Beerista: So you want to be a brewer?

Doug Odell is an old hand at the brewing game. In the late 1970s, he worked with San Francisco's iconic Anchor Steam brewery and later, after a honeymoon in the UK and quite a bit of homebrewing, decided to set up on his own.

Odells Brewery was born in 1989, founded by Doug, his wife Wynne and his sister Corkie. It’s now the 34th largest craft brewery in the US.

When I met Odell recently, at the launch of the Irish Craft Beer Festival, he was among a crowd of young Irish brewers, most just a few years into the industry.

It was very different back then, he says in his soft American drawl, describing what it was like when he started out.

It’s not hard to imagine him in the early days, lugging bags of grain, heaving kegs and putting in all the hard graft that comes with being a successful brewer.

I’m sipping an ice-cold can of Drumroll APA as we speak, the latest Odell beer to reach these shores along with their new 7 per cent IPA can.

Drumroll is a very drinkable, fruity go-to American pale ale at 5.3 per cent, with a light bitterness. It’s a perfect accompaniment to a good chat about the brewing life.

Was it ever hard running a business as a couple? “Well,” Odell says with a grin, “my sister was working with us too and she’s a real diplomat.”

After more than 25 years in the business, last year Odell began to step back from the running of the brewery, which is based in Colorado, phasing out by selling to co-workers in a controlled management buyout.

What would he say to brewers setting up now?

“I have three pieces of advice for brewers starting out,” he says. “Have some business sense, don’t run out of cash and” – most importantly – “make good beer.”

@ITbeerista beerista@irishtimes.com