BREWERIES SPECIAL SECTION Brewers for the En viro nment Craft brewers work to incorporate sustainable practices into their business models. By Alva Mather

> 150 Dark Horse Brewing Co. > 153 Port Brewing and Lost Abbey > 156 Kannah Creek Brewing Co. > 158 The Vine – Martini & Wine Bar 150 156

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Held annually on April 22nd, Earth Day focuses attention on to local landfills, craft brewing compa - the need to protect our natural environment and resources. In nies across the country have entered into arrangements with local farms to the brewing industry, craft breweries are leading the charge supply them with spent grains as feed by assuring that sustainability becomes part of their business for the farmers’ animals. ethos and not just a marketing ploy. This practice has become such an H integral part of the craft industry over - all that when the Food and Drug Craft brewers’ environmental patron - treat the brewery’s wastewater before Administration proposed a new rule age comes in many forms. Companies sending it to the municipal water supply that would interfere with this practice, are running the gamut in sustainablity or local waterway. the Brewers Association (the largest from green practices to environmental trade organization supporting the craft advocacy, both locally and nationally. Renewable Energy beer industry) actively challenged the Because of the efforts employed by Craft brewers strive to reduce their proposed change. craft brewers large and small, it is clear energy consumption by harnessing Bell’s Brewery has instituted pro - that environmental stewardship has and energy either from renewable energy grams to dramatically reduce the will continue to represent one of the sources or from the brewing process amount of waste it sends to landfills. In core values of this expanding industry. itself. For example, craft brewers Bell’s case, it was able to reduce its across the country frequently install trash pick-up from three times weekly Conservation and Protection and use solar panels as an alternative to only once per week due to its waste Water is the largest single component energy source for their facilities. reduction and recycling efforts. of any beer, comprising approximately 90 percent of the finished product. Craft breweries are leading the charge by Brewing operations also require a tremendous amount of water to keep assuring that sustainability becomes part the facilities and equipment clean. Because of this, many craft brewers of their business ethos.’ go to great lengths to conserve and protect the water that comes in and goes out of their facilities. Indeed, Sierra Nevada boasts one of Recycling and Reuse On the front end, many craft brewers the largest privately owned solar arrays Given the craft beer industry’s commit - are pledging to reduce the ratio of in the country with more than 10,573 ment to fostering a culture of sustain - water used for each barrel of beer. panels located throughout its campus. ability, craft brewers are also actively While the industry standard is at New Belgium uses it own wastewater pursuing ways to recycle and reuse the approximately 6-to-1, New Belgium to generate methane, which is then cap - material they use. Brewing is well on its way to meeting its tured and converted to electricity to When Boulevard Brewing Co. goal of 3.5-to-1 by 2015. support its brewing. learned that the majority of local busi - Craft brewers also frequently support Other craft brewers, such as Long nesses were outsourcing recycled local and national advocacy efforts to Trail, have even looked to cutting-edge glass, it collaborated to develop a pro - protect U.S. waterways. For example, technologies, such as the use of cow cessing plant dedicated to glass recy - Victory Brewing Co. donates a portion manure to support their commitment to cling. Today, Yards Brewery uses all of every beer sale of its Headwaters Pale renewable energy sources. reclaimed fixtures, furniture and equip - Ale to environmental advocacy groups. ment, as well as flooring to build its Allagash Brewing Co., Lagunitas Waste Reduction brewing facilities. Brewing, Founders and Brewery Craft brewers are working to reduce Ommegang have partnered with the waste. One of the largest components Alva Mather is a business National Resources Defense Council on of a craft brewer’s total by-products litigator and environmen - the Brewers for Clean Water campaign are spent grains, which are the left - tal attorney with Hangley to raise awareness and support for the over malt and adjuncts that remain Aronchick Segal Pudlin & protection of the Clean Water Act. after the mash has extracted most of Schiller in Philadelphia. She dedicates a On the back end, craft brewers such the sugars, proteins and nutrients dur - substantial portion of her practice to as Sierra Nevada have built on-site ing the brewing process. representing beer industry members. wastewater treatment plants to pre- In order to avoid sending this waste Follow her on Twitter @AlcoholLawyer.

food and drink • summer 2014 • www.fooddrink-magazine.com 149 BREWERIES SPECIAL SECTION Going the Distance Aaron and Kristine Morse have named their operation Dark Horse Brewing Co., but this filly is a sure thing to win the microbrewery horse race. By Russ Gager

>> Many of Dark Horse Brewing’s workers began by volunteering to help for free because they had such as passion for the business.

on’t count the Dark Horse out. The little brewery that Marshall, Mich., in the state’s southern could in historic Marshall, Mich., is coming up from behind midsection between Battle Creek – some of the biggest craft brewers in the business with its home of Kellogg’s Cereal and Tony the idiosyncratic beers, such as blueberry stout, raspberry ale Tiger – and Detroit. and coffee doppelbock. “The people that come here basical - D Founded by Aaron and Kristine Morse in ly named themselves, and we picked up company profile 2000, Dark Horse Brewing Co. has been expand - on it,” Director of Taproom Operations Dark Horse Brewing Co. ing rapidly but in a controlled fashion, like the Travis Glenn says. “They call them - www.darkhorsebrewery.com head on a finely poured stout. The brewery val - selves the ‘Dark Horse Nation.’” In his Headquarters: Marshall, Mich. Employees: 55 ues distinctive personalities in its employees and 25 years in the restaurant industry, “I’ve Specialty: Beer the beers it brews, as a look at the company’s never seen anything that rivals it.” Travis Glenn, director of taproom operations: “The idea is to make innovative new website indicates. That loyalty has extended to people this a destination compound.” Dark Horse Brewing Co. relies on the dedica - who were so interested in learning tion of its customers to keep it prospering in about the brewing business that they

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volunteered to help out for free at the Bryan Wiggs declares. “It’s a pretty Lakes, along with South Dakota, North brewery. “A lot of them had full-time unique situation. Everybody knows Carolina, Pennsylvania, Long Island jobs,” Co-owner Kristine Morse points what everybody else knows, and we’re and Manhattan, N.Y., and the greater out. “So they would come here after all dangerous weapons. Boston area. How were those locations work to work four to five hours bottling “Dark Horse is much more practi - chosen for distribution? “They called and cleaning kegs. When you see cal application,” Wiggs continues. and asked for our beer,” Wiggs someone spending all their free time “It’s one thing to be able to have a explains. “If we make enough quantity, they have at a company and are really degree on the wall and say, ‘I went to we ship it, and people drink it. The passionate about what we’re doing, a six-month course or this two-year great thing about craft beer is some - they’re going to be a good asset to us course,’ but when it comes down to it, body gets a Dark Horse beer, and they and get hired on. That’s how we we need guys who – when they’re in tell their friends. The beer tastes good, acquired a lot of these good workers.” the fire – know how to put it out. so people talk about it.” There’s books on brewing in our Train From Within library that are available for all the CUMMINS LABEL and Dark Horse Brewing began People’s interest in working for Dark guys on the staff. We always encour - a partnership in 1999, and it has been an honor to Horse Brewing has enabled it to train age learning more, but that doesn’t work with this dynamic company. Throughout the years of our association, Cummins Label has its brewers in its processes from finish necessarily for us mean we need to strived to meet the unique demands of the bever - to start. “We have 10 guys on the have guys who went to Siebel age industry, such as researching and obtaining adhesives that withstand the cold and wet applica - brewing staff, and every single one of Institute of Technology or UC tion environment. With the acquisition of a 10- them – barring our chemist that we just Berkeley. The school of hard knocks color flexographic press, Cummins Label remains committed to giving our valuable customers, such hired a little bit ago – was trained is where I came from.” as Dark Horse, the ability to quickly move their backwards, from packaging to brew - Dark Horse beers are distributed in product from production to retail shelves with high quality, brand identifying labels. For more informa - house,” Head of Brewery Operations every state that touches the Great tion, call 800-280-7589 or see our advertisement.

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>> Dark Horse Brewing produces approximately 15,000 barrels of beer annually. Its 19,000-square-foot plant runs 24 hours a day for five days weekly and also barrel-ages some of its beers. Consistency Is Key Some microbreweries have pointed out that the trick is not just to produce a great beer, but once you have, to reproduce it. But that is not a problem at Dark Horse Brewing. “Consistency in the process begets consistency in the glass,” Wiggs notes. “That’s how we train our guys. It’s like baking a cake. There’s a recipe, and our guys are trained to go up there and be seamless.” The brewery produces approximately 15,000 barrels of beer annually in a 19,000-square-foot plant that has been expanded gradually since 2006. It runs 24 hours a day for five days weekly with a 20-barrel production system assembled by the staff. “We don’t let manufacturers in here,” Wiggs insists. “They send it to us and we put it together. We’re very much a DIY com - pany. There’s two or three welders and two or three electricians on staff. As far as the brewery and general compound mainte - nance and expansion go, it’s pretty much been done by the staff and the rest of the gang.” That DIY mentality extends to the company’s other business interests, which include a beauty parlor and skateboard shop, a general store, a motorcycle repair shop and local maple syrup production. The brewing complex has always included a tap - room, which serves a full menu of food with the company’s brews seven days a week for at least 10 hours daily. The Morses have plans for additional businesses. “The idea is to make this a destination compound,” Glenn says, “where you can walk in the front door and go grab a beer, walk around, see cheese being made, bread being baked, liquor being distilled – we’ll sell all those things – and end up back in the tap - room and enjoy the fruits of all our labors.”

152 food and drink • summer 2014 • www.fooddrink-magazine.com BREWERIES SPECIAL SECTION Lost and Found Port Brewing and Lost Abbey have found success with a two-pronged approach to the craft beer market that includes California and Abbey styles. By Russ Gager

>> Port Brewing and Lost Abbey produces 15,000 to 20,000 barrels a year – nearly half of which is bottled – in its 40,000-square-foot brewery in San Marcos, Calif.

n the burgeoning craft beer segment, it is better to create trends than fol low company’s two brands of beer: Port them, says Tomme Arthur, director of brewery operations and co-founder of Brewing creates an aggressive, Port Brewing and The Lost Abbey. “We’ve done a really good job of what we California style reminiscent of “imperi - call being ahead of the curve,” Arthur declares. “We never look at the trend. al” beers – such as imperial red or India We’re always evolving. One of the goals of the company for us is to not be pale ales – whereas Lost Abbey updates I concerned about what others are doing, but concentrate on the traditions of monastic brewing. company profile what we are doing. If we focus our energy on what we “The Port Brewing brands have a can do, we should be OK. My point is that we don’t tend West Coast slant to them – bigger, more Port Brewing and Lost Abbey www.portbrewing.com to react to trends or look to be a part of them.” alcoholic, with higher hopping rates, www.lostabbey.com Port Brewing and Lost Abbey does not reason imperialized beers,” Arthur explains. Headquarters: San Marcos, Calif. Employees: 28 to 30 backwards by trying to find out what style of beer “On the Abbey side, we took a conti - Specialty: California and abbey-style beer people want to drink and then brewing a product that nental approach and started with beers Tomme Arthur, director of brewery operations and co-founder: “While we matches consumers’ tastes. Rather, the brewery has of Belgium, France, Germany and have a lot of really cool ideas, it takes an proceeded confidently to brew what it likes and England. A lot comes from European enormous amount of energy to brand all the beers.” assume that drinkers will follow its lead. roots with our spin on them.” That is pretty much proving to be the case with the In addition to all the varieties of

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beers each brand produces, the brewery also barrel-ages some of its varieties and produces sour beers, which is a specialty niche. “Hardly anyone is doing the sour beer, and a lot of brew - eries are looking at the two-brand model and thinking it is an interesting way to go about achieving different price points and synergies,” Arthur says. “It’s also a lot of work. While we have a lot of really cool ideas, it takes an enormous amount of ener - gy to brand all the beers.”

Selling All They Can Brew Despite producing 15,000 to 20,000 barrels a year – nearly half of which is bottled – in its 40,000-square-foot brewery in San Marcos, Calif., Arthur maintains that Port Brewing and Lost Abbey operate at a slower pace than other breweries. “We’re not looking at new markets,” he says. “We’ve grown during the last three years at 20 percent per year. We’re not trying to maximize our opportunities now – we’ll reserve those for later in life.” Port Brewing and Lost Abbey beers are available in 10 states from the West to Illinois, Georgia, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. “All of it has to do with places where a great craft beer was available or a great distributor we wanted to work with,” Arthur explains. “We haven’t launched a new territory in almost >> Different combinations of malted barley, wheat, yeast, hops, spices and fruit add complexity two years because we ran out of capacity to do so.” to Port Brewing and Lost Abbey beers. Arthur estimates the current brewery is operating at 85 percent of its capacity. It opened a new 14,000-square-foot distribution warehouse last year. In 2006, the brewery opened its doors, mov - ing into one that Stone Brewing Co. was moving out of that meas - ured 7,500 square feet. Acquiring the suite next door raised the total square footage to 15,000 square feet. With the new ware - house across the cul-de-sac from the brewery, the warehouse is being used to store approximately 1,000 wooden barrels.

Roll Out the Barrels Although 1,000 barrels may sound like a lot, acquiring barrels that were used to age whisky or wine is the latest arms race among breweries. Some breweries own up to 7,000 barrels to age all types of beers, but the trend began with strong styles such as stouts, porters, strong ales and barleywines. Festivals of barrel- aged beers have been held for years, with tickets to one of the largest in Chicago selling out on the Internet in a few minutes as if it were a reunion concert by the Beatles. “It’s just the softening that can take place in the barrel, a tran - sition from being a full-ingredient beer,” Arthur says. He men - tions the charring, toasting and mellowing that is transmitted to the beer over the nine to 15 months that it spends in the barrel. Depending on the oak used in the barrel and what type of bour - bon, whiskey or wine was aged in it, flavors of vanilla, caramel, oak and red wine may be infused in the beer aged in it. Because of the amount of time required to age the beers, producing them requires a substantial commitment of space. Some of the company’s barrel-aged beers are distributed in 375-millileter bottles that are about the size of a 12-ounce bottle and sealed with corks. Other beers are produced in 22-ounce

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bottles with caps or 750-millileter ones with corks that hold approximately 25.7 ounces. Two bottling lines are run, one exclusively for sour beers. “The microorganisms that make beer sour are particularly difficult to clean out of bigger packing lines,” Arthur maintains. “We try not to run them on our main line.” Different combinations of malted barley, wheat, yeast, hops, spices and fruit add complexity to Port Brewing and Lost Abbey beers. Arthur esti - mates the company uses approxi - mately 50 different barley malts, all of which are malted by specialists. It has installed new packaging lines and tanks and replaced the boiler that was in the facility when it was bought from floors underneath them,” Arthur says. the next few years. Our biggest plan is Stone Brewing. “We’ve tried to retrofit the space as to build the new brewery we want to “The building has been almost best we could. Stone ran the system have for the next 20-plus years and be entirely rebuilt from the inside out, hard, and we’ve done a lot of work to incredibly energized by the ability of a except the tanks on the hot side and the put in new equipment. We’ll run that for system like that.”

food and drink • summer 2014 • www.fooddrink-magazine.com 155 BREWERIES SPECIAL SECTION Brew Right With the mighty Colorado River pounding past its production facility, Kannah Creek Brewing Co. is expanding rapidly. By Russ Gager

company profile

Kannah Creek Brewing Co. www.kannahcreekbrewingco.com Headquarters: Grand Junction, Colo. Employees: 70 Specialty: Craft beer and food Jim Jeffryes, owner and head brewer: “Our particular yeast strain gives us a unique flavor.”

Rockslide Brewing was the first brewpub in Grand Junction in 1994. “They broke ground for us in Grand Junction,” Jeffryes says. With seeming - ly every little mountain town having at least one brewpub, the market in Grand Junction – even with Breckenridge Brewing’s Ale House in town – is hard - ly saturated, Jeffryes maintains. “In our local area and most all of Colorado, it is a more-the-merrier situa - tion,” he insists. “All of us brewers and owners get along very well. I think com - petition in the beer world is all about taste and flavor and not so much about being competitive. Our market is more geared to people who want more flavor and maybe not as much quantity. They’re willing to pay an extra buck or two to get that different-flavored beer.” Kannah Creek’s on-tap flavors include a blonde, hefeweizen, amber, pale ale, India pale ale, porter and stout. Seasonal selections include cask and >> Tapping a firkin can result in more suds than there are stars in the heavens at Kannah Creek Brewing Co. in Grand Junction, Colo. barrel-aged ales, as well as an Irish, Scottish, red and brown ales, a kolsch, ounded in 2005 in an existing restaurant, Kannah Creek Brewing Maibock, extra special bitter, pilsner, Co. has since proven its market appeal and built from scratch a $4.2 cranberry saison and lagers. New sea - million production facility called Edgewater Brewery with a second sonal creations are on tap every few restaurant on the banks of the Colorado River. With the area being weeks. Several of the beers have won what owner and Head Brewer Jim Jeffryes calls an “outdoor para - bronze, silver and gold awards from the Fdise” – mountain biking, fishing, rafting and hiking abound in the summer and Great American Beer Festival and the downhill and cross-country skiiing and snowboarding in the winter – Kannah World Beer Cup. Creek Brewing is the latest entrant in Grand Junction, Colo.’s populated craft Both locations serve most of the brewing scene. brews unless shortages develop. The

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menus vary between the two restau - us; that’s a tall order. It’s a break-even state approvals usually requiring rants. “We do mostly pizza, pasta, sal - number we’re trying to get to and then approximately a month. Kannah Creek ads and sandwiches at the original, and have a reasonable return on investment. beers are licensed in Colorado, at the new place, we had so many For that, the 2015 number of 10,000 bar - Nebraska and Illinois, because a beer- requests to provide hamburgers that we rels should have a 5 percent net profit.” of-the-month club located in Illinois will designed a kitchen that would do ham - So far, Kannah Creek Brewing has distribute 3,000 cases of a Kannah burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches and a lit - bottled its Standing Wave Pale Ale, Creek brew nationally in April. tle more typical pub food,” Jeffryes Lands End Amber and Crossed Irons “We’re trying to grow a little bit and says. “We try not to compete with each Irish ale, and plans to bottle its Broken get name recognition,” Jeffryes says. other as far as selling the food.” Oar IPA and blond ale in its 14,400- “The beer-of-the-month club will help square-foot Edgewater facility. The most that way. We’re also going to enter our More Beer difficult thing about bottling a beer is the beers in the World Beer Cup competi - Kannah Creek Brewing produced label, Jeffryes maintains. “Arranging the tion in the spring and get some good approximately 2,000 barrels of its beers artwork and packaging is quite a big results from that.” last year, of which approximately half job,” he insists. “It takes a lot of effort, Jeffryes was educated as an engineer was consumed at the company’s two and nobody can really agree on the art - and worked in California for semicon - brewpubs and the rest distributed in work all the time. So we go back and ductor manufacturers before he was kegs to other bars or sold to consumers forth and tweak things until we like it.” introduced to home brewing. “Our par - in 220,000 bottles. “We need to get to ticular yeast strain gives us a unique fla - 6,000 barrels a year of production by What’s on a Label? vor,” he says. “I think that just by adher - this time next year, and then by the end Label approval from the federal ing to very stringent brewing practices, of 2015, 10,000 barrels,” Jeffryes Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade we’re able to make a pretty high-quality resolves. “We have our work cut out for Bureau can take up to 90 days, with beer that people enjoy.”

food and drink • summer 2014 • www.fooddrink-magazine.com 157 BREWERIES SPECIAL SECTION Food, Too The Vine – Martini & Wine Bar started with wine, martinis and tapas, but has expanded to a full menu to serve the dining and nightlife needs of its diverse clientele. By Russ Gager

company profile

The Vine - Martini & Wine Bar www.thevineofgrayslake.com Headquarters: Grayslake, Ill. 2013 revenue: $1.9 million Employees: 50-plus Specialty: Wine and martini bar with food Michael Pruitt, owner: “I think other businesses throw ads out there and expect customers to come to them, forgetting that they need to be a staple in the community.”

Despite his education and experience, he concedes it was daunting when he pitched his concept to potential investors. “Originally, I approached my parents to be partners,” Pruitt recalls. “They were skeptical, having their 21-year-old say, ‘I want to open a bar.’ That’s not a conver - sation you want to have with them. They were good about it.” Newly married, Pruitt was willing to accept the challenge and additional responsibility of opening The Vine. His initial investors gave him the opportu - nity to begin planning the bar in January 2006. Two months before the doors were opened, Pruitt realized his customers would want more than just drinks. He created a limited tapas menu to accompany the two dozen martinis, six beers on tap and extensive wines that were available. Within a year-and-a-half, Pruitt had expanded the tapas style menu to >> The Vine’s beverage portfolio includes more than 75 cocktails along with a large selection of wines and beers on tap. approximately 30 food items consisting of appetizers and entrees. Today the ichael Pruitt started busing tables in the restaurant industry menu features more than 64 items avail - when he was 14. After studying hospitality management at able to meet the demands of the local Kendall College and culinary arts at the College of Lake County, customers that include a wide variety of he opened his bar and restaurant concept called The Vine - appetizers, sandwiches, salads, entrees Martini & Wine Bar in September 2006. “From the time I was 14 and desserts. Pruitt also has focused on Muntil I opened the doors of The Vine when I was 22, I had eight years of hands-on The Vine’s beverage portfolio with the experience where I had to learn a lot on my own,” says Pruitt. help of his Front of the House Manager

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BEER BENEFIT Among The Vine’s many community activities will be the annual Grayslake Craft Beer Festival May 31 at the Grayslake, Ill., festival grounds. A project organized by Pruitt and individuals from the Grayslake Area Chamber of Commerce and the Exchange Club of Grayslake, the festival will include food from local vendors and restaurants and more than 150 beers from approximately 50 national brew - eries, including many which are local and regional. This year’s festival attendance is expected to exceed 2,400, and all of the net proceeds of the Grayslake Craft Beer Festival will be used for college scholarships for Grayslake students. For more information, visit www.GrayslakeBeerFest.com.

rib fest, a car show and golf outings, believing that it fosters goodwill and good business while simultaneously aiding local >> Among the more than 64 menu items at The Vine are Steak de Burgo. organizations. “I think other businesses throw ads out there and expect customers to come to them, forgetting that they need to be a staple in the community,” he declares. “That is what we have Dan Kmieciak. By focusing on new concepts and cocktails, The focused on since day one.” Vine now has a list of more than 75 cocktails. “The menu is very As a result of The Vine’s efforts, Pruitt was recently named one eclectic,” Pruitt says. “We never lock ourselves into one style. of the Ten Young Outstanding Americans by the U.S. Jaycees. Since day one, we have never been afraid to try something new.” Starting with one head chef and a staff of four in the kitchen, The Vine now has expanded its kitchen crew to 15 culinary- trained professionals and two sous chefs. Head Chef Steven Anderson, a graduate of the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago, now leads a kitchen line of seven cooks during a single shift unless they are hosting a big event or dinner.

Eclectic Menu Pruitt and Anderson both took menu development classes before their involvement with The Vine. “I’m always running with ideas,” says Pruitt. “We work as a team to create new ideas and con - cepts.” Unique to the Chicago suburbs, The Vine was one of the only restaurants that offered a social-style atmosphere with a warm and inviting dining experience. In 2008, The Vine expand - ed its operations to include an outdoor patio with seating for more than 80, a full-service bar and TVs. To accommodate the increase in customer base, The Vine expanded the restaurant by doubling the dining room, adding a private dining room and tripling the size of the kitchen. During the eight years of being in operation, The Vine focused on bringing live music to local nightlife by incorporat - ing open mic blues jams, live piano music and even an annual blues festival. The Vine’s marketing dollars are spent mostly on social media, some local newspapers and magazines, in-house marketing and different types of guerilla marketing, such as hand - ing out flyers or promotional items. The fully decaled company truck – with its image of a giant martini and wine glass tipped over on its side – is a rolling billboard for the restaurant. Pruitt praises the value of hosting community events such as a

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