If you haven’t already heard, world-renowned Brewmaster Denise Jones will be joining FATE Brewing Co. She comes to FATE with an overwhelming amount of success in the craft brewing industry.
Jones is a refined Brewmaster with 25 years of professional brewing and distilling experience and is quite literally world famous when it comes to her craft brews. She has received top honors at the Great American Beer Festival, European Beer Star, and the World Beer Cup. She has worked with Moylan’s Brewing and Distilling Company, Third Street Aleworks, Great Basin Brewing Company and other well-known breweries throughout the world. She has spent the last three years working in Germany with Weyermann® Specialty Malts, developing their distilling operations.
Denise will be on board full time in December of 2018 and we can hardly wait to see what great things will happen. In the meantime, we had some questions to ask our newest addition to the FATE family.
What attracted you to FATE?
Thinking about it, I just wanted to find myself working amongst good friends who I trust and value. I came to know and like Mike, and many of his crew before FATE Brewing Company opened, and I was elated when he decided to put together his own brewery. Over the years, many of our conversations were about beer and brewery life, and I have always been an advocate and cheerleader for his successes. It has been fun to see his businesses grow and become a community staple here in Boulder. I enjoy the vibe that he has created with the pubs, and I would like to see him expound upon his business goals for the company’s future.
Why now?
I have spent the better part of the last three years in Germany, and I wanted to come back to the West to be closer to my family in Nevada. I grew up in the Sierras and knew that I could enjoy moving to a beautiful mountain area where I could feel more at home. I have been distilling and brewing for Weyermann® Specialty Malts and have enjoyed every moment of my time with them in Bamberg, but I find that I am ready to tackle some new challenges.
What is your biggest plan to put into motion?
The first plan is to get into the rhythm of the FATE beers and their production. I will bring a fresh approach to the organization with an emphasis on increasing the quality and consistency of the current offerings. I hope to maintain the excitement for our core brands and plan to add a few new brews to the mix as we move forward. With the size of the breweries that FATE has available, a lot of fun experimentation can go on, and we can generate some market research with smaller batches in-house. Barrel-aged beers, cask ales, and gravity draught lagers all will be in play as I get comfortable with the brewery. The biggest plan is just to have fun while the business grows.
Specifically, what kind of beer are you most excited to tackle?
Once acclimated, I want to bring together more diversity with our brews. In the past, I have brewed many of the styles that FATE currently offers. Fine tuning and improving on the balance of what we offer now lends a level of excitement. Teaching a staff of employees that are eager to learn excites me as well. Just knowing that I have a new audience to brew beer for will be the biggest kick for me.
What makes your brewing style stand out?
I suppose my brewing style is considered to be that of style and balance. I enjoy being creative and I look forward to challenging myself with mindful seasonals that reflect the moods of the earth and those of the beer drinker. I also recognize that the “day in and day out” drinkability of an everyday beer is crucially important; to be able to stand out by not standing out sometimes can truly be golden. For those who are familiar with my previous beers, look for some of my prior successes to trickle into our beer stream as the days we move forward.
FATE has always been known to push the limits of innovation, and we will continue to do so with beer, beverage, and food in 2019! Expect to see an increased lineup of FATE beer including new, inventive methods, along with original styles of beer brewed with technical mastery. Denise is known around the world, as well as recognized through countless awards, for her skill in brewing, and she will no doubt bring that into all she does at FATE.