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Steve is from Wyoming, where he’s spent the last 5 years at WYOld West Brewing Company. His love affair with craft beer began in college in the early ’90s when the pharmacist he worked with introduced him to Guinness and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. “I was in love with this new world of flavor. I soon learned the pharmacist was a home brewer, and for my 22nd birthday, I received a kit. From that moment on, I brewed incessantly.”
Steve refined his skills further at the American Brewers Guild in Woodland, California. His experience earned him an entry-level position with Golden Pacific Brewing Company in Berkeley. He went on to be Head Brewer, Regional Brewer, and then Director of Operations at Ram Restaurant and Brewery in Spokane.
Seeking a new challenge, Steve took an interest in hard cider. As VP of Production at Schilling Cider—the second-largest cidery in the United States—he gained valuable experience, but his heart was still set on hops. “I returned to brewing in Portland before moving to Wyoming. I am now thrilled to be part of Silver Bluff Brewing Company in beautiful Brunswick. With my daughter, son-in-law, and grandson nearby in Atlanta, I couldn’t be happier to have found my new home here.”
What aspects of your time at the American Brewers Guild and under Dr. Michael Lewis do you feel most shaped your brewing philosophy?
Dr. Lewis taught me to brew with integrity and purpose. He instructed us to follow our artistic passions and temper them with science and engineering. His influence led me to balance art and science in this amazing field, stay engaged, and continue learning and progressing.
How did your role evolve as you progressed from Head Brewer to Regional Brewer and eventually Director of Operations across multiple locations?
My role changed mainly in terms of the number of vendors and ownership at each step. I also assumed more responsibility for the performance of my units. When I became Director of Operations, I was responsible for opening new units and providing all their support. I also introduced inventory tracking software to the entire company’s brewing program.
What was the biggest lesson you took away from shifting to large-scale production in the hard cider industry, and how did that inform your return to beer?
My tenure in the cider industry taught me the importance of timeliness and planning in distribution and also helped me develop further relationships with suppliers and distributors. I also learned the business of 3rd party contracts. Finally, I was reinforced by the idea of consistency and quality large-scale distribution demands.
How did you balance creativity with consistency while brewing a wide variety of styles at different stages of your career?
I have always balanced art and science, consistency and creativity. My position allows me to make seasonal brews to satisfy the creative itch while consistently meeting standards and improving costs.
Now that you’re with Silver Bluff Brewing Company, what unique brewing approaches or techniques are you most excited to introduce?
Silver Bluff offers a great opportunity to utilize the pilot system for creative seasonals and projects while we continue to brew our standards. My goal is to improve costs and yields on the standards and use my experience in planning to ensure 100% availability of the core brands at all times. I have techniques in propagating yeast that will save money and ideas on increasing consistency and yields to further cement Silver Bluff as a force in the Georgia market.