Creation, innovation, pushing the limits, and supporting the local economy and community. Evan and Emily Watson, the husband wife team behind Plan Bee Farm Brewery are living examples of these words. The proof? They moved to a 1 acre plot of land in Fishkill, NY to start a brewery that produces 1 barrel (~32 gallons) of beer per batch, uses all local New York ingredients, and when possible, ingredients that can be harvested on their own property. To drive the point home, the yeasts strains used in Plan Bee's beers have been harvested from fruits and other things found on their property. The beers are now all fermented using yeasts harvested by Evan and cultivated to produce delicate, balanced, and complex beers. It doesn't get much more local than that. Sure, its harder this way; and, sure it's less profitable, but it's exactly what they want. A product that tastes like where it's from. A beer with a terroir and a sense of place. A product that not only represents their brewery and style but the actual plot of land that birthed its components.

Still, there's much more to it than that. Evan's music (google him, you won't be disappointed) screams America - with a hints of blues, southern rock, gospel, and folk, also reflects the persona behind the Plan Bee beers. A back to the basics, salt of the earth approach to music. It's raw and passionate. Again, creation and creativity stand at the forefront. As Evan puts it, anything can be influential when brewing his beers, including music and arts.

As Plan Bee looks to expand, their goals are not driven by money. In fact, Evan still wants nothing to do with distribution. Instead, he wants to continue to be the one who hands his customers his product and drinks them on the property they own. The expansion, if and when it happens, will instead look like 20-30 acres of land where Evan can grow each and every component of his beer with a large building where people can share beer and enjoy themselves, and where Evan can Emily can be a part of the local economy and, more importantly, community. This product is more than just a beer it's Evan's artistic interpretation of where he is literally and spiritually. Plan Bee truly is art in a glass. We hope you enjoy this conversation.

Cheers!

The first time I ever went to the Funky Buddha Lounge I had something called the Maple Bacon Coffee Porter. Except there was no long lines and nobody showing up at 4 a.m. and waiting by the door (like there are now when it's available) - it was me, my wife , and a couple snifters of a drink unlike any I'd ever had before it. It had a sweet molasses and maple nose, a chewy almost syrupy consistency, and the taste had hints of smoky bacon and lingering coffee. It was breakfast in a glass. I honestly couldn't believe those flavors were possible to recreate in a beer, let alone successfully. But it was. Ryan and the guys at Funky Buddha seem to do this time and time again - recreating familiar tastes and smells in beer - like their no crusts, a peanut butter and jelly brown ale, and their chocolate cherry porter, both of which taste exactly like their names.

What I found the most interesting was the importance of family and camaraderie in the brewery. Fermenters named after family members and family dogs, two brothers running the show, and a sense of family between the employees who worked even through a 30 minute power outage to make sure that what needed to get done got done. Even through their rapid rise in popularity, they're guys that haven't forgotten where they came from and haven't grown any egos or illusions of grandeur. Still, they do what they want to do how they want to do it and don't make any apologies for it. It's why they've grown so fast and been propelled into international acclaim and why everyone wants a bottle of the infamous maple bacon coffee porter and it's why they'll be around pushing the boundaries in South Florida for a long time to come.

We hope you enjoy listening to our conversation as much as we enjoyed having it.

Cheers!

Craft Commander

Evan Watson - Plan Bee Farm Brewery

Ryan Sentz - Owner/Head Brewer Funky Buddha Brewery