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By Scottie, August 18, 2010 5:03 am

Sixpoint Craft Ales was founded in 2005 in a small 800 square foot garage in Red Hook, Brooklyn. This small craft brewery, founded by Shane Welch, quickly became one of my favorites. Before I left for Australia, I had the pleasure of meeting Shane, touring his brewery, and sharing some pints of the Dr. Klankenstein.

Before I begin, I would like to thank Shane for taking the time to participate in my craft brewery interview series and for the rockin’ brewery tour and sweet buzz! It was the highlight of my NYC trip.

Scottie: Going back to the beginning of your brewing career, do you remember the first beer that you brewed?

Shane: The very first beer that I brewed was a 5-gallon batch of Brown Ale. The beer turned out well – or at least well enough for my father and I to consume every last drop of it on an autumn afternoon. In retrospect, it was quite a beautiful scene: I was a junior in college at the time, and my parents were visiting for the weekend. In an attempt to be the consummate host (and being perma-broke in true collegiate fashion), I decided to pop open a few homebrews that I snagged out of the cellar to offer my guests. Now, my ales were only in the bottle for 9 days, and therefore had a little bit of residual sugar – but that didn’t stop my father and I from tearing through that stash like piranhas. I’ll never forget my father contemplating possible names for that beer – he was genuinely having fun and marveling in the creation I had made. It was spurring creativity and conversation and sharing – what was not to like?

Scottie: What was your “Ah-Ha” moment or experience that made you realize that you could make brewing your profession?

Shane: I was in class at school, but all I could ever do was think about homebrewing.  I was obsessed.  No matter which class I was in, I somehow had to tie the curriculum into making beer. I’ll never forget meeting with my geology professor one day after class and going back to his office, where I took out an assemblage of homebrews in my backpack. We then talked about the famous brewing waters of the world, and how the geologic strata over time had given all of them their signature mineral profile. Once again, groundbreaking conversations consecrated by homebrew!  Oh, and pun definitely intended there. 

Scottie: When did your brewery first open and what was the inspiration for the name and logo?

Shane: The brewery officially opened in February 2005 but the kettles were fired and experiments were being done in late November 2004. The name and logo are no accident – they were carefully thought about over many deliberations about the importance of nomenclature. After a little bit of research and observation, it was readily apparent that a majority of breweries simply named themselves after their region or city they operated in. What a shame, I thought, and how ironic. Here you have small operators trying to distinguish themselves by being different, yet they are all alike because there was monotony in the assemblage of their name. We knew we had to be different. We needed to name ourselves after something that was related to the beer, not a location. We’re a brewery, after all, not a company trying to pimp a locality.

So we called ourselves Sixpoint, after noticing this ancient brewing symbol in old artwork, photographs, and signage throughout travels in Europe. It was the original brewers’ sixpoint star – a hexagram – and it was also prominently featured in plenty of Breweriana as well. Yet we wanted a symbol that meant something, with roots that ran deep, but also have a modern relevance. So we decided to tweak the original brewers’ star and give it a more modern look – and that is when we caught the attention of the nautical star. We liked the idea of having a 3-dimensional quality to it – like a menacing face that is popping out at you. It’s a symbol of honor and tradition, but also one that shines bright in a modern era. And we’ve been rockin’ it ever since.

Scottie: What is the biggest obstacle that you’ve had to overcome?

Shane: To stop obsessing about the quality of the beer all of the time – my girlfriend thinks I’m going to have a heart attack if I don’t relax!

Scottie: How would you describe your brewing style?

Shane: Rooted in science and fundamentals, yet cavalier and forward-thinking, and oozing with original style.

Scottie: How much beer did you produce in 2009?

Shane: 8,200 delicious barrels.

Scottie: What are your projected goals for brewery production this year? Over the next five years?

Shane: This year we should do around 12,000 barrels – as far the next five years goes, I really have no idea. But let’s stay in touch over the next five years and we’ll see where we end up – maybe you can mark down on your i-cal right now that on April 30, 2015 we can reassess over a beer, provided we are still in business at the time.

Scottie: Hell of an idea!

Scottie: What states or markets are your beers currently available in? Do you have plans to expand distribution to other areas?

Shane: Our beers are currently available in New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. You can also get it in the Philadelphia metro area. At this time, we do not have plans to increase our sales territory.

Scottie: Do you have any new beers or projects in the pipeline that you would like to share with the readers?

Shane: Yes, our Klankenstein beer project is not only a really unique and interesting science experiment, it happens to be an awesome tasting beer as well. The entire process has been documented on video and will be uploaded to our Facebook page for those that want an in-depth view of the process. For those who want a basic primer, the beer itself is based upon the old traditional German “stein” beer that has long been dormant as a beer style. This style harkens back to the Middle Ages, when brewers could not get sufficient heat energy to bring their massive iron cauldrons of wort up to a rolling boil. Keep in mind all beer was being cooked with a log fire! So, some thermo-savvy dudes realized they could employ the local blacksmith in their favor, and voila, stein beer was born. Fast-forward to the modern day, and Sixpoint set up a custom rig to heat slabs of basalt over 1000 degrees F and then douse the wort with them. It was a spectacular process.

Scottie: Often times I hear people refer to the craft beer industry as a brotherhood (and sisterhood). What brothers and sisters in the industry do you find inspirational and/or admire?

Shane: There are so many that I don’t think I have enough time or space to list all of them! As far as other brewers go, I must say one world-class gentleman is Will Myers, the Brewmaster at Cambridge Brewing Company. I’m not just saying this for his brewing skills, I’m speaking on behalf of his character and generosity. He is just a gem of a person, and I’m grateful to know him. But its not just about the fraternity of brewers, its about the entire industry. Some of my closest brothers are Paul Bussiere, Robert Hodson, and Chris Sheehan over at Union Beer Distributors. They are true believers in what we do and always have been – cradling us from when we were a fledgling company. And of course, I cannot exclude my most important family of all – my staff – which is truly my favorite thing about my job – all of the great people I have the pleasure of working with every day.

Scottie: What people outside of the craft beer industry inspire you?

Shane: Mohandas Mahatma Gandhi, Cathy Erway, Woody Guthrie.

Scottie: Collaboration beers are becoming more and more popular. If you could choose one brewery to collaborate with, who would it be and why?

Shane: We probably won’t collaborate with another brewery for the very reason its becoming more and more popular! Once again, that is where Sixpoint is different. We collaborate with other unique and like-minded individuals, but not necessarily breweries. So whether its hip-hop musicians (Cool Calm Pete, Junk Science, etc) or coffee roasters (Gorilla Coffee, Stumptown, etc) or artisanal chocolatiers (Mast Brothers Chocolate) we’re always forging partnerships with our community, just not necessarily breweries.

Scottie: The craft beer industry saw amazing growth last year (7.2% increase by volume and 10.3% by dollar) while overall beer sales decreased by 2.2%. What would you contribute this amazing growth to?

Shane: I think its a relatively simple and straightforward phenomenon: people are drinking LESS beer, but they are higher quality beer. And that makes sense. The less beer you have, the more scarce it is, so you will be more discriminate in your tastes.

Scottie: What value, if any, do you see in beer bloggers and social media sites like Twitter and Facebook.

Shane: They’re absolutely essential and vital parts of the industry. These people are genuinely passionate about beer, and the internet and social media provides them the interactive platform for them to have a dialogue about it.  Its wonderful.

Scottie: Do you have a Twitter account and/or Facebook page? How do you see these types of sites impacting, and perhaps benefiting, your industry over the next few years?

Shane: Yes, we have a Facebook page and Twitter account. Over the next few years, I see these sites impacting the industry tremendously, but it won’t necessarily be limited to our industry – its effects will be felt across all industries, especially the news industry.

Sixpoint's rooftop garden

Scottie: What is your opinion of the three-tier distribution system and do you feel that it benefits or hinders smaller craft breweries?

Shane: The three-tier distribution system is not set in stone, it had its time and place and that does not mean it will necessarily be intact forever. I think in the most basic sense, once one of the participants in the three-tier system no longer provides value in the supply chain, they will be eliminated or consolidated into one of the other two realms. I think distribution can really help small craft breweries, provide you team up with the right distributor. However, if you have a bad distributor, it can be the death of you – as it is most often a lifetime appointment.

Scottie: Where can people find additional information about your brewery, new beer releases, festivals, or brewery tour info?

Shane: The best way would be to check our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter, and also monitor our events by signing up for our email list.

Scottie: We’ll finish with a fun, but perhaps difficult question. If you could only drink one beer for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Shane: The one that I split among friends.

Thanks Shane for your time and for participating in my craft brewery interview series.

CHEERS!

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By Scottie, May 6, 2010 12:34 pm

NOLA Brewing Company is the concept and dream of Kirk Coco, a native of New Orleans. After watching the devastation Hurricane Katrina had on his home city, he decided to help rebuild and develop commerce in post-Katrina New Orleans by opening a brewery.

In just a short amount of time, Kirk and NOLA Brewing Company have been able to create quality handcrafted lagers and ales for the enjoyment of the City of New Orleans and the surrounding area.

Before I begin, I want to thank Kirk for taking time out of his busy schedule to participate in my Craft Brewery Interview Series.

Kirk Coco - Founder of NOLA Brewing Co.

Scottie: Going back to the beginning of your brewing career, do you remember the first beer that you brewed? If so, what was it and how did it turn out?

Kirk: I brewed a Pilsner while living in Hawaii. Let’s just say we won’t be using that recipe when we are make our Pilsner here at NOLA.

Scottie: What was your “Ah-Ha” moment or experience that made you realize that you could make brewing your profession?

Kirk: I don’t think I actually realized I could do it until I was drinking my first pint of NOLA Brown off of the tap at the Avenue Pub in New Orleans.

Scottie: When did your brewery first open and what was the inspiration for the name and logo?

Kirk: We started the company in March 2008, rented our building in June 2008, received our equipment in October 2008, and got our first beer out the door on March 3, 2009.

The name was an easy one, as it is the nickname for the city of New Orleans (NOLA – as in New Orleans, LA). We just substituted New Orleans Lager and Ale to replace the Louisiana part.

The logo took a long time and we went through several different design firms without a promising logo. Then, when all seemed hopeless, a carpenter made the logo that we are currently using.

Scottie: Why did you choose the location of your brewery?

Kirk: We knew we wanted to be inside the city of New Orleans, as part of the reason for starting the brewery was to help the city’s economy. We chose the street and location we’re at because the location didn’t flood when the levee breached during Katrina. At the time we started the brewery, the levees still were not completed, and I wanted to make sure if there was another flood our equipment wouldn’t be destroyed.

"Who Dat?!"

Scottie: What is the biggest obstacle that you’ve had to overcome?

Kirk: Believe it or not, getting a water meter from the city. It took us 6 months to get a water meter installed.

Scottie: How would you describe your brewing style?

Kirk: We like to call our beers Gulf Coast style beers, somewhere in-between the super hoppiness of the West Coast and the bitterness of the East Coast. Our beers are balanced and slightly hoppy according to style.

Scottie: How much beer did you produce in 2009?

Kirk: 1400 barrels from March 3 through December 31st. Our first full year was just at 2000 barrels.

Scottie: What are your projected goals for brewery production this year? Over the next five years?

Kirk: This year we are planning for at least 3500 barrels. Our 5 year goal is to be producing 10,000 barrels over 6 states.

Scottie: What states or markets are your beers currently available in? Do you have plans to expand distribution to other areas?

Kirk: We are currently available throughout the entire state of Louisiana, Alabama from Montgomery South to Mobile, and in the Florida Panhandle. We hope to continue throughout AL and FL, while also entering Mississippi, Texas and Tennessee over the next four years.

New 120 Barrel Fermenter

Scottie: Do you have any new beers or projects in the pipeline that you would like to share with the readers?

Kirk: We have a Lemon Basil Wheat Beer coming out in July as a replacement for our first seasonal beer, Hurricane Saison. After that, we will have a Stout this winter.

Scottie: Often times I hear people refer to the craft beer industry as a brotherhood (and sisterhood). What brothers and sisters in the industry do you find inspirational and/or admire?

Kirk: Besides the great people who work with me every day at the brewery, Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head, Jim Koch from Boston Brewery, and Charlie Papazian have all been motivational and given real concrete advice and assistance. Henryk Orlik from Heiner Brau Brewery and Leslie Henderson from Lazy Magnolia Brewery were instrumental to getting us up and running and helping us through many initial speed-bumps.

Scottie: What people outside of the craft beer industry inspire you?

Kirk: I would have to say my biggest inspiration would be my Dad, who always taught us that if you work hard enough you will be successful at whatever you do, and also taught us the true value of an earned dollar. The lessons he taught me have been invaluable throughout my career in the Navy as well as in the brewing industry. Also, my wife McKenzie continued to believe in me and the brewery even when my belief started to falter, and I’m sure we would not have NOLA Beer without her support.

Scottie: Collaboration beers are becoming more and more popular. Have you collaborated with another brewery? If not, if you could choose one brewery to collaborate with, who would it be?

Kirk: We have not had a collaboration beer yet, as we have only been making beer for a little over a year, and are still trying to get our beers out. I’m sure if we did make a collaboration beer, it would be with a Gulf Coast Brewery, possibly Terrapin, Sweetwater, Cigar City or Lazy Magnolia (assuming they’d have us!).

Scottie: The craft beer industry saw amazing growth last year (7.2% increase by volume and 10.3% by dollar) while overall beer sales decreased by 2.2%. What would you contribute this amazing growth to?

Kirk: A wider selection of beers with better quality ingredients and taste profiles. It’s pretty easy to see that the American beer drinker has drastically changed over the last 15 to 20 years. A typical beer drinker is not satisfied with drinking one beer brand, just as a typical wine drinker does not buy the same brand of wine every time they drink. Also, I think there is a strong growth overall in the “stay local” movement, that brings consumers to purchase items that are made closer to home with fewer preservatives. For beer, that tends to encourage the purchase of non-pasteurized beers, which pretty much means a craft beer. It is amazing the difference in taste from a pasteurized and non-pasteurized beer.

Scottie: What value, if any, do you see in beer bloggers and social media sites like Twitter and Facebook?

Kirk: It’s the most cost effective marketing for our brewery.  We have a VERY limited amount of marketing funds, and they are used to get beer into the hands of people that have not tried our brand yet. Twitter and Facebook are a free method of getting our name, beers, and events out to the public and can be very effective when a post goes viral.

Scottie: Do you have a Twitter account and/or Facebook page? How do you see these types of sites impacting, and perhaps benefiting, your industry over the next few years?

Kirk: Yes, and if any company does not have one yet, odds are they are on their way to going out of business.  I hope they will continue to benefit small businesses such as ours.  It is the only way we can compete with the large brewery’s marketing dollars.

Scottie: What is your opinion of the three-tier distribution system and do you feel that it benefits or hinders smaller craft breweries?

Kirk: It really depends on how the three-tier system is implemented. If you are a start-up brewery and a local distributor does not want to pick your product up, you are out of business before your product ever hits the market. In fact, it is IMPOSSIBLE for your product to hit the market without a distributor in many three-tier states. This means less micro-breweries, less competition, and less selection for the consumer.

Scottie: Where can people find additional information about your brewery, new beer releases, festivals, or brewery tour info?

Kirk: From our website, Facebook Fan Page, and our Twitter account.

Scottie: We’ll finish with a fun, but perhaps difficult question. If you could only drink one beer for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Kirk: Unibroue’s La Fin du Monde!

Thanks again Kirk for your time and participation in my craft brewery interview series.

CHEERS!

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By Scottie, March 26, 2010 7:39 am

I recently had the privilege of trying two phenomenal brews from Sixpoint Craft Ales, the Grand Crüe and their Russian Imperial Stout. From my understanding, both of these beers are somewhat difficult to come by if you don’t live in the New York area. For info on where to find these, and other great beers from Sixpoint, check out their website or find them on Facebook and Twitter.

Sixpoint Grand Crüe

Sixpoint's Grand Crüe

Appearance:

Copper in color with hints of ruby and a medium sized light tan head.

Smell:

This beer stinks of greatness from the first sniff. Rich caramel, dark fruits, figs, plums, and brown sugar emanate from the glass.

Taste:

Raisin, figs, honey, caramel, Belgian candy sugar, and roasted malt flavors perfectly complicate the aroma of the beer. This beer will make your taste buds party like it’s 1999!

Mouthfeel:

Medium bodied with average carbonation.

Drinkability:

A subtle alcohol presence (subtle for having 12.4% ABV) warms the body and soul. The bold and delicious flavoring make you not want to put the beer down. The only problem I had with this beer; I only had one bottle to enjoy.

Russian Imperial Stout

This specialty brew has been aged 5 years, is bottle conditioned and fermented with distiller’s yeast, and comes in a wax dipped bottle. According to Shane, Sixpoint’s President and Brewmaster, they initially hopped the “bejesus” out of the beer with a staggering 126 IBU’s. Fortunately, the hops have mellowed over time, making this one complex and delicious Russian Imperial Stout.

Sixpoint's Russian Imperial Stout:

Appearance:

Sixpoint’s Russian Imperial Stout pours out black-as-night. Millions of tiny bubbles dance to the top of the glass, creating a mountainous mocha-colored head.

Smell:

There is an overall sweet aroma to this beer. Chocolate, coffee, and alcohol aromas are complimented by the sweet smells of caramel, plums, raisins, and cherries.

Taste:

This is one hell of a complex and well-balanced stout. Like the smell, sweet dark fruits (raisins, plum, dark cherries, currants) are prominent upfront but are perfectly matched with flavors of dark chocolate, molasses, roasted coffee, and piney hops on the backend.

Mouthfeel:

This full bodied beer coats the mouth to perfection with every sip.

Drinkabiltiy:

According to Shane, the beer fermented-out to 12.4% ABV (no label on the beer to state otherwise). For being full bodied and having such a high alcohol content, this is a very drinkable stout.

Simply put, Sixpoint’s Grand Crüe and thier Russian Imperial Stout are perfect examples of what is possible with these particular styles of beer. I was completely blown away with the richness and complexity of both beers. If you haven’t yet, do yourself a favor and track down these two amazing brews.

CHEERS!