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!    

 

Week 4 - One down and more to come

Image from Google Images

The past few weeks have been interesting to say the least. Let me start with my volunteer work. I have been going over to Hooker at least once a week to help out around the brewery. A few people asked for pictures but I failed. Sorry, beer people. I forgot my camera yesterday but it's probably a good thing as I had to ride home in a constant rain. In my short time I have already determined which jobs to avoid. I'm not getting paid so I try to push keg washing and filling to the interns. After all, they're just there to make a buck and don't really care what they are doing as long as they get a free case at the end of the week. As for my work, I enjoy the bottling line and filling the kegs although, nothing beats standing around talking shop with the master brewer while taking in the hop aroma that permeates the air on brew day. Overall, working at Hooker is like witnessing a large home brew operation. Sometimes I think it's amazing that small packaging breweries can make in the industry. There are so many limitations that a small brewery has to face.  Maybe the staff limitation will work to my benefit at the end of the summer. The interns have to go back to school and Hooker will need someone to man the bottling operation if they plan to bottle everything in house. Not my dream job but a step in the right direction.  

Now for real job information. I had my first industry interview last week at a craft brewery in Vermont. The interview was for a Sales Rep position working Connecticut and Western Mass. In my opinion, there is no better way to spread the word of craft beer than selling craft beer itself. The interview went very well. I went to Vermont planning to only meet with the Sales and Marketing Director and ended up meeting with 8 people over four hours including the master brewer, CFO and the CEO. I was feeling pretty confident after the interview as the CEO sent me an email telling me he was impressed by my "know how" and passion for craft beer. As it turns out, the job came down to me and another candidate who had extensive experience working with Connecticut distributors. He/she got the job. I was obviously disappointed but I respect their decision. I chalk it up as a learning experience. Now I know what to look for and expect in future interviews. I'll be in good shape next time the phone rings!   

Overall, I'm happy with where things stand. I'm getting great industry experience working at a brewery and I've already had one industry interview. I've learned so much over the past 4 weeks and I'm positive that I made the right career choice. 

Other than pictures, let me know if there is anything you want to know about the brewery or any of my experiences. I'm heading back to Hooker next week and I'll take a few pictures of the operation. 

My hands are cut, bruised and bloody. Loving it!

Ok, beer people. My volunteer work is in full swing. I'm nearly 15 hours deep over two days. If 15 hours of volunteer work in two days doesn't say dedication I don't know what does.  As I suspected, work at the brewery is tuff but I have loved every second of it. So far I have done some grunt work like making 6 and 12 packs and cleaned kegs. I've also been covered in beer while filling kegs and logs. Bottling operations did not go so smooth. Thursday was Hooker's second bottling run and it was a little shaky...and wet. I manned the labeler and once we got the kinks worked out we were running about 24 bottles per minute. Not bad for the second run but capacity is double that. It's been a great experience so far and I've learned a lot! 

My nails are bloody and my finger tips bruised but I'm going back for more next week. I need a few days in between to work on the craft beer job search. I'm feeling confident as a few positions have opened up. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a call back. Wish me luck. I'll give you more detailed updates on my volunteer work soon. 

Most importantly, what's on tap for this weekend? Mayflower IPA! Made a special trip to MA the other day. I also picked a bottle of Magic Hat's summer seasonal, Wacko. Should be interesting as it falls into the fruit / vegetable beer category. Cheers!     

Week Two - The Search Continues

I just need a foot in the door. Sunday, the door opened just a crack. Thanks to all of you who pushed me to contact Thomas Hooker. I heard back from the owner and all signs point to GO! My first day of volunteer work is 05/20/09. They just brought all bottling operations in house and they're looking for someone to man the line. I can't get him to tell me what time to show up but I'll be there bright and early, eager to lean all that I can.  

As for the actual job search, I knew it wouldn't be easy but I'm up for the challenge. As I mentioned in my last post, there aren't a lot of craft beer jobs in Connecticut. Actually, there are not a lot of craft beer jobs period. What the hell did I do? I need the old job back! Just joking. Its only been a week and a half and I remain extremely positive despite my Harpoon rejection. As I suspected, they're looking for more sales experience. Doesn't drive, determination and passion count for anything anymore? I think it does but I just need to get in front of the right people. As for other leads, one of my favorite breweries in MA is looking to fill a Sales Rep position. Positives - experience not required and they're willing to train. Negatives - the sales territory is Boston and that would be a horrid commute from Hartford no matter how you look at it. What the hell, no harm in sending a resume. I'll worry about the negatives when I need to. As for other leads, I don't have any but I'm looking to create a few. Today, while sitting in the sun people watching and drinking a cold ice tea (ahhhh), I created a list of breweries and brew pubs who I'll be contacting regardless of their hiring status. I've always been told persistence pays off. I'll let you know if that holds true in this case.    

By the way, if you haven't watched the "I Am A Craft Brewer" video yet, do it now. This video shows everything that is right about craft beer. Watch, listen and think about what they are saying. In my opinion, the American Dream still exists. Raise your glass to craft beer. Cheers!    

I Am A Craft Brewer Video

This video was presented by Greg Koch of Stone Brewing at this year's annual Craft Brewers Conference in Boston, MA. In my opinion, this is what's it's all about. This is why I took the risk that I did. You can hear the passion in their voice and see it in their eyes. I want to be a part of this culture! Take a minute, or three and watch the video. It will give you an appreciation for the craft beer industry and all that they stand for. It's also cool to see the face behind the beer. I hope you enjoy this video as much as I do!  

I Am A Craft Brewer from I Am A Craft Brewer on Vimeo.

It all begins here - May 11, 2009

Here it is. The big day. Time to get things started. This is my first official day of unemployment. As I like to put it, the fist day to the rest of my life. There has to be a job out there that will cure my career blues. Hopefully that job is in the craft beer industry. I've been checking industry job postings for several weeks and my options are limited. Connecticut isn't exactly overflowing with craft beer breweries, retailers, etc. so I might have to get creative. My first job might not be my dream job but I need to get my foot in the door to explore my options and network with industry professionals. 

So, on day one where does my job search stand? I've sent one cover letter and resume to Harpoon for a sales position in western Connecticut. Two weeks and one follow up later, still no response. I know HR departments work slow but I'm thinking that this one will not work out, after all, my resume wreaks of insurance. As I work on fixing up my resume I think I might have another option and I would like to get your opinion. My landlord is the owner and President of Thomas Hooker Brewing Company in Bloomfield, CT. Unfortunately, for me, he doesn't have any job opportunities but I'm thinking of asking him if he has any volunteer opportunities. In my opinion, anything that I can put on the resume will be beneficial, even if it's cleaning the mash tun or sweeping the floor. The problem is, I'm a little hesitant to ask. Is it strange to ask my landlord for work when I send him rent money each month? Will he be more concerned with where his rent money is coming from? I'm turning to you, beer people. The email is locked and loaded and I just need to pull the trigger. Is this a lead worth pursuing? 

One last thing. It's funny how things work in this world. My wife recently finished culinary school and has been seeking employment for a few months with little success. A few short days after giving my two weeks notice she got a call for an interview. She starts next Monday. I already feel better about taking this risk.