Justin Brigham

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What’s your current position at your brewery, and how did you get started in the craft brewing industry?

My wife, Sarah, and I are the owners of Sycamore Brewing [in Charlotte, N.C.]. I wear many hats on a daily basis, but my time is mostly spent growing our brewery and working with our brewers on developing new recipes.

What’s new at Sycamore Brewing?

New beers! We are in our second year of operation, and will likely pass the 200 unique recipe mark by our anniversary party [on October 22]. Our ability to experiment and create has been amazing, especially considering our batches are always at least 15 bbls.

What’s the best part of being a part of the craft brewing community?

In my opinion, craft brewing represents the essence of small business in America. My wife and I took an idea, our dream, and have created a fixture in my home city that employs nearly 30 people and steadily contributes in a meaningful way to our community. We are in the midst of building a much larger production facility that will put even more people to work by next spring, and I am so proud of the impact we continue to have through craft beer and our brewery.

Name a favorite food and beer pairing.

Fish tacos and a very cold lager! (Ideally on a sunny, tropical beach.)

What’s your biggest accomplishment unrelated to your job?

Sarah and I had our first child in January. There is nothing in this world that I am more proud of than our little girl.

What’s your favorite beer that your brewery does not produce?

I get asked this question all the time, and it really is a moving target. If I had to pick one tried-and-true favorite, it would have to be Sip of Sunshine by Lawson’s Finest Liquids.

What do you like to do in your time away from the brewery?

Traveling is perhaps my favorite thing outside of our brewery. There are so many places on my list that I have yet to explore. I also love being outdoors…mountain biking, surfing, fly fishing.

What’s the most memorable travel destination at which you’ve had a chance to sample the local beer?

I was recently on a trip to check out a packaging line in Stevenson, Wash. The sheer volume of great breweries and beers along both the Oregon and Washington sides of the Columbia River is amazing.


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