Here you can skip the business plan details and other boring crap and head out for the first EPIC ROAD TRIP in search of brewing equipment and inspiration in Portland which just happens to have a 130 year plus, truly American Brewing History!
...drive 10+ hours from SLC, and stress out drafting up the ass end of trucks for 20+ miles when Kevin and Peter thought the Honda was joking about 0 miles of gas in the tank...then crash in The Dalles after a great cod meal and some Bridgeport IPA, Mirror Pond Pale Ale among others...Wake up to meet the owner, Paul and crew at AAA manufacturing. Great guys, fantastic stories of projects for breweries from UT to ROGUE and see shining tanks.
Down the road in Hood River, Kevin talks his way into Full Sail at 9 AM!! They don't open till lunch but we get the private tour with Marketing guru Sandra after Kevin won't let her escape from the front door to do real work. She had an inspirational story about pushing vendors to offer recycled paper for certain packaging materials, F.S. stayed firm and moved a lot of the industry in the right direction. To end the tour, Peter is Swedish so he asks for free samples of the Sessions Lager they are bottling...guess he was ready to session drink at 10:00 am...
Drive from Hood River to meet dedicated and driven Charlie from Metal Craft Fab. and get treated to a lunch and beers at New Old Lompoc Brewing, 5Q salad...brewing and the executive barrel aged display decision is made on the spot.
Then to see a salesman but he's got no junk in his trunk and is missing so we go...
...thankfully, and as luck would have it, to HUB (Hopworks Urban Brewery) 'cause Charlie found out I love bikes, says he used to wrench b4 building beer tanks and did some cool stuff for this pub in the NEQ that is about bikes and beer. Not to mention Green as Green, like bio diesel fired kettles, organic and other progressive stuff. The owner and brewer, Christian was way inspirational and as all good brewers, out of his way friendly.
BTW, this guy can lay down an IPA fresh like UT powpow sprinkled with hops on top and resin dripping down to re-crystallized layers. We got to see his just installed 6 head machine running, the kind we hope to install. Awesome stuff. He even has chain links printed on the bottles of his Pale Ale!
Thanks Christian!!!
Check out the beer board, 12 styles on draft and the video of the filler running!
More on the First Epic Road Trip to come...
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