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.
Chris Lane, Jack of All Beer/GM, Renegade Brewing — Denver
BREWER: How does a typical day in your role look, and how do you balance operational demands with fostering a positive team environment?
LANE: Part of the fun is that no two days are the same. Usually I am constantly balancing marketing, inventory, and operations all while trying to keep everyone happy. I foster a team environment by being straight up about the expectations for our beertenders, and really vetting them during the hiring process to ensure they are on board with our craziness.
BREWER: Are there any recent accomplishments for the brewery you want to tout and how is it going to improve your business going forward?
LANE: We recently took over Renegade Brewing (which had existed since 2011) and put in an entirely new custom brew system. This was no small undertaking, and here we are, finally having our first batches brewing as we speak (Editor’s Note,: this was emailed to Brewer in late December of 2025). We’ve been running around Denver, relying on our friends in the industry to brew us a few beers on their systems, and now we are finally “cooking with gas” and brewing full time on site. We have all of the old recipes from the original Renegade, and plan to keep some of them alive as we morph into who we are going to be moving forward. (Redacted/Ryeteous Rye anyone??) We’ve been operating as a tap house serving some of the best in the industry, alongside our offerings, while we’ve been getting things going.
BREWER: What have you found to be the most effective way to handle customer feedback, both positive and negative?
LANE: Luckily, I have only had to deal with positive feedback! All jokes aside, talk to people like they are human, and give them a platform to complain, if that’s what they feel they need to do. Most disagreements can be solved amicably, if you just listen to what they need and try to do everything in your power to make them happy. That said, you can never make everyone happy, but you can try!
BREWER: What first drew you to the industry, and what keeps you passionate about being part of it today?
LANE: My buddy Aaron Uhl was opening up a brewery in Boulder and I originally signed on just to help a friend. Here we are many years later, and I don’t think we will ever completely “figure it out” but you learn more from failure than you do from success. Everything to this point has been a lesson, and we are adapting and evolving to fit the ever changing needs of the industry.
BREWER: What are you sippin’ on right now from your brewery that you really enjoy?
LANE: Sante Haze, our core DDH Hazy that is delicious and full of flavor. Hops are Amarillo, Citra and El Dorado.
BREWER: What’s one piece of advice you’d give to new managers stepping into a role similar to yours?
LANE: Always keep it fresh and fun. Find things to do (besides the beer) to bring people into your establishment. We host cooking classes, open mics, monthly themes, and plenty more to keep giving people a reason to come see us. You have to throw a bunch of things at the wall to see what really sticks.
