Craft Commander

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Chad Yakobsen - Founder Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project

January 25, 2017 by Marco Leyte-Vidal

When art and science collide, you get Crooked Stave.  It's a delicate balance between creativity, exploration, precision, and hyper technical attention to detail that sets Chad Yakobsen's beautiful project apart from the pack.  Chad, if you didn't know, is an expert on all things brettanomyces.  He's written a dissertation on it, he's brewed countless beers with it, and he's quite frankly, one of the most proficient users of wild yeast and bacteria in the country.  If you couldn't tell - I am in love with his brewery and have the utmost respect for what he's able to produce there on a consistent basis.  On a personal level, the brewery is inspirational and thought provoking - but on a global scale, Crooked Stave is incredibly important to the wild and sour beer industry, as they put their phenomenal beers on shelves across the country and pushing the styles forward into the mainstream for all to enjoy.  Sit back, relax, and enjoy our chat.  You even get a small tour of Chad's house in the process! 

Cheers,

Craft Commander

 

 

January 25, 2017 /Marco Leyte-Vidal
Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project, Crooked Stave, Chad YAkobsen, IPA, Wild Ale, Sour Beer, Craft Commadner, Craft commander, IamCraftbeer, Craft Beer, Beer, Brewing
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Council Brewing Co.

December 01, 2016 by Marco Leyte-Vidal

Focused. Driven. Passionate. Creative. Hungry. All adjectives that can be interchanged or used in tandem to describe the people behind the beer at Council Brewing Co.  Husband and wife team Curtis & Liz Chism (CEO & Head Brewer, respectively) and Jeff Crane ("The Wild Man") are responsible for producing not only aggressively hopped West Coast IPAs but also for producing an impressive lineup of fruited sour and wild ales, led by Beatitude, a 4.5% tart saison.  They brew beers to drink by the glass.  Beers that can be dissected or enjoyed without a thought.  They're beers for beer nerds and new beer drinkers alike.  Beers that are complex and approachable all at once.  If you couldn't tell, we love them.

The trio, each with their own unique personality and perspective, brings something different to the table.  All complementing the other and putting their mark on the end product.  Liz and Curtis, BJCP judges extremely critical of each and every batch, ensure that what you have in that glass in front of you is special.  Still, it's not just about the beer.  They're people's people.  They treat their employees like family.  Most importantly, they love their fans and anyone who walks in the doors of the brewery for the first time, just the same.  The embodiment of what craft beer is about. 

Cheers,

Craft Commander

December 01, 2016 /Marco Leyte-Vidal
council brewing, craft commander, craft beer, iamcraftbeer, brewing, beatitude, IPA, sour beer, wild ale, brettanomyces, Liz chism, Curtis Chism, Jeffrey Crane
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Karl Volstad & Evan Miller - Founders Civil Society Brewing Co.

September 28, 2016 by Marco Leyte-Vidal

Hops are king at Civil Society.  They stand front and center, grab your attention, and satisfy your craving for those tropical juice bombs hop heads have come to love.  While they've built a strong following for their hoppy beers, the rest of the offerings on the menu are well made, balanced, and just as exciting.  The trio of founders never worked in a professional brewery before opening Civil Society.  Karl homebrewed among other things, Evan worked on yachts, lost at sea for months at a time, and Chris, pitched in the major leagues, spending time with the Marlins.  Yet, even with no professional brewing experience, the group brought the required skills to run a successful brewery to the table.  Lots of brewing experience and a seafaring fixer ready to tackle the day to day set up and mechanical issues most brewers have to pay someone to figure out.   Even more important, they have a thirst for knowledge and perfection that is the driving force behind their brewery.  Beers like Fresh, brewed over and over, making seemingly minor improvements each time, each one leading to a higher quality product.  It's that kind of attention to detail that is bringing the early success that the brewery is enjoying and will continue to ensure their growth in the industry. Find their beer but first enjoy our chat!

Cheers,

Craft Commander

September 28, 2016 /Marco Leyte-Vidal
civil society brewing, civil society, IPA, hops, boynton beach, Beer, Craft Beer, IamCraftBeer, brewing
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Creature Comforts Brewing Co.

April 24, 2016 by Marco Leyte-Vidal

Starting a business is tough.  Starting a brewery is tougher.  Add to that starting a brewery in a state whose laws are some of the toughest in the country and you've got a real challenge in front of you.  Yet, it's this inherent difficulty in opening a brewery in Georgia that is a true testament to what Creature Comforts is capable of.  The South is coming in to it's own in terms of craft beer and at the forefront of that charge are breweries like Creature Comforts.  The guys are pushing the envelope by developing a complex and growing sour and wild beer program all while continuing to impress with their beautiful and balanced clean offerings.  They're making a name for themselves and helping the South continue to grow into a wonderful and diverse beer region.  Point is, despite the challenges, Creature Comforts is here to stay.  We're glad they are.  Tropicalia, their ever popular IPA justifiably sells out almost immediately in bars around town and cans have become trade bait for those lucky enough to find a fresh six.  The rest of their portfolio is no different.  Find some and drink it, you'll be glad you did.

Join us as we chat about the beginning and future of the brewery and some of the beers that have made them famous.  We hope you enjoy watching our chat as much as we enjoyed having it.

Cheers,

Craft Commander

 

April 24, 2016 /Marco Leyte-Vidal
Creature Comforts, Creature Comforts Brewing, Tropicalia, IPA, Athens, craft beer, iamcraftbeer, craft commander, brewing, beer
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Peter Bissell - Bissell Brothers Brewing

March 09, 2016 by Marco Leyte-Vidal

Bissell Brothers is quickly making a name for itself by producing some of the best hop forward ales around.  Hazy, juicy, fruity, a soft mouthfeel, and incredibly aromatic, the beers are just beautiful.  They're also as "to the point" as Peter is - they are what they are and there's no excuses being made.  It's incredibly refreshing both literally and figuratively.  

With no commercial brewing experience in either brother's resume the move into Bissell Brothers Brewing was gutsy.  There would be no easy fix when things went wrong, there would be no pedigree to draw upon when seeking capital, and everything would a first time thing.  Huge hurdles by any account; yet, after chatting with Peter, these things seem like positives to a certain degree for the brothers.  It gave them a blank slate to work from and zero pre-conceived notions of how things had traditionally been done.  In other words, it set the stage for creativity and a hunger to succeed which has propelled Bissell Brothers into an expansion and incredible growth just two years in.  It's just the beginning for Bissell Brothers and we can't wait to see where they end up!

Cheers,

Craft Commander

March 09, 2016 /Marco Leyte-Vidal
bissell brothers, bissell, Craft Commander, Craft beer, iamcraftbeer, brewery, beer, IPA, hazy
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Ashley Smith - Brewer Cigar City Brewing

January 22, 2016 by Marco Leyte-Vidal

Cigar City Brewing has led the charge for craft brewers in Florida.  Not only leading by example in the brewing process, ensuring quality and consistency from beer to beer, but also in their advocacy of the issues that face the industry in our state.  It's not luck that has allowed their rapid growth and place of importance in the country's brewing culture.  With that, Cigar City has continued to build on their facility, improve their process, and make additions to their team that will bring new perspectives and enhance the quality of the product leaving the brewery.  Ashley is the latest addition to the brewing team.  She brings a west coast perspective to an east coast juggernaut.  She brings an attention to detail and love for brewing to enhance an already meticulous and passionate team. Most of all, she's just awesome. We chatted with Ashley about all things beer, the future at Cigar City, the importance of women in the industry, and "brewpies".  We hope you enjoy.

Cheers,

Craft Commander

 

January 22, 2016 /Marco Leyte-Vidal
Craft commander, IamCraftBeer, beer, ashley smith, Cigar City Brewing, cigar city, uinta, brewing, IPA
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Steve Theoharides - Brewer of Harpoon Brewery

December 09, 2014 by Marco Leyte-Vidal

1986.  That's before many of the people who are reading this were even born.  That's when Harpoon started establishing itself as a "Boston Institution" and engraining itself into the fabric of what Boston represents.  We dare you to go to Boston and find one self respecting restaurant or bar that doesn't have Harpoon available.  They hold a true sense of pride for their community and the people that make it up.  A community that holds strength and resiliency at its core.  It's a large part of who Harpoon is.  Leading craft beer as a whole not only by the quantity of beer they produce but more importantly in a fashion that should be a required trait by anyone considered to be a "leader": by example.  

Without Harpoon and the other breweries sitting atop the craft industry mountain with them putting in the time and committing themselves to quality above all else, there arguably is no micro brewery boom today.  In a culture of "what's next" we need to make sure that respect is paid to those who paved the way for this culture to exist in the first place.  Harpoon continues to dominate the industry not simply because they're one of the "biggest", it's because their product speaks for itself and it really is just that good.

With the emphasis at Harpoon being on quality and balance in their product, they couldn't have picked a better person to be at the helm.  Steve exemplifies the traits we've come to associate with Harpoon: class, experience, creativity, and attention to detail.  As the brewer, he sets an example that should be held to the highest regard by upstart breweries and the fans who follow them.  The responsibility associated with being one of the first and one of the best rests heavily on Steve's shoulders every day when he goes to work.  It's a responsibility he does not take lightly.  It's a responsibility he gladly accepts.  It shows in the product he proudly stands behind.

A great person behind a great product.  A person and a brewery we're proud to put on display.  Harpoon.

Cheers,

Craft Commander

December 09, 2014 /Marco Leyte-Vidal
harpoon, harpoon brewery, steve theoharides, craft commander, craft beer, beer, IPA, Boston
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