midwestern breweries have a strong place in my heart because I’m from Wisconsin.
What career would you be pursuing if you weren’t brewing?
I’d be a cross-country track coach. … To be a good runner, you have to fight a mental battle—so when you start to feel pain and you shut down, you can go above and beyond that and do amazing things. I will do that one day.
Which brewers/breweries do you look up to?
Cambridge Brewing Company, mostly because of the strength and character of the guy who runs it, [Will Meyers]. He’s a gem.
If you could share a few Sixpoint beers with one famous person, dead or alive, who would it be?
I would love to have a beer with my ancestors. My ancestors come from Ireland and Germany, and countries that have rich, ancient brewing traditions. … Bridging the gap through beer would be pretty awesome and actually maybe one of the only things we have in common—we’d have different customs, different food, different clothing, different technologies, but they drank beer, and we drink beer now, so it’s pretty amazing that it’s one of the only constants. Even language has changed. You wouldn’t be able to talk, but you could have a beer.
What album is most played around the brewery?
Actually, I think the album that’s been played the most ever at Sixpoint is The Beach Boys’ Christmas album. Our guys, for some reason, are completely obsessed with Christmas albums.
Which Sixpoint beer has the craziest story behind it?
Sweet Action. One of my best friends in college loved my homebrew, so when she graduated, she asked me to make her a graduation brew. … So when we started Sixpoint … that was one of a couple dozen beers that we released and for some reason, everyone was like, that beer is great, make more of that, and now it’s half of our production.
Do you have a favorite memory of a beer you’ve had abroad?
I’ve been all over the world, but one of the favorite memories I’ve ever had was my dad and I took a trip to Minnesota, and there’s a brewpub that kinda jetted out into Lake Superior. My pops and I were just hanging out on this fishing trip, and we had a few beers, and it was an amazing time. We actually never really got to hang out away from home, away from my mom and my sisters, distractions and everything. It was pretty much in the wilderness up there, and we just got to drink beer and hang out. I think the most memorable experiences are when beer helps consecrate the bond that you have with others. ■
