The Beer Baron Brews Again!

Been really excited lately. Have to share the big news. I'm back to being in charge of brewing operations at a brewery. A group of us has been working at getting a new project started. As of this past weekend, we've got operational control of the space we're in and are getting everything in order. I've been waiting for this to happen for months now, nervous about what the timeline was going to be if I needed to find another full-time gig to tide me over. The worry is over now.

Kicker is, I'm back in the old space I left. Same equipment, most of the same team, new management. It's going to be a new brewing company, not just refreshing the old brand.

We still haven't settled on a name yet (need to check availability of trademarks for several candidates), but know the direction and vision for the brand. Going to have some first draft beers (no pun intended) in about a month and a soft opening sometime this summer. I'll let people know when that happens and we can hopefully do another Columbus get together after the first 4-5 beers are out.

woohoo! congrats!

When you say same space and team do you mean the exact same physical address?

I enjoyed the one day I stopped in and glad to say I had a genuine hand in the production that day (even if it was the most minor hand in the production.)

John Welsh wrote: When you say same space and team do you mean the exact same physical address? I enjoyed the one day I stopped in and glad to say I had a genuine hand in the production that day (even if it was the most minor hand in the production.)

Yup. Exact same physical address. Same space. Same equipment.

Back to working with my old assistant too. Love working with him. He and I make a great team.

Great!
I look forward to the next visit.

Congratulations!

Sounds like you're putting the band back together.

Let me know when the first visits will be available, this sounds like a good excuse for a small road trip.

KyAllroad wrote: Let me know when the first visits will be available, this sounds like a good excuse for a small road trip.

Will do. Brewing process takes time. We're looking at 4-6 weeks before we get a round of new beers on tap.

Best of luck.

Congratulations! New beer is good. New management that doesn't suck hard is even better! Prost!

I take it the former management was the breaking point last time?

sounds like a solid start!

xflowgolf wrote: I take it the former management was the breaking point last time?

Long story short, yes. He was the only real issue.

Being back at the old haunt with the previous concerns removed sounds like the best possible situation. I'll likely be setting roots with a single brewery soon. I've been enjoying the input and trying styles at 4 different local venues doing guest brewing and collaborations over the past few months. But it'd be nice to have a consistent workplace where everything can be found at the same expected location everyday.

Awesome, I have a place to stop on my way home from work again.

Congratulations!

Damn, i was hoping you were going to take the deal in florida so I had an in at another brewery.

Grassroots Lagersports?

Congrats, dude.

Congrats! (Sorry I fell off the face of the planet on the PMs...)

Jerry From LA wrote: Grassroots Lagersports?

There will be lagers. First beer planned to brew is a lager (although maybe not first released due to fermentation/conditioning times).

So, assuming you are not picking up where the old management left off, what is the general flavor of the new enterprise? It is getting hard to carve out a unique niche in the craft beer world.

Getting tap-space in the local bar/restaurant scene is quite competitive. Are you worried that the old management might have left a bad taste that might affect the new effort?

Looking forward to your future post; as someone who has been in the beer business, it is hard to get the romance out of the system.

Congrats. I can think of a few jobs/places I wouldn't mind going back to if only we could leave the bad management out. Maybe we should have a GRM road-trip meeting when things get settled.

Beer Baron wrote:

John Welsh wrote: When you say same space and team do you mean the exact same physical address? I enjoyed the one day I stopped in and glad to say I had a genuine hand in the production that day (even if it was the most minor hand in the production.)

Yup. Exact same physical address. Same space. Same equipment. Back to working with my old assistant too. Love working with him. He and I make a great team.

Déjà Brew?

Dude, congrats! Sounds like a sweet gig!