This is a part of a continuing series of Q&As with members of the brewing community from across the U.S.
Brewer Magazine will share business and personal insights from Brewmasters, Head Brewers, Brewing Managers, Sales Directors, QCQA Managers and others each weekend to help you get to know each other better in the industry and learn more to better develop your own brand.
Peter Bouckaert, co-owner, Purpose Brewing & Cellars — Fort Collins, Colorado
BREWER: How do you feel about your job has had to adapt in the beer market compared to a few years ago?
BOUCKAERT: I went small with a taproom, that is really were the market is at. Distribution has become clogged with too many brands and local is the way to go. I also serve new beers every weekend. Oh, you wanted the beer from last week? Well this week we have something different. The consumer is so whimsical, well let’s be whimsical.
BREWER: Who is your mentor in the industry and why? What have you learned from them?
BOUCKAERT: Antoon Lietaert in Zulte, Belgium taught me hands on troubleshooting and also taught me a few things, as he phrased it, you should never forget as a brewer.
BREWER: Can you share a success story that you are proud of in your job or maybe a story of how you learned from a situation that has altered your thoughts on how you do your job now?
BOUCKAERT: My first trip to Brazil I discovered so many different ingredient such as fruit and wood. I have been playing with those ingredients, along with research at two universities, and in some of the Purpose Brewing & Cellars beer. And interesting enough one of them, amburana, seems to already take ground in the US brewing industry. For sure this wood was waiting to be discovered, but there is so much more to be discovered of ingredients that are very well suited for making great beer.
BREWER: Can you touch on something your brewery has added lately that’s unique or making your business more successful (it could be equipment, technology or people)?
BOUCKAERT: Barrel pH1 arrived unexpected, as it always does. This traveling barrel is sitting at Purpose Brewing & Cellars for as long at its chooses. After that it will move on again. But its really fun to see how it enjoys sitting next to pH2, its barrel friend it has not seen for 20 years. I bet a lot of thoughts have to be shared on how to make good beer. All this before PH1 will go on with its journey.
BREWER: If you had one business strategy that you could implement to better the brewing industry, what would it be?
BOUCKAERT: We developed the craft brewing industry out of nothing and made it a fast evolving and exploring industry. I guess by now I am one of the old sages. And I always have to laugh when brewer’s my age and younger are commenting negatively on one or another new type of beer or concept. Hey, we are not Budweiser anymore that sat laughing on the sideline way too long. We made it a fast evolving and exploring industry. Heck live with it now.
Read more from Peter and Purpose Brewing in our Last Pint.
Photo courtesy: Brewtography Project
Be the first to comment