What’s your current position at your brewery, and how did you get started in the craft brewing industry?
I brew, do the paperwork, sell and package everything [at Epic Ales in Seattle, Wash.]. It’s a one-man show down here.
What’s new at Epic Ales?
Everything! But soon the rye-based spiced summer ales. Beatrice is made with Szechuan peppercorns and cinnamon, Lilyi is made with green tea. There are about three more, plus in the fall the Mexican-Belgian series will start. It’s super exciting.
What’s the best part of being a part of the craft brewing community?
The people. I have never worked in a field where people are so supportive. It’s amazing. I also like the idea of making art that sells rather quickly; we brewers are very fortunate in that sense.
What do you like to do in your time away from the brewery?
Cook, play with my dog, read and spend time with my fiancée, Rachel.
What’s your favorite food and beer pairing?
Saison with grilled pineapple covered in chili powder. Or my Terra-Saurus [brewed with shiitake mushrooms] with a rich mole sauce.
What’s your biggest accomplishment unrelated to brewing?
Mount TTB makes it hard to think of others. Asking Rachel to marry me, or finishing school.
What’s your favorite beer that your brewery does not produce?
I’m loving the stuff that Upright is making right now. Or anything from Caracole.
What’s the most exotic travel destination at which you’ve had a chance to sample the local beer?
A Leffe in a bar in Brussels—it was a converted medieval dungeon. Dark and cold, it was perfectly creepy. Or the Yebisu Beer Museum in Tokyo, classically Japanese: vending machine, oddly quiet and clean. The absolute best British mild I’ve ever had.