Newsletter: Who make the beer? (i.e., Living the Dream!)

Where we store our brewers, when they aren’t working!

It’s actually quite amazing how much work can be done on a brew floor by just a few people.  Of the four full-time and 4 part-time people that we have working at Burning Brothers, only three spend more than half (or close to all) of their time out in the brewhouse itself!  The person who spends the most time out there is our brewer Andrew, pictured above.  Without his hard work, we wouldn’t have nearly so much good beer to drink, which brings us to …

Ask the Brewer

So, who makes all your beer?

It would be fair to say that a huge portion of our beer is made by Andrew.  Without his attention to detail, focus on quality and skill with a squeegee, we would be up the proverbial creek without a paddle.  While Andrew does not spend a whole lot of time in the taproom, he is a regular at beer festivals.  It only seems fair to give people a little insight into what he does, hence, the quick interview, which he managed to do while working the canning line – way to multi-task, Andrew!

What do you do at Burning Brothers?
About 80% of all the physical activity that happens on the brew floor, I’m involved in.  Brewing, cleaning, canning, cleaning, kegging, cleaning, filtering, oh, and cleaning, in case I forgot to mention that.  I’m also the DJ, all those dance parties, those are me!  (A quick note from the interviewer – there is always music going on the brew floor, and it is eclectic!  Anything from movie soundtracks (Jurassic Park?) to musicals (Les Miserables is a fav), bluegrass, industrial, classic rock or alternative).

What’s the best part of your job?
As much as I enjoy shoveling rock while landscaping (his last job), brewing beer is a lot more satisfying.  Being at the beginning of a new business, there from the start, is also a pretty unique thrill.  Also, having a career for the first time in my life, rather than just a job, is really great.  Having a beer at 11AM on a hot day doesn’t stink, either!

What’s the worst part of your job?
I never thought I would be moving water from one place to another as much as I do when I started here.  Brewing is a wet business, so I spend a lot of time with the squeegee, whom I have a love-hate relationship with.

What’s your favorite Burning Brothers Beer?
Oh, they’re all good (Andrew said this with a grin and a glance at Thom, one of the owners who he was working the canning line with).  After a moment of serious thought, though, he replied with “The Belgian Dubbel was really fantastic, we will have to brew that again soon”.

What is your favorite other beer?
I really enjoy brown ales.  You don’t see them all that often, however, you can enjoy them any time of year.  If I could get my hands on a Pliny the Elder, I would drink that! (Editor’s note: this is more of an inside joke)  However, if I am by a lake, I’ll pick up a six pack of a Miller High Life – I’ve grown to appreciate the fact that it’s just not that easy to brew a good lager.

Pirates or Ninjas?
Neo, because he’s the one (harking back to his love for the Matrix).  If I could brew a series of cinema themed beers, I would do it!

If you could add one thing to the brewery/taproom, what would it be?
The first thing that comes to mind is a grated floor (see squeegee above)!  A patio would be cool for the taproom.  A centrifuge wouldn’t be too bad, either.  Oh, and a pool table, it would be for our regulars, not just employee use!

Taproom Tidings

Beer for this weekend includes the usual suspects along with another round of our Raspberry Infused Pyro, tapped on Friday, June 3rd (you all keep asking, so we keep making).  Also, on Friday the 3rd we will be joined for the first time by Xstream Cuisine, bringing us their American and Caribbean deliciousness.  On Saturday, June 4th, we will have Patacones back for their second visit, serving their authentic Colombian street food.

  • Tap selection includes Pyro APA, Roasted Coffee Ale, Fused Orange Blossom Honey Ale, Parched Lime Shandy, Raj-Agni IPA, and Raspberry Pyro starting on Friday
  • Thirsty Thursdays $1 off pints and $2 off growler fills (no growler or grumbler fills after 8pm on Thursdays)
  • Chocolate-Strawberry and Orange Cupcake from Groundswell includes a moist chocolate strawberry cake with an orange curd center, and a chocolate whipped cream with orange zest and chocolate chunks

Final Thoughts

This Saturday, June 4th marks the 8th annual St. Paul Summer Beer Fest, taking place from 2-5pm (VIP at 1pm) at the MN State Fairgrounds – International Bazaar.  This outdoor craft beer festival will feature sampling from over 100 breweries in a commemorative tasting glass, live music, tasty food, educational seminars, a silent auction benefiting the YMCA of St. Paul, and the fun atmosphere of MN State Fairgrounds.  We hope you will join us there!

In other news, we thought we would share the fact that we are one of the 18 recommended projects for this year’s Neighborhood STAR program.  This means that if we get approval from both the City Council and the Mayor, we will have funding for the patio we are hoping to build.  We find out what the final word is sometime in July.

As always, if you have questions, drop us a note via Email, Facebook or Twitter.

Cheers!