This is a part of a continuing series of Q&As with members of the brewing community from across the US. 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.
Andy Joynt, Director of Brewing, Big Grove Brewery — Des Moines, Iowa
BREWER: How does a typical day in your role look, and how do you balance operational demands with fostering a positive team environment?
JOYNT: My days are very different from one to the next but they usually involve a lot of communication with staff about recipes and the brewing process. We are constantly making new beers and trying new things. I do my best to push forward new concepts and beer development with the brew team. I think that people can get really hung up on the brewing, or the hot side, being the most important part of the process and I work really hard to stress to our team that every step matters. There are opportunities to improve the beer every step of the way. We certainly come in everyday working to meet the demands of quality and production. To do this day-in and day-out and enjoy the process we spend a lot of time listening to team members and working to implement their feedback into the workplace. We are intentional about having team hang out time to learn and socialize and really get to know each other. We encourage direct communications with each other about frustrations and needs knowing that if folks come to work with a positive attitude, trying to make the day better for the person next to them we can have a really enjoyable place to work.
BREWER: Are there any recent accomplishments for the brewery you want to tout and how is it going to improve your business going forward?
JOYNT: We were all super excited to win a gold medal at GABF last year for our Hazy IPA, Easy Eddy. Easy Eddy is our flagship beer and best seller that we have brewed a thousand times. The team was stoked to have a batch of this core beer, where we snagged cans off of our packaging line and shipped them off to the judges for the win in an extremely competitive category. We hope that as we move into new markets that the gold medal on the package is enough incentive to have people that don’t know us give our beer a try.
BREWER: What have you found to be the most effective way to handle customer feedback, both positive and negative?
JOYNT: We know how important it is to listen to our customers. At the end of the day, the beers we brew, the food we cook and the hospitality we provide needs to resonate with the people that are coming to see us and spend their hard earned money. If we aren’t making them happy then we need to make changes. We like to look at negative feedback as an opportunity to connect with people and make a positive impression. We take it very seriously if someone leaves an experience with us unsatisfied, we jump on these events to turn them around and show customers we care about them and will do everything we can to make it better.
BREWER: What first drew you to the industry, and what keeps you passionate about being part of it today?
JOYNT: I was in Fort Collins in the early 2000s and the beers I tried from New Belgium and Odell Brewing absolutely blew my mind. I had to jump into brewing and see what could be created. The opportunity to create delicious beers and share them with people was something that I really enjoyed back then and still do now. The pride and satisfaction knowing you get to be a part of people’s lives because of these creations is really special.
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BREWER: What are you sippin’ on right now from your brewery that you really enjoy?
JOYNT: We just launched a new West Coast IPA called Wild Eddy. We designed this to have a really classic West Coast profile. It is dank and pungent with some resin and bitterness. Wild Eddy features some traditional hops with Chinook, Centennial and Columbus all in the mix. It is exciting to have a bright, crisp, more bitter IPA in our lineup again.
BREWER: What’s one piece of advice you’d give to new managers stepping into a role similar to yours?
JOYNT: I would encourage new managers to listen. Listen to what your customers want. Listen to what your staff needs. Listen to your instincts.
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