One More Beer, Please (Book Three): Interviews with Brewmasters and Breweries: American Craft Breweries, #3

By Jon Nelsen

Does the thought of a freshly hopped local IPA send chills down your spine? Perhaps you crave a deliciously simple ice cold pilsner crafted to perfection?

 

As a beer geek, you know we live in the undisputed best moment in history!

 

The craft of brewing beer has never seen more innovation and growth, yet for the purist the selection of traditional old world ales has never been greater.

 

This one of a kind book asks breweries some poignant questions about their operations, products, their take on the industry, and what's coming next!

 

In One More Beer, Please (Vol. 3), over 100 breweries answer questions like:

 

◆ What is the actual difference between a Porter and a Stout?

◆ How do you open a brewery and what does it cost?

◆ Who in the industry is doing it best?

◆ What beers do brewers actually drink?

◆ Do IBU's still matter?

and so much more....

 

Beer is personal to me and if it is to you too, please pick up these books today and show your love for the amazing industry that brought us hours of delightful day drinking and evenings that felt like you never wanted them to end.

 

Written by someone who truly loves beer, this book peeks behind the curtain and gets candid answers about all things craft beer.

 

The people behind these companies are leaders and trailblazers. Get to know more about American breweries and what makes them some of the greatest job creators and innovators on the planet!

 

★ BUY TODAY, and savor this book with your favorite ale today! ★

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Life Level Up
• Release date: Oct 21, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393087007

Jon Nelsen

Jon Nelsen regularly consults with businesses, cities, and private individuals in marketing, advertising, and transitioning to clean energy. While he wants to help do his part to help other people find their footing in life and make decisions that benefit people and their businesses, he’s also determined to bring value and information to everyone through his books. He began with Q&A interview style books about the American craft brewery revolution and the boom in privately owned Bed & Breakfasts. He now focuses on writing step-by-step guides that educate on psychology and smarter financial choices. His ‘power to the people’ movement focuses on education, friendly and helpful service, and easy-to-follow steps designed to help individuals and professionals’ level up all aspects of their lives from careers, to home, to even energy. Nelsen studied Finance and Psychology at Liberty University before realizing that writing would probably be an easier career choice. Boy was he wrong. However, he knows why you’re broke and wants to know how you feel about it. While he didn’t start out living the dream, his writing helps others discover theirs. He currently resides in beautiful, sunny, warm… erm… well, beautiful Mount Gretna, Pennsylvania with his growing family.

Book preview

One More Beer, Please

One More Beer, Please

Q&A With American Breweries Vol. 3

Jonathan Nelsen

Life Level Up

One More Beer, Please

Q&A With American Breweries

Vol. 1

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Published by LIFE LEVEL UP

King of Prussia, PENNSYLVANIA, U.S.A.

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Copyright ©2020 Jon Nelsen. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the publisher/author, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review.

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All images, logos, quotes, and trademarks included in this book are subject to use according to trademark and copyright laws of the United States of America.

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Jon Nelsen, Author

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One More Beer, Please

Q&A With American Breweries

Vol. 1

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Jon Nelsen

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QUANTITY PURCHASES: Schools, companies, professional groups, clubs,

and other organizations may qualify for special terms when ordering quantities of this title.

For information, email [e-mail].

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All rights reserved by Jon Nelsen and LIFE LEVEL UP

This book is printed in the United States of America.

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Contents

Introduction

Portland U-Brew & Unicorn Brewing

Prison City Brewing

Prescott Brewing Company

Parliament Brewing Co.

Pono Brewing Company

River Time Brewing

Raquette River Brewing

Riverlands Brewing Company

Red Clay Brewing Company

Rescue Brewing Co

Roma Brewery

Rhythm Brewing Co.

Remnant Brewing

Rapids Brewing Company

Rowlands Calumet Brewery Co

River Hawk Brewing

Ramshackle Brewing Company

Richbrau

Rants And Raves Brewery

RavenBeer

Superior Culture

Shaidzon Beer Company

Slack Tide Brewing Company

Smog City Brewing

Sawmill Brewing Co

Skyline Brewing Company

Scriptown Brewing Company

Southern Star Brewing

SJ Brewing

Spencer Devon Brewing

Sleepwalker Spirits and Ale, Inc.

San Luis Valley Brewing Co

SoMe Brewing Company

Scarlet Lane Brewing Company and Tap House

Speciation Artisan Ales

Something Wicked Brewing Company

Six Rivers Brewery

Southpaw Brewing Co.

Steel City Coffee House & Brewery

Sideways Farm and Brewery

Some Nerve Brewing Company

Swamp Head Brewery

Smug Brewing

Snake River Brewing Co.

Societe Brewing Company

Steampunk Brew Works & Homebrew Supply

Skeleton Crew Brew

Steam Theory Brewing Co

Sun King Brewery & Spirits

Super Brewing Company LLC

Spyglass Brewing

Stiggs Brewery & Kitchen

Sidetracked Brewery

Shades Brewing

Shady Oak Barrel House

Shubrew Taproom

Sketchbook Brewing Company

Two Pitchers Brewing Company

Thirsty Pagan Brewing Co.

Three Roads Brewing Company

The Tap Brewery

Third Wheel Brewing

Trap Rock Brewing Co.

Third Street Brewhouse

True North Ale Company, LLC

Two Coast Brewing Co.

Tombstone Brewing Company

Ten Mile Creek Brewery

Three Blondes Brewing

Twisted Barley Brewing Company

Timeless Pints Brewing Company, Inc.

Treaty Oak Distilling

Tarpon River Brewing

Twisted Track Brewpub

Thirsty Monk

Tower Brewing Company

Topa Topa Brewing Co.

Unity Brewing

Unrefined Brewing

Vernal Brewing Company

Victory Brewing Company

The Vegetable Hunter

Wandering Hop Brewery

Wingman Brewers

WanderLinger Brewing Co.

Wichita Brewing Co & Pizzeria

Wilmington Brewing Company

Wind River Brewing Company

Wages Brewing Company

Wandering Griffin Brewery & Pub

Wolf & Warrior Brewing Company

Wartega Brewing

Waconia Brewing Company

Welcome Home Brewery

Wingwalker Brewing

Winnicki Brewing Co.

Working Draft Beer Company

Whetstone Craft Beers

YaYa Brewing Company

Zwei Brewing Co.

Conclusion

Introduction

I think it’s safe to say I am a craft beer fanatic. From the very first sip of craft beer, I knew it was something special.

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This three book set resulted from lots of hard work, both for me and for the many many breweries who took the time to respond and answer my questions. I wrote this because like many of you I have a dream of one day opening a brewery I can call my own. Also like many of you, I have more questions than answers and this was my attempt to get as much of a peak behind the curtain of American craft beer as the breweries would allow.

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I asked simple open-ended questions and the variety of answers I received make these books some of the most informative on the subject of American Craft Beer. I received responses from national breweries to small breweries in a shed. Answers from homebrewers turned pro, to college educated brew masters and everyone in between. In fact, I even received answers from Abbey Monks brewing to support their real mission of ministry. Best of all, it wasn’t just brewers who answered me back. I heard from owners, bartenders, marketers, and even spouses.

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Some breweries had just opened, some had just closed, and some have been going strong for decades with no end in sight. This book was written during the height of the 2020 covid crisis and while it was alluded to in some responses, most of the breweries made the choice to focus on the bright future of craft beer rather than the doom and gloom of the present. I want to thank all the great American breweries who helped me compile these books and took the time out of their busy schedules to allow me to share their thoughts with the world. 

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Breweries provide places to relax and escape everyday life, opportunities to see old friends and meet new ones, a place to bond over a shared love of the better things in life, and taste something that is only limited by creativity of the one crafting it. Craft beer in America provides jobs in almost every town and support to the communities they serve. Every brewery has a story to share and I hope you will not only listen to what they say, but support the breweries who are facing a constant battle to provide the highest quality product when it seems quality is forsaken for cheap and boring.

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I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed putting it together. Each book contains discussions with at least 100 breweries and endless insight into their thoughts, strategies, preferences, product development and history. I tried to leave their thoughts and words as they put them and preferred authenticity rather than highly edited responses. Please be sure to grab a copy of all 3 books as each one contains some interviews that I thought were truly mind-blowing. The responses you see on these pages are exactly how they wrote it, and with no major. The exception being editing a few swear words and references to big beer companies. So grab a beer and enjoy the opportunity to learn from some of the best in the business. 

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Jon Nelsen

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IF YOU LOVE CRAFT BEER:

lifelevelupbooks.com/beer

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Drink local and Drink Often

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Buy The Set of Beer Books

Q&A WITH OVER 300 AMERICAN BREWERIES

Portland U-Brew & Unicorn Brewing

6237 SE Milwaukie Ave.

Portland, OR 97202

Zach

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Typically, how much beer do you guys make in a year?

Between 200-225 bbls

How much beer do you personally consume on an average workday?

1-3 pints, unless I'm bartending, then I'm limited to six 1oz samples during a shift.

What's your favorite food to eat with beer and why?

Anything salty.

About how much does it cost to open a brewery?

There have been some really cool backyard and garage start-ups here in the Portland area that have started with pretty modest budgets, but generally it just takes all the money, and then some.

What are today's worst beer trends?

Anything milkshake or slushie. Beer is a fermented beverage, and as such shouldn't have massive residual or added sweetness, in my opinion.

How do you decide on new beers to brew?

We generally brew what we like to drink, and hope that the people who like the same styles find us. Chasing trends has never been our style.

How did you first discover craft beer and what made you want to enter the business?

In the 1980's in Texas, Shiner Bock was a really interesting beer with a lot of flavors not found in macros at the time. Moving to Oregon in 1991 opened my eyes and palate. I'll never forget my first tastes of Full Sail Amber Ale and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

What beer would you brew if cost, production, and sales were no object?

More lagers. We already do some, but they tie up fermentation and cold conditioning space for 3-4 times longer than IPAs, especially hazies.  

What beer is your brewery best known for and why?

We were brewing Grapefruit IPA in 2010, and had a small loyal following for that beer. Now, our Pilsner is our top seller in the pub. Not a lot of nano-breweries make them, and it sells well because we take the time to do it right.

End of a long brew day, what are you drinking?

Low alcohol, crisp and refreshing. Pilsner, Helles, Cream Ale.

Which hop varieties do you find yourself using most often and why?

Depends on the style, but we use a lot of Cascade, Columbus, Chinook. I love local, low-cost public domain hops that provide a lot of versatility. Buying southern hemisphere hops for $30 per pound just doesn't pencil out for a nano-brewery.

What was the first beer you ever brewed and how did it taste?

I made an all extract amber ale. It was drinkable and clean, but thin and dull. I was thrilled anyway, and was hooked. That was almost 30 years ago.

Prison City Brewing

28 State St

Auburn, NY 13021

Marc Schulz

Co-Owner

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Typically, how much beer do you guys make in a year? 

At our current facility (a 5 bbl pub & brewery), about 650 bbls in 2019. We are opening a new production facility that will allow us capacity to do up to 10k bbls annually.

How much beer do you personally consume on an average workday?

I believe my physician is the inspiration for that hand over face emoji every year when he asks me this question.

What's your favorite food to eat with beer and why?

Yes! The whole reason we decided to do a pub & brewery was specifically around that idea of food and beer pairings. Our menu leans towards gastropub/elevated pub fare. We love putting together beer dinners and matching comparing and contrasting flavors. But, gun to my head answer? Gimme a plate of our poutine smothered in gravy, swimming in gooey cheese curds and and topped with pork belly!

What are today's worst beer trends?

Honestly, I don't subscribe to the idea of bad trends. The consumer wants what they want. They are the reason hazy ipas, hard seltzers, pastry stouts have taken off. To quote my friend Joe McBans, owner of the Tap & Mallet in Rochester NY make the beer people want to drink, mate. Now, that said, we're not going to necessarily jump in on every hot trend and stay in the lanes we feel most comfortable in. It never took off, thankfully, but that whole glitter beer thing was cringe worthy. Though, thinking this over a bit more...sometimes it's social media aspect of beer, specifically beer groups. Keyboard warriors crapping on breweries for whatever reason, but especially attacking other members of the group for say....a picture of dirty glass, or liking a particular beer that you don't care for or whatever other ugly reason they have for spewing rubbish. It's just beer, get over yourselves. 

When you first opened the brewery, what was the biggest obstacle? What advice would you give someone thinking about opening a brewery to avoid some pitfalls you experienced?

Craft savvy front of house staffing. We're in a pretty small city in the Finger Lakes region of NY that (in 2014) did not have much of craft beer scene, thus not a lot of places in our immediate area promoting craft beer and cultivating a work force with a passion or understanding of craft beer. Luckily, we've retained a healthy volume of employees in our 5+ years and they've grown with us and now far more knowledgable today than when we opened. 

Pitfalls to avoid? That centers around your liquid. It sucks and it's expensive to do so, but don't open with bad beer. If it's not good, dump that shit and start over. The consumer is too dialed in now, don't put bad beer in front of them. They won't be back.

How do you decide on new beers to brew?

Well, first, going back to trends. We try to keep up with the NEIPAs and hazy pale ales, because, that's what our guests are coming for. Outside of that, our brewer likes to makes a wide variety of beers. And, as a brewpub, that falls right in line with making beers that can compliment the menu. We have an ESB, a Blonde Ale, an adjunct imperial stout, a pale ale with mango tea and lemon zest, mixed culture-foeder aged beers, a robust porter, an American Light lager (you get the idea) and several others in constant rotation beyond the beers the juice hounds crave. 

How did you first discover craft beer and what made you want to enter the business?

For me, it was at The Shed Pub & Brewery in Stowe, VT. I landed a gig there as a server and just fell in love with everything that makes craft beer a combination of cool, fun and romantic AF. The ingredients, the brewing process, the intensity and range of flavors, the feel of the brewery I worked at and those I would visit. I became a complete fanboy of the brewers to the point I moved to Lake Placid with them in 1995 to help them open their brewery, The Lake Placid Pub & Brewery, as a jack of all trades, master of nothing. Being a, albeit small, part of the process of opening a brewery start to finish? That was it for me, I was doing this, in whatever fashion, for the rest of my life. 

What beer would you brew if cost, production, and sales were no object?

A beer that would, somehow, create a chemical reaction in people that would erase the idea of hate, in any form, from the mind, body and soul. It would also be infectious so it could spread to people that don't drink. Call it a peace-demic? I don't know, seems like such a silly answer, but....yeah, that'd be it. 

Does glassware really make a difference?

I have yet to be convinced....probably just the old, salty cynic in me though. 

What beer is your brewery best known for and why?

Mass Riot. A hazy, NEIPA. In 2016 Paste Magazine rated it the #1 IPA in the US (out of 247 reviews...If memory serves proper) and it's a beer we've never been able to make enough of since. Thus, the production brewery opening later this summer. 

End of a long brew day, what are you drinking?

Well, I don't brew (tried a few times...I suck at it and really dislike cleaning), but our brew staff leans towards a crispy lager, and, usually, beers from other breweries we haven't tried. Like a staff share at the bar on a daily basis.

Which hop varieties do you find yourself using most often and why?

Probably get this answer a bit? Citra & Galaxy & Mosaic & Simcoe

What was the first beer you ever brewed and how did it taste?

The first date I had with my wife we homebrewed a beer based on a stout recipe in a Grateful Dead cookbook. We called it Midnight Mountain Mud...the date lasted that long. We both recall it being very good, but that was 22 years ago and there have been so many beers since.

Prescott Brewing Company

130 West Gurley St. Ste. A

Prescott, AZ 86301

John Nielsen

President/Brewmaster

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Typically, how much beer do you guys make in a year?

850-1000 bbls/yr at the pub

How much beer do you personally consume on an average workday?

None

What's your favorite food to eat with beer and why?

I feel a good beer goes with all types of food.

About how much does it cost to open a brewery?

That is a real tough one to answer, it depends on what size and type of brewery you want to open.  I know that Russian River Brewery went over budget of their Windsor brewery by 20 million dollars, their original budget was 50 million. So you can spend anywhere from a few hundred thousand dollars to the sky is the limit. 

What are today's worst beer trends?

In my opinion, sour beers.  As brewers we try very hard to keep those organisms out of our breweries, and to bring those bugs in on purpose, to me is a disaster waiting to happen.  I just don’t like the way they taste.

When you first opened the brewery, what was the biggest obstacle? What advice would you give someone thinking about opening a brewery to avoid some pitfalls you experienced?

Being accepted by a small tight knit community, (the good ole boys community).  Join the chamber of commerce, go to mixers, introduce you selves, support locale community events and activities.

How do you decide on new beers to brew?

We think about what beers we haven’t brewed and start researching those styles.

How did you first discover craft beer and what made you want to enter the business?

I spent 3 years in Germany in the Army, so when I came back to the states the beer (macro brands), was just fizzy water to me. Then I found this new beer called Sierra Nevada Pale Ale,  I was so happy because now I could drink beer again.  I thought if they can make a beer like this then so can I.  So I started home brewing,  I entered my beers in local county fairs and started winning blue ribbons, then I entered state fairs, and again I was winning blue ribbons.  So I decided to enter other state fairs, as far away as New York, and started winning.  That’s when my wife said to me, maybe there is something to this brewpub thing you want to open.  As they say the rest is history

Does glassware really make a difference?

I believe it does, I must have picked this up from the time I spent in Germany as they believe a beer should be served in the proper glass.  A Pilsner in a Pilsner glass, a wheat beer in a wheat beer glass, a Belgian beer in a tulip glass.  Just to name a few

What beer is your brewery best known for and why?

Prescott Brewing Company is the most awarded brewery in Arizona with 36 National and International awards for our beers. We are the oldest continuously operated brewery in the State.

End of a long brew day, what are you drinking?

A refreshing Cream Ale, or a German Hefeweizen.

Which hop varieties do you find yourself using most often and why?

For most of our beers I tend to lean to the noble varieties,  for Pale Ale’s and IPA’S I like the varieties that start with the letter C.

What was the first beer you ever brewed and how did it taste?

I was an amber ale, after two weeks in the bottle I placed a couple of bottles in the fridge and the next day after work I opened one and poured it into the glass.  It was a beautiful amber color and tasted horrible.  I told my wife I’m going to dump it all out, but she convinced me to keep it so I put it in a closet in the house and forgot about it.  Then about 3 months later she asked me what I was going to do with that beer.  I had completely forgotten about it, so I took out a couple bottles and put them in the fridge and the next day after work I opened one and it was delicious.  I was hooked, and when my wife couldn’t tell the difference between my beer and a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, I know I was onto something.

Parliament Brewing Co.

5865 Labath Ave - Ste 9

Rohnert Park, CA 94928

Alan D. Bosch

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Typically, how much beer do you guys make in a year? 

100 bbls + first year

How much beer do you personally consume on an average workday? 

One

What's your favorite food to eat with beer and why? 

Burgers - Good flavor combo

About how much does it cost to open a brewery?

Our 10 bbl system and supporting equipment, etc. cost nearly $750K and we did all labor except electrical & plumbing which required licenses. We acted as the GM.

When you first opened the brewery, what was the biggest obstacle? What advice would you give someone thinking about opening a brewery to avoid some pitfalls you experienced? 

Financing and governmental hurdles. Buy Brew Law 101 by Candance Moon and do EVERYTHING it says! 

How do you decide on new beers to brew? 

Study local and national trends and allow for some personal discretion and fancy.

How did you first discover craft beer and what made you want to enter the business? 

Received a kit while in law school. Many fellow law students encouraged me to do it professionally after winning or placing (2nd or 3rd) in a number of regional and national contests.

What beer would you brew if cost, production, and sales were no object? 

Barrel aged stouts

Does glassware really make a difference? 

Yes. Good glassware; 1. Presents properly 2.