“Oh you can go to the East
Go to the West
But someday you’ll come
Weary at heart
Back where you started from
You’ll find your happiness lies
Right under your eyes…”
I am thrilled with the opportunity to share my story about my fondness for beer. I have had some extraordinary experiences while on my journey to Bell Tower Brewing Co. This blog post is where I give you a glimpse into some life-changing moments that inevitably shaped who I am, as a brewer.
My journey started innocently enough when my Dad and I discovered Bavarian Schweizerhof-Bräu at Rudi’s Beer and Steak Garden (1995). It was a refreshing “premium lager beer” and was packaged in ceramic flip-top style bottles that were too cool not to hoard. I hoarded a LOT of them with the very loose plan to brew and bottle my own beer someday.
Three years later, I brewed my first batch – a Bass Ale clone found in the recipe archive at Grape and Granary. I don’t remember the beer being great, but the entire process consumed me. That year, I permanently borrowed some brewing equipment from a friend and started homebrewing regularly. My newfound pastime quickly became my “professional hobby.” I loved sharing homebrews and talking about beer! At the time, I could not have guessed that my young fascination for the magic of fermentation would invariably shape my desire and determination to pursue a career as a professional brewer. Time would tell, but until then there was a whole new world of brewing I would come to discover.
I did not become involved with a homebrewing community until life brought me to Cincinnati in 2002 where I joined the Bloatarian Brewing League. Full. Geek. On! It was an eye-opening experience to be surrounded by so many people gushing about beer. The energy at those meetings was intoxicating. Every meeting was a chance to ask more questions, soak up more knowledge and taste more variations of beer. It didn’t take long after that initial meeting that I made the leap from extract to all-grain brewing which, I have to say, was as invigorating as it was daunting. Brewing did not come easily for me, but my charisma made up for what I lacked and I was lucky enough to receive a great deal of encouragement and guidance from some amazing brewers. I also learned about competitive brewing; how competitions are run, how beer is entered, how beer is packaged and how beer is judged. I passed the hardest test I’ve ever taken and became a Certified Beer Judge in 2007. The Beer Judge Certification Program gave me some invaluable tools that I continually try to keep sharp. There is much more to be said about this program’s influence, but I digress…
I moved back to Kent in 2010…and this is where I tell you that my dream to open a brewery really started with trying to figure out why Kent didn’t already have a brewery and how I figure out how to get a job in one so that I could learn what it would take to bring Kent some fresh, local beer. The Craft Beer Revolution was in its infancy in Ohio with just a smattering of breweries to be found, which, in retrospect, narrowed down my options for seeking out a brewery to hire me. I was very naïve, but I was utterly determined to persevere. I volunteered on both Hoppin Frog’s and Thirsty Dog’s bottling lines and took a data entry job at LD Carlson (a major wholesale supplier for homebrew stores) just to stay close to beer. I traveled to Akron, but mostly to Cleveland, to judge beer and try to stay involved in the homebrewing community. I passed another beer exam in 2011 to become a Certified Cicerone. The same year, Andy Tveekrem gave me my golden opportunity to learn the commercial side of brewing as his assistant at Market Garden.
The years I spent brewing in Cleveland were very proud years for me. It was a tremendous feeling to be part of the birth of a brewpub while witnessing the re-birth of America’s flavorful brewing tradition. My brewing skills were continuously challenged and sharpened as I became more acclimated with brewing and cellaring equipment, processes and environments. I also had the opportunity to nurture my creative, adventurous brewing side at Nano Brew Cleveland. I embraced it with gusto, even experimenting with kombucha and traditional sours.
My vision for a brewery in Kent was no secret to anyone who knew me. In 2015, I was in the midst of entertaining a serious discussion about my vision when I was approached with an opportunity to help a small brewery transition from a 1.5 bbl to a 15 bbl brewhouse. It was a contractual head brewer position and the opportunity fit perfectly with the timing of the Kent brewery which was looking to be at least a year of planning. I decided to move south and explore the Belgian beers at Rockmill while working out the finer details of the plan in Kent.
So many times we dream of dreams only to realize it was just a dream. I moved back to Kent and watched my first dream fade away…then a second partnership fizzled, then a third…I was forlorn to say the least. 2016 was a slow moving year for me, but I kept the homebrew flowing and tried to keep busy straddling both the homebrewing and professional brewing communities. I was invited to re-ignite a social network for aspiring brewers in planning to meet other brewing professionals. We met monthly to share beers and stories, to give and get advice. I won’t lie here…That group saved my sanity and I took full advantage of being able to keep myself in the game and learning more about opening a brewery. This. I miss. So much. (Thanks, Covid.) And then in the midst of this newfound community, yet another meeting with a young man who shares a vision of a brewery in Kent, so close to my own.
I haven’t brewed in many places like many of my colleagues, mostly because I didn’t seek many places to be outside of Kent. Every path that I have followed throughout my years of brewing has brought me back to this place – Kent, Ohio. This is my hometown. This is where I want to be brewing.
“The birds with feathers of blue are waiting for you back in your own backyard…”
Billie Holiday