A Salute to Veteran-Owned Breweries

Chad on November 10, 2023

In honor of Veterans Day, we’re highlighting a few veteran-owned breweries from across the United States. These breweries represent just a few of the dozens of veterans who have transitioned from serving their country to serving their communities. Their success speaks to the unique leadership and management skills that these veteran-owners picked up during their military service.

14th Star Brewing, St. Albans, Vt.

Vermont’s 14th Star Brewing arose from Steve Gagner’ and Matt Kehaya’s need to alleviate boredom while stationed in the remote mountains of Afghanistan and their desire to imagine a post-war future. The two friends filled time between dodging rockets and mortars by mapping out a plan to turn their homebrewing hobby into a full-scale brewery.

After returning to the U.S. in 2011 to continue their military careers, Gagner and Kehaya were still kicking around the idea and began putting realistic costs and details to the rough estimates they had scribbled in a green army notebook. Ultimately, Gagner’s wife pushed them to march over the final hill and open a business. Says Gagner, “My wife finally said, ‘Are you going to do it or not? I’m tired of hearing about it.’ So we thought screw it, let’s try it.”

hazy ipa with 14th star brewing logo in background

At first, the founders worked their military day jobs while simultaneously running the brewery. For Gagner, this meant waking up at 4 a.m., checking the brewery, commuting to his full-time job, returning home to his family, then making a late-evening check on brewing operations and emails. At the time, the brewery was only open limited hours, primarily weekends.

Both owners recently retired from decades-long military careers to devote more time to the brewery and other passions. Like many former servicepeople, Gagner believes that skills learned in the military contribute immensely to managing and operating a business. “In terms of leadership and management, I think the military uniquely positions people to be entrepreneurs and business leaders,” he says. “It was remarkably translatable. When you’re in the service, even though you don’t realize it, you’re part of the world’s best leadership education program.”

Gagner also believes that military training prepared him and Kehaya for brewing quality beers. “Our time in the military taught us how to systematize and manage procedures. Only when you have that understanding of the processes and the system can you make those small changes and innovations to bring new products to market.”

For former Army Infantry Officer Gagner and 1st Sgt. Kehaya, Veterans Day inspires an appreciation for current and future generations of servicepeople. “So many young men and women each year commit to serve others. I don’t know that there’s a greater gift that anyone can give,” says Gagner, adding, “I’m remarkably grateful for what those servicemen and women pledge to do.”

With their military service behind them, Gagner and Kehaya have strengthened their focus on using 14th Star to serve locally. “It’s part of our mission statement to help out communities, both the local community and the veteran community,” says Gagner.

14th Star’s largest annual fundraiser supports the Josh Pallotta Fund. Pallotta served with Gagner and Kehaya and later took his own life due to PTSD. The fund, started by Pallotta’s parents, supports a wellness and recreation space for veterans along with outreach and suicide prevention programs. The brewery also creates brews that support specific non-profits across a wide range of causes from Alzheimer’s to adaptive sports to food banks.

Launch Pad Brewery, Aurora, Colo.

Colorado’s Launch Pad Brewery grew from a similar connection born of military service. Founders Dave Levesque and Henry Rusch met while working for defense contractors after their military duty. Levesque served in the Air Force as a nuclear missile maintainer and intelligence specialist. Rusch served as an intelligence specialist and currently serves in the reserves. The two bonded over their shared military backgrounds and became best friends.

A longtime homebrewer, Levesque said his friends commented that his pumpkin beer was better than anything commercially available and suggested opening a brewery. The thought stuck.

“I started writing a business plan and asked my best friend Henry if he wanted to start a brewery. He informed me he didn’t know anything about beer, so I asked him if he had good credit. He said yes and that is how we started Launch Pad,” jokes Levesque.

On a more serious side, Levesque and Rusch noticed that for veterans, leaving the military meant leaving a tight-knit community where everyone shared common experiences. “One of the things missing was the camaraderie and family feeling you have while enlisted. By creating a brewery, we were able to attain that feeling again, everybody coming together and enjoying something as a crew/family,” says Levesque.

The owners intentionally located the taproom near Buckley Space Force Base where it serves as a hangout for servicepeople and civilians alike. In addition to space-themed brews, the taproom reflects the community’s military connections. Patches from different branches of the military cover the wall behind the taps. Meanwhile, televisions show footage of rocket launches.

Launch Pad also partners with the local Wings Over the Rockies air museum to furnish the taproom with scale-model versions of rockets and satellites along with other historical references. The brewery has even extended its hours to host live launch watch parties.

launchpad brewery glass with cans in barrel room

Naturally, Launch Pad supports military-related organizations. The brewery hosts meetings for the Colorado Defense Counsel and events for Buckley SFB. It also hosts fundraisers for the Colorado Freedom Memorial, Colorado Freedom Hunters, and American Heroes in Action among others. Says Levesque, “We try to be as involved with veteran/military/first-responder groups as possible, and we have a monthly donation that we provide to a lot of these organizations.”

Launch Pad’s founders realize that their armed forces background offered uniquely applicable training for running a brewery. Says Levesque, “You must be able to transition and pivot in a moment’s notice to a changing environment. Having to manage employees is another daily requirement. These are all skills that were taught in the military.”

For Levesque, “Veterans Day is a significant holiday for us at the brewery to remember all active members and veterans of all military branches and first responders. It provides an environment for individuals to come together and share experiences and stories about their lives and service. It also helps create that family/camaraderie-type environment that was lost when leaving the active force.”

Service Brewing, Savannah, Ga.

Service Brewing in Savannah, Ga., also celebrates veterans in its taproom and through community involvement. Co-founder and Army veteran Kevin Ryan started homebrewing with a kit that his wife, brewery co-founder Meredith Sutton, gave him. He enjoyed the creative aspect of brewing and also wanted to create a community gathering space. After connecting with like-minded veterans who became investors, Service Brewing was born.

hazy ipa with greenery background

Ryan explains that his time in the service in many ways influenced his passion for brewing. “Brewing is all about working with your hands, creating something from the raw materials available, nurturing the beer through the brewing process, and being able to execute with precision. Discipline and precision are two principles both the military and brewing process share.”

He also believes that military experience offers excellent preparation for the unexpected challenges that brewers face, both in brewing and managing a taproom. According to Ryan, flexibility and adaptability are critical. “Adapt and overcome! We learn that early on in the military and it applies every day in the brewery, regardless of how much planning we have conducted.”

Themed beer names and the décor infuse military concepts throughout the brewery. The taproom includes murals with military designs, light panels made of stretched parachute material, and a riveted, zinc-wrapped bar that mimics the exterior of a fighter jet.

True to its name, Service gives back to the community. The brewery partners with numerous nonprofits, and of course veteran-focused organizations feature prominently. Says Sutton, “Every six months we choose a veteran/first responder charity to donate a portion of every pint we sell in our taproom.” So far, the brewery has donated over $250,000 to charities like the Warrior Music Foundation and Veterans Healing Farm.

Ryan eloquently sums up the sentiments of all the veteran-owners we talked to. “Veterans Day is a celebration of those who have dedicated themselves to a greater cause. All veterans have made sacrifices in support of their country and community in some way. We celebrate our veterans every day, but Veteran’s Day is that one day a year where the spotlight really shines in celebration and thanks for our veterans.”

The post A Salute to Veteran-Owned Breweries appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

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Bittersweet Complexity — The Re-Re-Rebirth of Gales Prize Old Ale

Chad on November 6, 2023

Even so, the beer was dark enough, with 55 pounds of black malt in the mix, that Dark Star’s Anton Paar alcohol meter could not get a gravity reading. However, just weeks after the first new batch of Prize Old Ale in 13 years was released, Asahi announced that Dark Star would be closing, with production of all its beers transferred to Meantime Brewing Company, which the Japanese firm had acquired in 2016. . AN ACCIDENTAL BESTSELLER. The 2022 version of Prize Old Ale was a commercial success, the fastest-selling beer Dark Star had ever released, and Asahi was happy to order another edition for 2023.

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Bingo! Breweries Score on Game Night

Chad on November 4, 2023

Breweries across the country—from California to North Carolina—are using game nights to draw in diverse crowds, welcome new guests, and expand their communities. No matter what the game, many breweries have found that hosting game nights with offerings such as lotería, mahjong, or bingo extends a welcome to members of ethnic communities who may not have had a reason to visit the brewery before.

Lotería Love

Four Corners Brewing Company in Dallas, Texas, has long been known for its colorful branding, inclusivity for the Latinx community, and beers such as El Chingón IPA, El Grito Mexican lager, and Local Buzz Honey Golden Ale. New customer Jorge Torres calls the brewery “colorful and very welcoming.”

Zach Christensen, the brewery’s general manager, says Four Corners has thematically tied itself to lotería since the brand was founded, with can art and tap handles done in the style of a lotería card since the start.

“The first few times we did [lotería nights] were one-off evenings, but after the response we got from our guests, we quickly realized that we had to start doing it more regularly,” Christensen says. “First it was bi-weekly but then it pretty quickly turned into a weekly fixture in our taproom.”

The weekly lotería has been described by Torres and guests such as new-to-Dallas drinker Diego Lopez as a way to meet new people without lots of pressure.

Each lotería night has its own unique atmosphere, but the basics stay the same: The emcee goes over the rules at the beginning of each night so everyone knows how to play. A member of the staff provides players with cards and bottle caps (the traditional beans used to mark cards were getting too messy for the taproom) and answers any questions about how the game works.

Win or lose, each game night helps draw more attention to the brewery as a place that welcomes novice and experienced beer lovers. After new customers come in for a game, they also begin to come back other days of the week. A connection is made with not only the brewery’s neighbors but customers from all over the city.

“I think it helps folks that traditionally have been ignored by craft beer to find a space in the beer world where they feel welcome, and more importantly, not pandered to,” Christensen says. “And on the flip side, we also end up turning more expected craft beer drinkers into lotería aficionados as well.”

Four Corners sees lotería as an easy, fun way to build community.

“Lotería is the tip of the proverbial iceberg when it comes to providing a space for all sorts of communities to gather and do what they love,” Christensen says.

Other breweries agree. Los Angeles-based Norwalk Brew House has even brewed a lotería-themed beer in partnership with the Don Clemente Lotería company called La Mano, a Mexican-style lager. 

Betting on Bingo

In North Carolina, the game of bingo isn’t just for playing at Nana’s anymore; it has become a way to connect communities. At Joymongers Brewing Company & Barrel Hall, bingo nights are a staple at the brewery in Greensboro and at the Barrel Hall in Winston-Salem.

“It’s somewhat competitive but mostly just an excuse to get out and laugh and have a drink with friends,” says Joymongers co-owner Jim Jones. “Bingo is a pretty simple game, but we announce the rules at the beginning of each night. Regulars will razz newbies who call out bingo in error, but it’s all in good fun.”

Bingo nights at Joymongers bring a mix of familiar and new faces, typically drawing between 25 and 75 players, about 70 percent of whom are regular customers.

“The idea behind hosting bingo or trivia is not only to build more traffic that night but to invite in people who might not normally visit our brewery. We do think it draws a much more diverse crowd into our taprooms and we also use game nights to promote our live music coming up,” Jones says.

He adds that many of the bingo night attendees become regulars. A simple game is already helping to build more Joymongers fans.

Moms and Mahjong

On Mondays in the Dallas neighborhood of Lake Highlands, groups of people gather at Vector Brewing to play mahjong, a tile-based game popular in many Chinese-American communities. Co-owner Veronica Bradley says mahjong is introducing people to the brewery and to each other.

“Mahjong Monday just sort of happened, which sounds weird, I know,” she said. A local organization had reached out to see if a large group of women could play at the brewery, as their previous location hadn’t been a good fit. The brewery is usually closed Mondays, but the group—mostly moms who wanted to unwind once a month—needed a new space. Bradley, a mom of two young children, understood the need for some fun. Almost accidentally, Mahjong Mondays became a regular occurrence, proving that one game night can make a difference in creating repeat visitors.

“Our mahjong nights definitely introduce clientele to the pub that we wouldn’t have reached otherwise,” Bradley said. “As we do more of these nights, we are starting to reach folks from other neighborhoods and even surrounding cities. … Being so small and hyperlocal, we don’t have the budget or ability to advertise ourselves anywhere outside of our own zip code, really. Our mahjong groups are doing a lot of the work for us, and introducing people of various backgrounds to our pub.”

For new customer Catherine Smith, game night is “a fun way to meet new people and refresh my mahjong skills.” Even players who have never touched a mahjong tile before can find a welcoming space.

“There’s another local woman who teaches mahjong,” Bradley explained. “So, on a casual night, she’ll be in the corner with about 12 to 16 people giving a lesson. She has charts and everything.”

Mahjong Mondays can typically find at least 40 people playing and ordering from a list of small-batch ales and lagers. Unlike the demographic in many brewery taprooms, the attendees are generally at least 90 percent women, though Bradley is noticing that the ratio is slowly changing to include more men.

“The thing I hear the most is, ‘Thank you so much for having us!’ It’s crazy to me that other spaces aren’t so accommodating,” Bradley says. “Please, come take over my space on a night we’re normally closed—and buy drinks from me! Who would say no to that?”

Whether mahjong, lotería, or bingo, game nights can offer underrepresented groups of customers an opportunity to be seen and heard without being in high pressure situations. They’re bringing together neighborhoods and breweries who might not otherwise mingle—one pint and “bingo!” call at a time. 

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