Number 500

On Nov. 17th we brewed out 500th beer as Growlers of Gaithersburg.  We chose a Belgian tripel because the style is already associated with the Cinq Cent label from Chimay and because it has the champagne-like character that we associate with a celebratory drink.  It is definitely outside our normal range, but that was also part of the point.  We wanted to show how much Growlers has grown and evolved over the last 5 years.

When I became the head brewer 2 years ago I was given a very simple mandate: Keep 'em guessing.  We have 8 taps for which the bosses wanted 5 house beers and 3 ever-changing specials. Essentially, I was given the keys to the castle.  It was every pub brewers dream, but with that great power came great responsibility. I was given a tremendous opportunity, but I was also going to have to use every bit of my brewing knowledge to achieve success. I was also going to need some dedicated help.

2 years on, we are selling insane amounts of beer and maxing out the capacity of our little brewery.  We have added our 1 barrel pilot system, which allows us to push the brewing envelope even further, and we are continuing to learn and grow as a brewery.  Soon we will be bringing back cask ales and beer dinners and doing all of the things that people expect from a truly accomplished brew house. Brewing at Growlers has been the highlight of my professional life and, like my customers, I am always chomping at the bit to see "What's next?"!

Of course, as I mentioned earlier, I could not have done this by myself.  There are a lot of people I have to thank for helping me to get to this point.  First, I want to thank Matt Hagerman, my predecessor at Growlers, for getting me acclimated to the brewery and helping get my feet back under me after a long absence from the craft.  Also, I want to thank my bosses for trusting me with such a huge part of their business. Finally, I want to thank my assistants, past and present for supporting me in my (sometimes eccentric) pursuits. Charlier Buettner, now brewing at Mad Fox and has made me very proud of his progress.  Micheal Lynch for his superior repair and fabrication skills, who saved us countless hours and dollars in the entire restaurant by getting things done with his own two capable hands. And, finally, my current assistant Eric Gleason, who has shown a dedication to the business as a whole that it can only be described as fanatical. Beyond making beer, I try to be the best mentor and leader that I can and these guys have shown me that my efforts are far from in vain.

So, here's to number 500 and, hopefully, 500 more.  I will be here if you all will.

Cheers,
Bret