Though it may surprise some friends, I wasn’t always a huge craft beer enthusiast. I never knew what was out there. My knowledge of the field was very limited during my college years. It didn’t take off during law school either. It all began on a first date with my now wife, Christa. I started the night out by ordering a bucket of Coors Light for us (yeah, not my best move, I know). She, in turn, showed me the light at the end of the craft beer tunnel. Little did she know how this would change my life.
My journey into craft beer began with a sensitivity to bitterness. The West Coast IPAs, even Dogfish Head’s 60 Minute IPA, took some getting used to. The easy-drinking Abita Purple Haze, a raspberry wheat beer, eased me into the craft scene. Since then, I’ve moved from Stouts, to Hefeweizens, to Belgian Ales, to IPAs, to Sours, to Porters, to (you get the idea).
My interest in craft beer has now reached much greater heights. It all starting with a 5-gallon starter homebrewing kit that Christa got me as a Christmas gift in 2017. That first brew took all day, with lots of cleaning, and lots of re-reading the instructions. As fermentation neared the end, I was at a cross roads mentally (extreme happiness if turned out good; the opposite, if bad). Luckily, that first beer, an IPA, turned out pretty good, and a passion was born. Now I’ve got a far an always-growing inventory of brewing equipment that has led to an ever shrinking home.
I dove deeper into the world, signed up for homebrewing clubs and connected with my local breweries (shout out to ICONYC Brewing Company and Big aLICe Brewing Co.!). Vacations also always include “research” and “due diligence” of the local brewery scene. The people in the industry have always been super welcoming, engaging, and into what they were doing. That counts for breweries, wineries, distilleries, and cideries.
I decided to integrate this growing passion with my legal background. Toward that goal, I began reviewing laws, court decisions, and articles about the alcohol industry. That led to posting on Instagram and LinkedIn, and then writing articles for this blog.
My first industry-client started with a hometown friend who’s a professional brewer. Then I started working with a winemaker opening his own shop, then another winery, and now several other breweries and wineries. I’ve consulted so far with licensing, regulatory issues, and general business areas. It’s exciting to work with entrepreneurs who are so passionate about their line of work and how they can help their community. The more I learn, the more questions arise to solve — not bad for a person who always questions things.
Today, I start a new chapter with Proximo Spirits, Inc., an importer and international distributor of spirits. I’m super excited about it because I believe in the company, who I’m working with, and the work I’ll be doing. Nothing is written in stone, but this next step is on the path toward connecting my passion with work. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy my prior and upcoming blog posts. Cheers, Salud, Prost, and Slainte!