My first 5 minutes of fame...kinda but not really

Check it out. The Hartford Courant was in the brewery yesterday to take pictures and run a story about the brewery. From what I hear, my hand is pictured and my name is mentioned in the paper article. The on-line version has a few more pictures.   

What The Hell?

Sometimes i wonder what this world has come to. take a look and support the little guy. 

The text below is from the Rock Art Website:

An  attack has been launched on Matt and Renee of Rock Art brewery
SEptember 14 , 2009 an energy drink issues a cease and desist order on :
THE VERMONSTER
the energy drink Claims that consumers will likely be confused with the two products.
I have Input from 5 Trademark lawyers In various states saying: No infringement issue. Clearly a "nuisance lawsuit".
You will lose because they have the financial resources that can wear you down till you can not afford to fund the  fight, Then THey win by default. Rock Art Brewery has the beer trademark to
The vermonster
in the state of vermont.
the american pledge of allegiance does not say
"and justice for all who have the deepest pockets"
I have offered to meet the energy drink halfway and give up my rights to my Vermont trademarked VERmonster in energy drinks
read my official response letter here
This is quickly cruising the web, twitter and facebook please show your support for our small brewery.
  learn how stores have pulled the energy drink and the parent company's products, 
a natural drinks company, in support of our efforts.

contact Rock Art Brewery  rockart@pwshift.com

How sweet it is

www.myartprints.co.uk

When was my last post? I think it was Sunday. I also think I said something about my heart telling me that I want to be a brewer. Well, what a week it's been! There has been an interesting turn of events. Let's see, well, Tuesday I was contacted by Paul Philippon, the owner of The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery in Farmville, NC. I  had sent my resume to Paul months ago applying for a brewing position that opened. As it turned out, Paul hired someone else for the position. I obviously kissed that opportunity goodbye. Ok, now fast forward to this past Tuesday. I went to the office to check my voicemail and I had a message from Paul. I called him back later that night and had a nice talk. Paul offered me a trip to North Carolina to interview for the position of brewer at Duck-Rabbit. What were my initial thoughts? Amazement, shock and oops, I pooped my pants. Before giving Paul an answer I went home and discussed the opportunity with the family. Newt, our cat, didn't have much to offer but he seemed excited for the opportunity. Joy was totally on board, but first I had to discuss with Curt, the president of Thomas Hooker Brewing Company who saw something in me, took me in and gave me the chance of a lifetime, at least in my eyes. I explained to Curt what was going on and before I knew it I was the new BREWER at Thomas Hooker Brewing Company and searching for classes at Siebel in Chicago, Munich, Montreal or wherever the hell I can get in. Ya, no big deal. Ummmm, ya it is! This is why I quit my insurance job in May, to pursue my dreams. Only 5 months later I'm a Brewer, heading off to a world class brewing institution. Motivation is a powerful tool but fate and luck are just as important. Life is short and I encourage you to push fear aside and follow your dreams. It is so worth it! 

I'm on my way. Soon you'll be drinking my beers. Actually, tomorrow is my first batch, Oktoberfest. I hope you like it!   

Livin' the Dream

Brad, Sonny, Me, Joy and Lala at a recent beer festival

After nearly three months without a single blog post I thought I would have lost my followers. As it turns out, I've gained a few and received several emails asking how things are going since I jumped head first into the craft beer industry. Thank you to all of you who have supported me and are curious as to how things are going. I'll do my best to post periodic updates going forward. 

So, what the hell has been going on in my craft beer life since I last posted? It's now been about 5 months since I started volunteering at the brewery and about three months since I became Thomas Hooker Brewing Company's 4th full-time employee. I was initially hired to to do whatever was thrown at me. After two short months I'm wearing many hats. I'm not exactly sure what my job title is but I'll try to name a few. Let's see, Assistant Brewer, Production Manager, Order Manager, Tour Guide, and resident beer geek. With all these duties you can imagine that my days are long. On average I'm working 50-60 hours not including weekend events. I'm usually pretty tired at the end of the day but I still love going to work each day and I don't see that ending any time soon. In this short period of time my passion for craft beer has only grown. In fact, I think I'm in love! My wife probably thinks I've lost my mind. All I talk about is craft beer then I spend my nights reading MBAA's Practical Handbook for the Specialty Brewer. 

  

So, what's my average day? I usually drag my ass out of bed around 6:45 to get to the brewery between 7:30 and 8:00. I spend the first hour or so responding to distributor emails and letting them know if we have the supply to fill their growing orders. Next on the agenda is packaging orders and putting my part-time staff to work on the keg cleaner, etc. The rest of the day is spent running around like crazy bottling, filling kegs, cleaning, cleaning, cleaning, managing inventory, cleaning, helping the brewer with various duties such as digging mash, filtering, cleaning, fining, hop additions and dry hopping. Now that I write my duties out it doesn't sound like a lot but it keeps me busy for 10-12 hours per day. After the work day is over we often rent the brewery out for various functions that require staff. A few time per week I stay late to help out. In addition, the brewery opens up to the public two Friday's per month for a big happy hour with a turnout of 200 thirsty patrons, which is always a good time. Brew festivals have been frequent this fall along with beer dinners and private party's. I guess the novelty hasn't worn off yet because I still enjoy it all. 

Where do I want to go from here? Dunno. I'm still trying to figure that out but I feel in my gut that I will one day make a hell of a brewer. The owner or the company tells me that's not where the money is and I understand that. I've been where the money is and I left it behind to be happy.    

What have I learned? I don't even know where to start. I have gained so much industry knowledge and I feel that I haven't even scratched the surface. I'm so hungry to learn every ounce of information out there. I know that's impossible but I'm sure gonna try. Industry knowledge is very important but my greatest lessons learned are about life. Doesn't that sound like a deep thought by Jack Handy? Hey, it's the truth. I've learned that happiness is more important than dollars. I've learned that taking risks pays off. I've learned that there is such a thing as a job that doesn't feel like a job. I've learned that I have the best wife in the world for supporting me and allowing me to pursue my dreams. Most importantly, I've learned what it means to be happy. I'll raise my pint to that! Oh, one more thing, I've learned that I don't like drinking beer at 6:45 a.m while the taste of Crest toothpaste is still in my mouth. Guess it could be worse;)      

Day 68 - Not as cool as 69

It has now been 68 days since I quit my job in the insurance world to pursue a dream of working in the craft beer industry. Pursuing my dream has been frustrating, gratifying and humbling all at the same time. There have been times where I wanted to give up on my dream and times where I thought I made the biggest mistake of my life. After making a life changing decision I think those thoughts are natural. In fact, I have given up.  

So, 68 days later, where have I been?  

May 8, 2009: Last day working for "the man"

May 20, 2009: First day volunteering at Thomas Hooker Brewing Company

May 28, 2009: First industry interview - Otter Creek - Epic Fail..arghhh

June 11, 2009: Thomas Hooker Brewing Company offers to pay me money, well, sort of. At least I'm working off my utility bill. 

July 15, 2009: Offer of employment from Thomas Hooker Brewing Company. 

What did that last line say? Yes, beer people, mission accomplished!!! I have given up on the job search because there is no reason to keep looking. I'm the newest full-time employee of Thomas Hooker Brewing Company in Bloomfield, CT. Congratulations to me for taking a chance, pursuing a dream and making it happen. I now firmly believe that when someone makes a decision, shows passion and works hard the world aligns to make dreams come true. Risk is a beautiful thing!  

So, what will I be doing? I'm still discussing my role with the owner but based on what we've discussed, it will be a hybrid role that gets me brewery experience on the business and operations side, which is cool since my MBA won't be a useless piece of paper. At the same time, I'll be helping out on the production floor while learning how to brew with the head brewer. Talk about the best of both worlds! Wait, that's not all, folks. I'll also be helping out with sales and working events, which I am extremely excited for. After all, the craft beer culture is what truly got me to take the leap of faith. Who knows, maybe we'll be able to share a craft beer and chat at your local Beer Fest in the near future.   

What a load off my shoulders! My marriage is still in tact, we didn't touch our savings and I don't have to go back to a cubicle living the "Office Space" life. For those of you who don't work in an office, that movie is spot on and I want nothing to do with it. Adios, Initech.  

Life is good today!   

Week ? - I Lost Track

“Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success. Always be on the lookout for ways to turn a problem into an opportunity for success. Always be on the lookout for ways to nurture your dream.”

- Lao Tzu

Hello, everybody. Sorry for the lack of updates. I've been working my ass off at the brewery over the past few weeks. Watering those dreams so to speak. As I said back in week one, my gut tells me persistence will pay off. I can't say that it's paid off in full as I'm not gainfully employed in the craft beer industry but all of these small steps will land me in a good spot when it's all said and done. It's been nearly two months but I feel good!  

Today was a big day. I woke up early and was feeling a little lazy. To be honest, I really wasn't in the mood to go the brewery. For all of you looking to enter the craft beer industry, take my word for it. Not matter how cool the job there are still days that you don't want to go to work. Regardless, it's a good thing I did! I was one of three people at the brewery today and the Brewmaster, Jay unexpectedly took me under his wing and we brewed an IPA together. What an experience! I learned more in one day than I have in a year and a half of home brewing. Sounds like a good day doesn't it, beer people? Well, that's not it. Jay said he saw something in me from day one and he's going to have a chat with the owner to see if I can help out brewing more often. How can I explain my excitement? Let me try...I think my head is gonna blow off my fuckin' shoulders!!! It's likely that I won't get paid on brew days but who cares. In my opinion, I'm getting invaluable experience and this is way cheaper than paying several thousand dollars to go to UC Davis or Siebel. Beyond that I have two more pieces of information to share:

1) Brendan, who keeps Hooker running with his mechanical and operational knowledge has a contact, Steve who used to brew for Allagash and Harpoon. Brendan offered to send my information to Steve to see if he knows of any potential opportunities. 

2) I sent several blind resumes and cover letters to brewery's around the country last week. As I suspected, most did not respond. Most, I said. Palmetto Brewing Company in Charleston, South Carolina responded and my information has been passed to the Brewmaster. Small chance but at least it's a chance.  

 

Dare I say I'm on my way? Let's hope.   

I hope to have more brewing news next time I post. Jay plans to talk to the owner of Hooker Friday so I hope to have some good news when I work Monday. Wish me luck! 

"Too many people are thinking of security instead of opportunity. They seem more afraid of life than death."

-James F. Byrnes

Dear Craft Beer,

WARNING: READ AT YOUR OWN RISK! THIS BLOG POST IS EXTREMELY DISTURBING. I MIGHT HAVE LOST MY MIND SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY.  

We have now been together for several years and I think it's about time I tell you how I really feel. It hit me after 7 weeks that you might not understand my passion, commitment and loyalty. After all, men get a bad wrap when it comes to relationships. Really, I'm different than all those other guys.   

Our relationship started in 2000 when Sam Adams took Clemson, South Carolina by storm. After taking my first sip of flavorful beer I knew we would be together for a long time. College can be difficult for young men. I don't think anyone is meant to be in a relationship during this time. My commitment might have swayed during those years but my heart was always with you. Your white trash cousin, yellow fizzy beer seduced me and I gave in more than I should have. I know this is hard to read but my relationship with yellow fizzy beer was strictly physical. Look, I was young and easily influenced. I was lonely and she was a cheap date. Her cans were round and convenient and her body was thin and crisp. I soon learned that I was messing with the devil as each morning greeted me with what felt like a punch to the face. It was time to change my ways. 

   

It's now been 9 years since your no good cousin left my life and I dedicate my time and energy to spending each day with you, but I still feel like you are distant. I relentlessly send my qualifications to your creators with no response. I thought craft beer culture was welcoming and understanding. Remember how difficult it was in the 80's when you were trying to get the ball rolling? All you needed was a chance and you got it. Now look where you are; taking the world by storm. I know you don't owe me anything and it takes nothing but hard work and dedication to succeed. Let me tell you something, hard work and dedication is what I am all about. 

Until a few months ago, I spent a lot of time with UnitedHealth Group. I knew from the start that we weren't meant to be together. Our conversation was dry, boring and regulated. Her friends were fat, pretentious and lacked ethics. This is not me and I set out to find you. Within days I was tracking you down and you were only 10 miles away. I started volunteering at Thomas Hooker Brewing Company and it has been a wonderful experience. I am now getting paid but my money goes to my landlord, who also happens to own the brewery. It's like an unhealthy relationship. Thomas Hooker uses me for my services and I use them to get some experience. Don't get the wrong impression. I don't date men. Thomas Hooker has become a close friend but it's not my path to marital bliss. 

So, big deal. I quit my job in a recession and turned my life upside down. Well, craft beer, I did this all for you. To show you my passion and dedication I gave up my car and ride my bike everywhere, including the brewery. Cable television has gone out the window and I spend countless hours in front of the computer searching for an opportunity. I know we are meant to be together as my nights are sleepless looking forward to the day we unite. My days are spent reading about you, studying you, spending my last dollars on you, drinking you, talking about you and making lesser versions of you. I respect you whether you are short and round or tall and skinny, when you are sweet or bitter, light or heavy. It used to be what's on the outside that counted but I now know it's what's on the inside that matters. 

I hope this letter has answered some questions about my commitment to you. I'm sure you still have questions around my qualifications and skills and that is fine. I feel it's best to talk about things and we should do that. Give me a call and you won't be disappointed. Please, craft beer, give me a chance. It will be the best decision you ever made.     

Truly yours,

Burr Street Brew Blog (BsBB)

Email: burrstreetbrewblog@gmail.com

Twitter: burrstbrewblog

 

American Craft Beer Festival

Last weekend, Beer Advocate brought craft beer enthusiasts together under one roof to celebrate American craft beer at the second annual American Craft Beer Festival in Boston. For those of you who attended, I hope you had as much fun as we did. For those of you who missed the event, I hope you do everything in your power to attend next year. Rumor has it, Beer Advocate is already talking expansion. I don't think they'll have an option as 9,600 tickets were scanned over three sessions. With numbers like this I think New England can say that we have our own little version of the GABF!

Here are a few thoughts that I took away from the ACBF. 

1) Don't go to a beer festival with a group of 14 people. For some reason it sounded like a great idea but it was a logistical nightmare. Our session had 3,800 people. We all arrived at different times and rarely had the group together. Think that is bad, try getting 14 people to agree on a post beer fest meal. I wish I had a video camera for that debacle. 

2) I wish there were more brewery representatives at the festival. For a festival of this size I was really hoping to see more industry names like Sam Calagione and Greg Koch.  On the other hand, the festival was packed and it's not the place to strike up a riveting conversation. Not a big deal. I can't say that there weren't any big names as I did see Richard Norgrove and Shaun O'Sullivan was rumored to be in attendance. Here is a picture I tried to take of Richard Norgrove. Sorry for the poor quality but the  Bear Republic table was packed!   

 

3) What an amazing selection of American craft beer to sample. I'm glad we had 3.5 hours because we needed every last second to finish our ambitious list. For a full list of breweries who attended, click here. Here is a list of my top 5 beers, in no particular order, but let me say one thing, I love me a Belgium IPA!

a)  Allagash, Hugh Malone, Belgium IPA

b) Otter Creek, Russian Imperial Stout

c) Odell Brewing Company, India Pale Ale

d) Smuttynose, Gravitation

e) Weyerbacher, Zotten

Notables: Sam Adams India Pale Ale and Dunkelweizen. I hope both of these go into production because they were great beers! My third beer of the night was Speakeasy IPA. Pleasantly surprised! How did I miss that when I was in San Fran? Finally, Mayflower Brewing Company has hit the nail on the head with all of their offerings. 

4) Up and coming brewery - Pretty Things Beer and Ale project. Three letters: W-O-W! Do you want artisanal beer? Find a bottle of Pretty Things! Pretty Things was at the top of my list when we arrived and they did not disappoint.  Pretty Things currently rents brew space where brewer, Dann Pauquette works his magic. I have a feeling Dann and Martha will be looking for their own space soon as they have a truly unique product that beer geeks everywhere will go crazy for. Dann, Martha, when will you be available in CT? Good luck, Pretty Things!      

It was great to see so many craft beer enthusiasts under one roof. Generally speaking, breweries were friendly, guests behaved, volunteers were helpful, bathrooms were plentiful and lines moved fast. It is exciting to see the craft beer scene growing in New England! 

Here are a few more pictures from the event:

This is the view from the back of the room 15 minutes in. 

Last call at 9:30. 3,800 people hitting the streets of Boston in search of a much needed meal...and beer 

Taking craft beer by storm! Who the hell took this picture? Too drunk to zoom? 

Week 6 - Each week brings a little progress

It's Friday afternoon and I'm sitting here all by myself. Well, my cat is around here somewhere but he has little to offer the world. It's funny how I still can't wait for Friday even though I'm out of work. Guess there is just something special about Friday. To me, Friday is craft beer day. I usually don't drink during the week so I desperately look forward to Friday. The funny thing is, now that I have time off, my first beer comes earlier and earlier. Guess it's one of the benefits to having excess spare time. It's now 2:41 p.m. and this is my companion. 

 

The job search is slow but I'm not going into great detail this week. I'll note a few areas of progress. I'm now "the man" on the labeler at the brewery. Obviously, going forward, Thomas Hooker won't be able to operate without my newly developed skills. Ok, so I fucked it up a time or two but nothing major. We have been pumping out the pallets like nobody's business. The work has been fun and I look forward to each day. I was talking to the Master Brewer on Wednesday and he invited me to come in on a brew day to help brew. I'll be lining that up soon. In the meantime, I'll be working on these - 1.5 cases of Blonde and 1.5 cases of IPA. The Blonde might be donated to someone who needs to be weaned off macro's. 

I put these labels on - no big deal!  

On another note, Facebook is a funny place. My cousin, who I have not spoken to in years sent me a message last night. He has a "beer geek" friend who writes a beer column for the Waterbury Republican. My cousin is going to put us in touch. I don't know what will come of this but it's a lead and I'll take it. Maybe he'll be intrigued by my crazy ass decision and write about me and my pursuit of a dream. I'll let you know if anything comes from the conversation. 

Now, let me get to the pictures I've promised. I took pictures of the brewery on my cell phone this week and sent them to my Verizon account. I have been trying to save them/send them so I can post them on my blog but I can't. My only options are to view them through my account or order prints. Tell me, who the hell orders prints anymore? I can't believe that I can't even send myself MY pictures from MY account. Anyway, I documented my journey to the brewery the other day. This might not sound like much but it is. Actually, I call it dedication. When I quit my job I sacrificed my car among other things. I ride my bicycle everywhere! To some this might sound like hell but I enjoy it. Other than beer, running and biking are major hobbies i.e. no drinking during the week. Here are a few pics of my ride to work. In the meantime, I'll see if I can get brewery pics off Verizon's site.  

My bike and messenger bag with the essentials

Boots, Buck knife, hat, extra shirt and a sandwich. Ready to go! 

View of downtown Hartford from Prospect Avenue. 

The rich neighborhood. Overkill? 

Ok, so I'm the ass hole riding his bike down a busy 2 lane road. Look, it's for a good cause! 

I've arrived in Bloomfield, 10 miles and 35 minutes later. 

Front entrance of the brewery. 

Back home after a 9 hour bottling run. Left the boots at work to get the goods home!  

It's now 4:00. Blogger sucks for moving images around. We are off to Beer Advocate's American Craft Beer Festival this weekend. We'll be the group of 14 with huge smiles on our faces hanging out by the Hair of the Dog Brewing Company table. Don't worry, we won't block you. Hope to see you there.  

Week 5 - Ups and Downs

It's now been 5 weeks since I left my job in the insurance industry. I've said on this blog time and time again that the job search won't be easy. It's even harder to get myself to believe it while staying patient. For those of you who don't know me, I'm a go getter and don't like to wait for anything. Maybe by the end of this process patience will one of my strongest traits. 

The past 5 weeks have been a complex mind game. One week I'm going full speed into the craft beer industry and the next week I'm wondering if I've lost my mind. I keep wondering if I'm being selfish for pursuing a dream job. After all, I'm happy in every aspect of my life other than work. Is it selfish to believe that I deserve happiness even at work? How many people are actually happy with what they do for a living? Look, we only live once so why be miserable at work when so many hours are spent there? I'm not going back on my word to find a job in the craft beer industry but these are some of the thoughts that have been running through my head. Then there are the finances. I think a lot of my second guessing comes from the things I have given up and now miss. No matter how you look at it, going from a MBA paying job to zero dollars is hard. I keep telling myself that happiness is more important than money. After all, that is why I made this decision in the first place. I believe that decent money will follow but I'll have to be patient. Arghhh - that word again! 

Speaking of money, I have made some financial progress in the past few days. Thomas Hooker Brewing Company has offered to pay me for my services at the brewery. I'll be doing many of the activities that I've been doing while volunteering but now I'll actually get money for it. Thankfully, one of these activities includes drinking beer. I think this is a great step toward finding an industry job as I can now say that I work for a brewery. Technically, you can even say that I have found a job in the craft beer industry since I'm getting paid for my services (not as a Hooker). I don't think it will be a 40 hour a week thing and we are currently discussing a schedule. It's a great opportunity but to be honest, it's kind of bittersweet since the owner is also my landlord. Regardless, it puts a few bucks in my pocket while I continue my job search. 

So, things are progressing. I'm now getting paid by a brewery while gaining valuable experience. My search continues to find a job in the craft beer industry despite the limited number of job postings. I'll be at Beer Advocate's American Craft Beer Festival in Boston on June 20 where I plan to network as much as possible. If I can get a few contact names I'll happy. Pictures are coming, I promise!