Mitch Ermatinger - Speciation Artisan Ales

To steal a quote from Greg Koch, founder of Stone Brewing Co., "this beer from Speciation is an awesome example of why the craft brewing industry is so awesome right now."  When pressed further, Koch says "because things like Speciation can exist.  Even just a few years ago, no one would have bought this.  Today, thankfully, people have wised up a little bit as populists.  They're like, 'wait a minute - that crazy thing that one guy is doing at that one place all by himself, it's kind of delicious.' So that's why it's awesome."  It is pretty cool that one year in, Mitch, that guy by himself in that place he makes beer in, is getting the attention of not only locals and other craft beer friends, but some of the biggest and most influential presences in the industry.  This, all while bottling, label, corking, and wire capping each and every bottle by hand - a far cry from Greg's multiple state of the art breweries across the world.  

Mitch is connecting with people.  He's doing so by creating beautiful and innovative beer, exploring terroir, and filling a gap for sour beer lovers in a state dominated by Founders and Bell's.  Speciation has found itself rated amongst the top breweries in the world  on Untappd for months and it's clear this success isn't going to stop.  They're expanding production, exploring new concepts and ideas, and playing more with oak in the coming months. Speciation is only getting started and Mitch is riding his forklift into the next level.  It's a great time to be alive for craft beer fans, Speciation is a shining example of why. 

Cheers,

Craft Commander

Council Brewing Co.

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

Karl Volstad & Evan Miller - Founders Civil Society Brewing Co.

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

Jeff Mello - Bootleg Biology

Homebrewing and small scale experimentation is pushing the envelope in brewing.  The lack of a production schedule and a required consistent core line-up allows small scale non-professional brewers and some pro brewers to explore technique, develop styles, and go out and find yeast cultures that most pro brewers don't have the time or ability to play with.  Jeff is one of those homebrewers turned "yeast wizard" that is pushing beer forward.  Culturing wild yeast, working to catalog yeast in every zip code and internationally, and most importantly, reminding brewers to constantly evolve and learn.  He's a steward of the craft and for all the right reasons.  This chat was fun and insightful but most of all, inspirational.  Jeff was a reminder of why craft beer has become such a large part of our lives and why we're excited to see what breweries that make the time and space for exploration in yeast and fermentation are going to come up with next.  If you brew, check out Jeff's site.  Buy the yeast wrangling kit. Buy one his proprietary cultures.  Brew a beer completely unique to yourself.  Contribute to his project and be a part of brewing history.  Most of all, explore the craft - the sky's the limit.

Cheers,

Craft Commander

Gerard Olson & Daniel Endicott - Founders of Forest & Main Brewing Company

Unique.  Unapologetic.  Creative.  Magic.

Forest and Main is a wonderfully complex brewery.  This complexity is not only found in the beautiful liquid that has garnered Gerard and Dan, the founders, critical acclaim and fandom across the world.  You can find it in the labels that Dan paints himself and which tell a story that evolves as time moves forward.  You can find it in the beautiful Victorian house Forest and Main calls home.  You can find it in the two owners and their band, their love for Belgian and English beers, their desire to fully immerse themselves into any and all endeavors, and finally in their execution of the "split house" which is Forest and Main.  

Things like creating vintages of beer through the use of locally foraged yeast, captured every year, act as a snapshot of their community.  Forest and Main relies upon the community which surrounds its taproom to survive.  They're in love with the romantic idea that they can supply their neighbors, family, and friends with this piece of the puzzle of their lives.  As Dan put it during our chat, as much as the brewery was theirs as they planned, brewed, and built it, it has since become their community's.  That's one lucky community. 

Cheers,

Craft Commander

Troy Casey - Founder Casey Brewing & Blending

If you've had any of Troy's beer, you know why people drive hours for a bottle.  You understand that each bottle contains a 750ml picture of Glenwood Springs, CO, represented by microflora, grains, and fruit from surrounding farms.  So incredibly balanced, complex, and thought provoking.  Delicate and purposeful.  The beers are just beautiful.  

Troy's been lauded as one of the best brewers in the country - the attention to detail and precision he employs in the production of the at times untamable wild ales he's producing only helping support that notion.  While he quickly shrugs off that assertion early on in our chat, Casey Brewing & Blending is just one of those breweries that stands out amongst an ever-growing crowd.  Catch our chat hear to learn more about Troy, his brewery, and what goes in to making these truly world class beers.   

Cheers,

Craft Commander

Eric Drew - Casa Agria Specialty Ales

A sense of place - terroir.  A phrase brewers around the country are keeping at the forefront of their minds.  Striving to embrace, represent, and showcase that sense of place is driving wild and sour beer producers in their pursuit of being something truly unique.  As Casa Agria became closer to being a reality, the phrase became a mantra.  For Casa Agria, being regional and showcasing terroir doesn't necessarily mean only using local fruit, grain or hops, it's the presentation of who and what has shaped the culture Ventura County. Not limiting themselves to strict style guidelines allows them to continue to shape their beers into just that - a sense of place.

Sit back, relax, grab a beer, and enjoy.  Casa Agria is creating some exciting beer already and it's only the beginning.

Cheers,

Craft Commander

Creature Comforts Brewing Co.

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

Kevin Osborne - Cellador Ales

As craft beer continues to become increasing regional and even local, breweries like Cellador will become increasingly more abundant.  Small batch wild ales which seek to express a time and place displaying the identity of the brewer and the locality.  Most of all, breweries like Cellador don't believe in rules and style guidelines - it's all about creating an experience.  The approach is catching on and the beers we're seeing around the country are becoming more expressive than ever before.  Kevin Osborne, the man responsible for the beers that will soon come out of the brewery, is taking this opportunity and running with it.  The beers are balanced, tart, refreshing, and complex.  They look beautiful in the glass and have wonderful aromas.  We're excited for Kevin and Cellador and we can't wait to see where the brewery is this time next year.  Reach out to Kevin, go try some beer before they open, and last but not least, watch this conversation to learn about Cellador, brewing these beers, and what we can expect from the brewery going forward.

Cheers,

Craft Commander

Ashley Smith - Brewer Cigar City Brewing

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

Joey Redner & Justin Clark - Cigar City Brewing and Florida Craft Beer Legislation

Florida craft beer has been facing an uphill battle in Tallahassee over the past couple years as the market share being taken over by craft beer continues to grow.  Large breweries and distributors have used longstanding political influence to do what they can to stunt the growth of this craft beer boom.  Sadly, rather than evolve and grow, these dinosaurs are trying to legislate out the competition.  This is about as un-American as it comes.  This can not be tolerated.  This must be fought.

Breweries like Cigar City, Florida's craft beer leaders, have learned very quickly that the challenge is a real one.  Millions of dollars are being funneled into the attack by big beer and age-old relationships between big beer and the legislature have forced the young craft beer industry to grow up quickly.  A real life David and Goliath is unfolding right before our eyes here in Florida.  David, armed with integrity, innovation, and the support of a generation seems poised to ensure the outcome remains the same as it did in the age old story.  Just look at the growth in the last 5 years.  Look at the movement and the way our generation has embraced craft beer.  It's not a coincidence and it's not a surprise.

Cigar City has been the catalyst for economic growth for the bay area and the state, has employed hundreds of local people, has increased tourism in a state that prides itself on it, and among other things, has become a source of pride for many Floridians.  Through hard work and dedication, Cigar City is leading by example and paving the way for the other breweries who have opened and will open in the coming years.

The legislature needs to see what a great industry ours is and what a benefit to Florida helping craft beer along can be.  I think they are.  I know they will.  Florida craft beer is here to stay. 

Cheers,

Craft Commander