A field trip to JailHouse Brewing in Hampton, GA
A few weeks ago I took a field trip to Hampton, GA to visit with Glenn Golden, the man behind JailHouse Brewing, Georgia’s 4th distributing craft brewery. Glenn visited us back in the summer and officially started selling beer in late 2009. First, a little housekeeping. John, the man behind the @AtlantaBeer Twitter account accompanied me. I will say no more about this because John is a rogue and a thief and he turned the volume down on my music as we were driving. Forcing me to have conversation with him. But again, I will say no more about this.
Glenn was a gracious host. Despite the rain, he opened up the brewery just for us. The picture above is actually a fairly accurate “full tour.” There’s a small little tasting room and entryway through the window. Grain and kegs are stored in the room behind you if you’re facing this way. Here’s the cool part. Are you ready? JailHouse is built in an old jail. A lot of the bricks and bars are original. And it felt pretty authentic. There were times I even thought that John was an escaped convict. Glenn did most of the build-out himself and with the help of friends.
So that’s the downstairs. And then there’s the upstairs…
The upstairs is currently nothing but sub floor and a breeding ground for male deer heads. Glenn’s long-term goal is to build it out for concerts and other events. Which would be pretty sweet. But I bet John would drive down there and turn the volume down on the concerts, now that he knows where Hampton, GA is. Buzzkill.
Currently JailHouse is selling two beers, Slammer Wheat and Mugshot IPA. Both are American, in that they use primarily American yeast, malts and hops. Both are also unique derivatives of the style, in my opinion.
Glenn also shared a high gravity stout that he’s been working on. There aren’t any current plans for production, which is unfortunate because it was my personal favorite of the three beers we shared. Check out those sweet tap handles! I was glad to hear they were done by the same guys we’re using for our tap handles, Tap Handles Inc.
Thanks to Glenn for opening up his doors (and his heart) to us! For those of you who DON’T live in Hampton, you can also buy JailHouse beers on draft in East Atlanta Village at establishments such as Gravity Pub and Grant Central Pizza.
Interview with a Brewer: Dogfish Head
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years or stumbled across our website accidentally on your way to the new Bud Light Lime site, you’ve probably heard about Dogfish Head. They’ve been taking the craft beer world by storm with their innovative, “off-centered” ales. Their flagship, the 60 Minute IPA, is a continuously hopped work of art, in our opinion.
Which is why we jumped at the opportunity to interview their founder and President, Sam Calagione. Dogfish Head is somewhat of an anomaly. They brew nontraditional beers (such as attempting to recreate a 9,000 year-old recipe), but have gained fairly widespread acceptance among beer circles. Apparently you don’t have to brew a boring pale ale to have success in craft beer. An encouraging tidbit.
As aspiring professional brewers, Dogfish Head makes for a great case study. To read more of our enlightening interviews with professional brewers, visit the archives. Thanks to Sam and Mariah at Dogfish Head for their time, and enjoy!
1) Many of your beers defy traditional beer style categorization. Do you believe you?re on the front-end of a sea change in the way the broader American public thinks about beer, or pushing the outer limits for avid beer drinkers?
We are proud to be be part of the surging craft beer renaissance that embraces a broader definition of traditional than the reinheitsgebot. Long before brewers were making beers with only water, yeast, hops, and barley they were brewing with exotic indigenous ingredients like honey, grapes, sake yeast, saffron and juniper. This is the ancient creative brewing tradition that Dogfish embraces.
2) When Dogfish Head started, was it your goal to be a national niche brand (now distributing in CA), or did you aim more at being a really good local/regional brand?
We always hoped to sell our beers national but we didn?t think we would ever sell as much beer as we are currently selling around the country. When we opened in 95 we were the smallest brewery in the county and our average beer was 9% abv and brewed with 6 as opposed the the ?traditional? 4 ingredients. We are now the biggest craft brewery in the Mid-Atlantic and will make about 100,000 barrels this year. Yet our average beer is still 9% abv and brewed with 6 ingredients. So we haven?t had to change what we do in order to grow ? that shows how experimental the beer enthusiast network has become.
3) What does the process of developing a new recipe typically look like? How many iterations does it usually take?
Usually at least two ? a test batch on our 5 barrel system at our pub, then, if we like it, we extrapolate that recipe up to our 100 bbl production brewhouse and send it out into distribution.
4) The craft beer market and culture has changed a lot from when you started. If you were starting again from scratch today, what challenges and opportunities would be different from when you began?
More competition from great breweries that now focus more or bigger and bolder beers but also more acceptance of these kinds of beer from a broader spectrum of beer buyers.
5) What’s your favorite thing about what you guys do?
As we get bigger we actual take more risks and are more obsessed with quality and consistency as we grow. We brewed a Pale India Ale at our brewpub yesterday with Indian spices and a saison yeast.
6) Does the increase in national distribution of craft beer brands limit the viability of smaller, local/regional brands, or will there always be a place for a local beer culture?
I don?t think so ? hopefully there will always be strong local, regional, and national craft brands in every market.
Interview with a Brewer: Shmaltz
Shmaltz Brewing Company is unique. You may have tried their HE’BREW beers with a distinctly Jewish slant, or you may have had their Coney Island freak show brews. Or maybe you have no idea what I’m talking about. Last year Shmaltz put up some impressive numbers, logging 80% growth in a recession. We got the opportunity to talk to CEO Jeremy Cowan who shared some great insight with us.
Shmaltz (which means “excessive sentimentality in art or music,” for the record) is especially interesting to us because:
- They have been contract brewing for years.
- They’ve got strong ties to religion. We are no where near as overt as Shmaltz, but we can’t deny the fact that we started because of a bible study.
Enjoy! And read previous interviews with brewers.
Congrats on the 80% growth! To what do you primarily attribute this to? Expansion into new territories? Increased consumption in existing territories? New products? Other?
The quality of our beers is what sells. We now have 12 beers within our two lines of HE’BREW Beer and Coney Island Craft Lagers. Yes, we do have more products on the shelves, and this increases our sales. However, if the beer didn’t speak for itself with delicious ingredients and a unique taste, then our sales would definitely not be up. The craft beer industry as a whole is up, and over the years as we’ve developed a dedicated cult following, they’ve embraced our new releases and are consistent buyers. We’ve also expanded our staff from just myself to seven official employees and a team of interns. This helps a lot with increasing our sales base as we are able to reach more retailers, bar owners and stay up with each regional wholesaler.
What one marketing tactic has had the most unexpected result for you?
For each new release in our HE’BREW Beer line, we have related shtick and Jewish history specific to each release. For example, the label of Origin, our pomegranate strong ale, embodies a beautiful design of a pomegranate tree along with biblical and world-cultural references to pomegranates being a sacred fruit. Its an immediate way to reach people–Make them laugh, and think and have it be some of the best beer they ever tasted. Our label design of our Coney Island Craft Lagers is over the top as it utilizes the design work of one of the top tattoo artists in NYC. We create labels that beer lovers remember!! But, again its about what’s inside the bottle that keep them coming back.
Why the move from San Francisco all the way out to NY? Craft beer has strong ties to the community, how did the dynamics of moving affect this?
We still have our headquarters in San Francisco but spend a ton of time in NYC as well. So, we still embrace the Bay Area as a primary community and are able to reach a whole new set of Jews and freaks in NYC.
What’s your favorite thing about what you do?
I’m certainly really excited about the growth of the company over the past five years (1000%), but I’m most proud of the quality and uniqueness of the products we’ve created, and drinking a Shmaltz beer with the kick-butt staff that has become my working family over the past two years!
Has Shmaltz ever had any opposition from religious groups and if so, how did you handle it? We ask because we started out of a bible study and expect some opposition from the Christian religious right at some point.
No, not really. The Jewish community loves what we are doing and has been extremely supportive.
From what I can gather, you’ve been contract brewing for years. How has this contract relationship with Mendocino progressed over time and do you ever want to have your own physical brewery?
Paul McErlean has been our main brewer at Mendocino Brewing Company and has been creating fantastic beers for us over the years. I plan to stick with what has worked so well for us. We are considering opening a retail space and/or bar in NYC. I’ll keep you posted if/when we go for it!!
Why the decision to brand Coney Island beers separately from HE’BREW?
Well, its reaches and represents a slightly different demographic. It’s all under the Shmaltz banner, so people expect it to be delicious and outrageous!! We had the good fortunate of Coney Island USA approaching us to make a beer for America’s favorite playground. The Coney line represents Brooklyn’s historic Coney Island neighborhood, so it works well for us to appeal to sideshow enthusiasts and everyone who appreciates delicious beer and delicious shtick.
Interview with a brewer: LoneRider Brewing Co. in NC
LoneRider Brewing Co. is a brand spankin’ new brewery in Raleigh, NC. Yes, another new craft brewery in the South, which makes us infinitely happy. Their flagship, Shotgun Betty, is a 5.3% Bavarian-style wheat beer. We sat down with CEO Sumit (who we found on Twitter). After you’ve gotten to know Sumit and LoneRider, make sure to read past interviews with brewers. Thanks to LoneRider for indulging us, we wish you success and hope to try your beer soon!
1) For readers that may be unfamiliar, give us a sense of who you guys are and what you’re about.
We are three partners who started the brewery out of a desire to brew great beer, and get more control of direction we wanted our lives to go in. We met while working at Cisco. I have moved over to work at Quintiles now, and both my partners still work at Cisco. I refer to the movie, ‘Office Space’, as a perfect example of our start though we never had to write TPS reports, and we actually like our jobs. But we do have cubes!
2) How did you get into beer brewing?
Steve has been a home brewer for a long time and has been the influence on both Mihir and I to get into brewing.
3) How did you decide to launch with a hefeweizen? At first glance it doesn’t seem the obvious choice.
Funny how the style we like becomes the beer of choice. Seriously, besides that, we looked at the market and saw that nobody was brewing a German Hefeweizen locally as a flagship. We also saw how wheat beers, and session beers were becoming more popular. With the proliferation of great beers in the market we had to look for ways to differentiate ourselves. We also have plans to come up with great 60 bbl (or 30 bbl) releases.
4) You’ve accomplished a lot in one year while keeping your day jobs. How much longer do you plan on working full-time and who will be making the leap into full-time brewing first?
I don’t remember last time I went to bed before 2 or 3 at night. It’s just become a part of the daily routine. We would like to transition working full time at the brewery, but its not going to happen for a while. Don’t get us started on who wants to transition first, because we all do. Time and need will determine who can.
5) What single marketing tactic has had the most unexpected return for you thus far?
I would say we have gotten the most compliments on our rebel image, and how the *characters (beers)* of our brewery display a common theme.
6) If you were to build another brewery from scratch (perfectly hypothetical), what is one thing you would do different next time around?
Phew ! That would be a long list. First, quit any full time jobs! Haha.
On a serious note, one thing would be to raise ‘much more than needed’ capital so that we are not always stressed out. In quite a few areas our projected costs got to be 50% more than anticipated. Completely unexpected things happened, for example during inspection, that required capital we hadn’t planned for.
7) That all sounds great. Any plans to be in Georgia?
Can’t even stand yet in NC mate, Georgia is a distant possibility right now.
Interview with a Brewer: Firestone Walker in CA
Next up in our Interview with a Brewer series: Firestone Walker out in sunny California. For the East-coasters, Firestone Walker is a much-acclaimed brewery formed in 1996 by Adam Firestone and David Walker. Scholars still argue over how the brewery got its name.
In addition to other honors, Firestone Walker won the Brewer’s Association “Mid-Size Brewery of the Year” in 2007. Firestone Walker is unique in that they focus on pale ales and use a patented oak barrel brewing system based on the not-quite-extinct Burton Union system of brewing.
Head brewer Matt Brynildson has left his unique mark on Firestone Walker in the years since he’s been there. Jamie, Marketing Director, was kind enough to share his thoughts on the company as a whole:
1) Why focus exclusively on pale ales?
Passion for the Pale didn?t really come from any sort of plan in the beginning. It was born from a process of looking at ourselves, what we brewed and what we were recognized for doing well. Over and over again, we were receiving awards for our pale ale styles.
2) What’s your favorite thing about what you do?
Producing something that people truly enjoy and brings happiness and quality to their lives. Beer is something almost anyone can get excited about and we feel honored to be a part of the ?Craft Beer Revolution? in America and the World.
3) How does the acquisition of Nectar Ales fit in with your long-term goals as a brewery?
We felt that this brand was an original pioneer in the craft brewing scene, having been founded in 1987. It had legs and where Firestone is, in our minds a premium product, Nectar has deep roots in craft beer. It made sense to rescue and resurrect that brand.
4) Your brewing process is very unique. What benefits do you see from the Firestone Union method?
Aside from adding to the wonderful tradition of fermenting in wood like those brewers from years past, it adds a dimension and quality to the beer which is unparalleled via any other method. The flavor and mouth feel that the time in oak contributes is unique and it showcases our commitment to hand crafted beers.
5) Will we ever see any of your beers on the East Coast (short of smuggling them ourselves)?
We do not have plans for distribution to the East Coast at this time. We are strong believers in representing our beer in the best way we can. To us this means keeping it local and fresh. Our beers are unpasteurized and show best close to home. If we discover a way to maintain that quality over long distances?that may be another story.
6) What marketing tactic has had the most unexpected return for you and what was it?
Local loyalty. We started off locally and were embraced for that. We love our region and are supported for our contributions to the community.
7) If you were to start a brewery from scratch (hypothetical, of course), what is one thing you would do differently this time around?
I don?t think we?d do anything differently. We feel so fortunate for our success and the wonderful thing about craft beer is the spirit. Some of the so called ?mistakes? actually endear people to your company and make you real. We wouldn?t change a thing.
Interview with a brewer: Aviator Brewing in NC
It’s been approximately 8 years since our last interview with a brewer. But we’re back. This week we talked with a new brewery in North Carolina, Aviator Brewing Company. We’re always attracted to the upstarts since the start-up process is usually fresh in their minds. Mark Doble, the head brewer, was kind enough to share his thoughts on Aviator and the NC beer scene. Enjoy!
*Note: Aviator image has been janked without permission from Aviator website.
1) Give us a synopsis of who you are and what you’re about
I?ve always loved beer?started at an early age. I spent ten years in Europe and just learned to appreciate different beers. I started brewing and was fascinated by the process. I?m kinda like Papa John’s?Better ingredients, better beer. We buy the best malts (or at least in our opinion) on the market.
2) What do you love most about what you do?
What! You have to ask this?making beer?I love the mash-in. Doesn?t matter how many times you do it?it is exciting. Also watching the yeast at work is pretty amazing.
3) How do you see the craft beer scene changing in North Carolina and the South in coming years?
NC will dominate the beer scene in the next few years?no doubt. Look at the brewing movement in Asheville?it is great! There are some fairly progressive breweries in the state?just give it time. At Aviator we will do our part to push NC as a brewing state.
4) What marketing tactic has been the most beneficial to you thus far?
I?m a brewer..and not much of a marketing guy. I would have to say word of mouth?and brew some damn good beer.
5) Where can consumers currently find your beer? Where do you expect them to find your beer a year from now?
In Raleigh?Tir-Na-Nog , The Pit, Raleigh Times (soon), Rudinos Chain (Holly Springs right now, others coming, and (of course) at the brewery Thur ,Fri, Sat 4-8pm (tour @3pm).
I would like to have my beer in most of the good beer stores and supermarkets in the area. I?m not really into slamming the beer on the market and putting it into locations where it doesn?t make sense.
In a year if I could get my beer on tap in the Governor?s mansion in Raleigh?that would be good?and show that NC government is behind the NC breweries in the state. Seems like the wineries get all the support?I?m sure someone in NC government likes beer?!?
6) If you were to start another brewery from scratch (hypothetical, of course), what would you do differently this time around?
Find a very rich friend?there is some cool equipment out there?just buying it is the problem. I would love to have a brand spanking new 20bbl system with whirlpool tank and some custom designed fermenters. I?ve have a few friends that own microbreweries so have avoided most of the big pitfalls.
7) Your store has three items for sale: 1) a growler; 2) a pint glass; and… 3) an organic zucchini? Please explain.
Yep?the zucchini seems to get a lot of attention?I think I?ll get a shirt made up featuring it. I?ve even had an order for it?which I did sent out. It was just a test item in the online store?and I forgot to take it out. I think I might try a zuchinni beer???
Interview with a brewer: Oskar Blues in Lyons, CO
Recently we got a chance to interview Oskar Blues in Lyons, Colorado. Garrett at Maui Brewing introduced us, and I’m glad he did. If Oskar Blues doesn’t ring a bell, Dale’s Pale Ale might. Or Old Chub. Or Gordon. Or Ten FIDY. Oskar Blues is famous for making some amazing beers, but perhaps more famous for canning the amazing beers. They pioneered canning in craft beer, and for that we are forever indebted to them. Sidenote: If you’ve never had an imperial stout in a can, Ten FIDY is a must.
This interview is a little different, in that we asked some of our friends on Twitter to contribute questions. And contribute they did. Marty at Oskar Blues was kind enough to answer all of our questions, even the annoying ones. Which just goes to show you, they’re as nice as their beer is delicious. It also goes to show you how annoying we are.
1) Why craft brew in a can? How does the can affect quality, taste, your brewing process? (via Lauterhaus)
We launched our “Canned Beer Apocalypse” in November of 2002 as a clever way to promote our brewpub/music joint to folks outside of our town of 1200 folks. The move defied the brown-bottles-only mantra of craft beer, and made us the first US craft brewer to brew and can its own beer. We started by hand-canning our Dale?s Pale Ale on a little table-top machine. It sealed one can at a time.
Why cans? I’ll have Dale answer that one:
“We thought the idea of our big, hoppy pale ale in a can was hilarious,” Katechis recalls, “and it made our beer more portable for our fans who have fun outdoors. Cans also deliver the freshest beer possible by fully protecting it from light and oxygen. They?re good for beer.”
“The modern-day aluminum can is lined with a water-based coating so beer and the can never touch. It?s a myth that cans impart metallic flavors,” Katechis says.
“Cans are also the most recycled beverage container and they?re infinitely recyclable,” Katechis says. “Because of their light weight, cans are less fuel-consuming to ship and allow us to shrink our carbon footprint for out-of-state beer by about 40%. That?s big.”
But cans also make for some extremely portable craft beer, and allow folks to enjoy delicious beer in the outdoors more easily. Fishing, camping, beaching, biking, those sorts of things are special times and call for special beer. We hear from folks all the time who tell us how our beers have added much joy to their outdoor fun.
Cans also have an unpretentious, working-class, retro charm that appeals to us and many other folks. When you squeeze a big juicy pale ale or a luscious malty mutha’s milk into those cans, you’ve got something other-worldly and wonderful. And a treat that’s distinctly counter culture and against the grain. Punk rock, if you will.
2) Where should craft breweries interested in canning start and what should they be considering?
You gotta start with Cask Systems, the Canadian outfit that makes the gear we started on, and the gear about 25 other craft breweries now use. Their microcanning equipment made our trailblazing effort possible, they’re real pioneers.
What to consider? One drawback of cans vs. bottles, especially for a startup brewery, is you have to order cans in very large quantities. So you have to really believe in and be committed to that canned beer. And you’re very limited in the selection you can offer. Then again, if you don?t have faith, focus and deep affection for the beer you’re making, you should consider finding another trade.
3) When the hell are you coming to New Orleans? (via The Beer Buddha)
No plans just yet. Though my bass player has a place there and has offered it as a spot for launching some, uh, “research” into the area. Dale and the rest of us are sure big fans of much of the music from there, we book a ton of it in our place, too. Our brewpub menu is loaded with Cajun-style food.
4) If you were to start another brewery from scratch (purely hypothetical), is there anything you would do differently this time around?
Hmm. I’d say try and plan a bit farther out for growth. In our case, we’ve been unable to fill orders for most of our Apocalypse, just now getting caught up. And we’d pick more brains of our successful, more experienced peers. In our early days, Sam Calagione was a big source of help, support and inspiration. So was Greg Koch at Stone. The folks at the Brewers Association gave us giant help and support, too, as did New Belgium and several other craft breweries here in Colorado. But we made some mistakes of our own while learning on the job, extra brain picking may have avoided them.
5) How did you get a black hole into a can? I swear Ten FIDY can absorb light. (via Geistbear)
Well, you’ve gotta have the guts and the sense of humor to make a beer that big and sell it in a can. Most importantly, you need whip-smart brewers like our man Dave Chichura and his crew. Making Ten FIDY is not easy due to its immense grainbill and viscosity. Kinda like making good gravy or uber banana pudding. That’s some beer isn?t it?!
6) There are a lot of breweries in Colorado that make great beer, but Oskar Blues has managed to develop great beer and a successful company. What do you think are the key differentiators of those breweries that have experienced growth and commercial success?
The key factors for us? A rare combination of novel ideas, humor, savvy gospel-spreading, expert sales, and goosebump-inducing beer. And much happy hard work and risk taking.
Dale’s idea to can a big hoppy, American pale ale was way out there, a real rulebreaker. But we and our customers love the blasphemous nature and ridiculousness of it. A hearty sense of humor and “why not?” has also been key. Along with relentless, smiling, informed communication with the press about our beers, mojo, and ideas. From day one we’ve invested much time and effort in educating the media and consumers about cans, our bodacious beers, the fun we have.
We also launched with a one-of-a-kind sales dude, Wayne Anderson, who has that same grinning relentlessness and skill for selling our beer. He rocks. And we’ve had the great blessings of sharp brewers who deeply love our beer, have the skills to make it in primo fashion, and are willing to work long hard hours to brew and package that beer.
We also have a lead cat with grand ideas, the juice and love for driving a runaway train, and a way with bankers.
Most of all, there?s the beer itself. We make elegant-but-assertive beers for a very small but growing slice of beer lovers. Folks like us who crave rich flavors, artful things way beyond the mainstream, the more meaningful things in life. We don?t give a hoot about appealing to the masses.
One more thing: we love what we do. So our appreciation for our “jobs” is pretty obvious and folks can feel that. And the long hours we put in are a pleasure, not a chore. Very, very important.
It’s great fun turning more and more folks on to your beer. But crazy growth also presents some problems and risks and requires much work.
7) What has been the single greatest marketing tactic for you in growing your brand (other than “word-of-mouth”)?
The move to cans instantly set us apart from everybody else, and was living proof that we thought and operated differently. Our decision to make microcanning our focus (instead of some sideline novelty) added to it. But it’s been a combination of the things mentioned above. Without our swing-for-the-fence philosophy, media tickling, ace sales and brewery staff, and delicious, uncompromising beer, we’re not where we are today.