Meet Jeff. He’s a brewer at 21st Amendment, and there may be a 40’ mural of him down the street from the brewery.
Tell us a little about yourself and how you got started brewing.
I am the third generation in my family to join the brewing industry. My grandfather owned a Coors distributorship in Northern California so my dad got an early start in the beer industry. Eventually, the distributorship was sold, and my father moved into corporate sales with Coors. He later left the industry all together. Although, I can thank my dad for talking me out of attending culinary school, yet he still encouraged me to pursue food science. It wasn’t until I was attending Colorado State University that solidified my decision to pursue a brewing career. I fell in love with New Belgium’s Fat Tire & Tripel and Odell Brewing Co.’s 90 Schilling.
What’s your favorite beer and food pairing?
- Pils while shucking oysters outside enjoying the sun on a nice day…or mussels & frites…can’t I enjoy them both?!
- Any beer with tacos anywhere anytime.
What’s a common misconception about your job?
Some people just assume I’m drinking beer all day. They assume it is just a big party at work each day and do not consider the amount of cleaning necessary to brew quality beer. I tell people that we practice the ABC’s at work each day…Always Be Cleaning.
What’s your go to music in the brewhouse?
Velvet Underground, early 90s grunge, Queens of the Stone Age, Brian Jonestown Massacre…or some 80’s music to sing-along with.
What trend in craft beer are you excited about?
I think the most important trend in craft beer is the focus on quality and how to improve it. In craft beer our collective knowledge is greater when brewers freely share their experiences with each other. Everyone has a chance to learn and improve. I don’t care what hops you used or what crazy processes you did or how much ABV and BU’s are in the beer. In the end, how does it taste?? Is it free of defects? Will a customer want to order a second round? The owner of a previous employer did not care about selling 1 beer or 2 beers. He said it is about selling 4, 5, 6 (and so on) beers; actually creating repeat customers. Poor quality of beer does not help out any brewer. If someone new to craft beer is trying a new style and that beer happens to have a quality defect, is that person likely to try the same style from a different brewery? Probably not. Therefore, the improvement in quality for all breweries benefits us all.
What’s your favorite non-21A beer?
Favorite everyday beer: Trumer Pils…full disclosure, I brewed Trumer prior to joining 21st Amendment.
Favorite special occasion beer: New Belgium La Folie
Tell us two truths and a lie about yourself.
- I won a karaoke contest while traveling in the Philippines.
- I broke my hand when it was crushed by two falling ¼ bbl kegs.
- There’s a 40’ mural of me painted on a wall down the street from the brewery.
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