INTERVIEW CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

You have used quite a few non-traditional ingredients like grapefruit and cucumber in your beers. Do you feel a need to continue to top yourself?

I don’t feel that it has anything to do with “topping myself.” I just enjoy using any ingredients that I want.

When I started brewing beer in the ’90s, I was just making beer. It was before I discovered styles. It was glorious. I put whatever I wanted into my beers and never thought anything of it other than I couldn’t buy that beer and that is why I had to make it. I had to get the ideas out of my head and make them tangible. I wanted to interact with that concept and see how I felt about it.

Then, I found style and the BJCP. I studied these styles for many years. I became a recognized judge and won homebrew competitions.

I became a commercial brewer and continued to brew to style, making sure that I could hit the parameters on a larger more automated brew house.

I worked for corporate and made beers that I wanted to drink that began to move away from style. I was given a great deal of leeway within my first 5 years with the company. That time is irreplaceable, looking back on it all. It allowed me to understand many raw materials and processes that I incorporate all the time nowadays. It allowed me to brew style when I felt like it. I enjoy understanding style enough to dance around it.

Inserting culinary aspects into the beers, aging beer on woods other than oak, incorporating savory ingredients at times…anything to learn from the outcome…anything for new knowledge.

When the beer is successful as a result of learning from experimentation, that is when I become successful and the consumer benefits from the results of my research.

How would you describe the Florida craft beer scene to people in California?

It’s definitely coming along.

Miami Weisse (sometimes referred to as Florida Weisse) is a Floridian take on German Berliner. It usually requires large additions of tropical fruit, which is added to primary fermentation. Very thirst quenching and tasty yet light and sessionable.

We have a combination of start-up nanos and larger production facilities in the works.

We are all doing our best to share ideas so that we grow collectively as an industry within our state.

We also drive each other by producing more elaborate beers over the course of time.

Florida has come a long way since 2008, in regards to locally produced beer. I’m proud to be a Florida brewery.

With the influx of West Coast breweries opening in the East and Chicago, do you think that the reverse will happen?

We will see.

I’m not sure if that will be necessary in the future. There will be more large breweries that will open their doors to large contract production. This could lead to more opportunities for breweries to work together through the use of rotating proprietorships.

If it does happen, it will be a great thing for the consumer for certain.

I’m not concerned. We have a whole planet to sell beer to and we can’t make enough for a single state in the U.S.