We had the great pleasure and honor to speak to Alyssa aka Instagram’s @southernbeergirl the head blender for Jagged Mountain Craft Brewery in Denver, CO about her innovative beer creations, micro influencing and that Instagram life. Enjoy the warm side of a cold beer.
Tell us 5 fun facts about you –
2. I love gummy candy (Haribo is the best)
Tell us how your passion for beer came about? What is it about this industry that draws you in?
AT: You could say my passion for beer started when I was a little girl- My uncle had homebrew set up in his garage, I remember him being pretty popular with neighbors because he would give his homebrew away. I was always in awe of the work and remember smelling hops when my family visited him. Fast forward many years later after moving to Colorado and I’m buying a homebrew setup of my own, I fell in love with the process, won a few awards and decided I wanted to do it professionally.
The industry draws me in because of the people, beer people are easy going, friendly and welcoming….like a family. It’s like no other industry. We all support each other.
As he head brewer for Jagged Mountain Craft Brewery can you quickly walk us through the process of grain to bottle? Also, how did you get in that role?
AT: In the tiniest of nutshells- Crushed grain and hot water make a sugary liquid called “wort”. Wort is boiled and hops are added during the boil. After it’s boiled you chill the wort down and transfer it to a fermenter where you will add yeast. The yeast is a living organism that consumes the sugars in wort producing alcohol and CO2- this is called fermentation. After fermentation is complete you chill it and carbonate the beer and serve! I was working as a shift brewer at another, larger brewery in Colorado.
I got tired of brewing the same beers every day since we were a packaging brewery. I was suffering creatively and decided I had learned enough to try and do my own thing at a much smaller brewery that not only allowed it creativity but fostered it. Jagged Mountain was the perfect fit for that.
The brewery under your leadership is responsible for some crazy innovative beer profiles. Tell us about the Matcha Milkshake IPA and Girl Scout Cookie-inspired ales
AT: We are a 10bbl brewery, but I’m lucky enough to also have 1bbl pilot system that allows us to be super creative. I went to Japan about 6 months ago and drank Matcha every day and had this idea for a matcha milkshake beer. And who doesn’t love girl scout cookies?! That idea was actually one of the owner’s idea after he came rolling in with 6 cases of a variety of cookies!
What led you to bring your passion for this industry on Instagram, of all available social media platforms?
AT: I like the wide audience I get through Instagram, I am by no means a professional photographer, but I enjoy taking photos and was always snapping pics when I started homebrewing. When these photos started getting a bunch of likes on my private account I decided to make a themed one. I would have never imagined my following would grow as it has!
In our industry, the craft whiskey market is pushing the boundaries with different cask finishes, aging techniques, among other things. In comparison, what is the craft brewery industry doing to stand out from the standard ales you find in local markets.
AT: The craft beer industry is getting super creative with our process, a few weeks ago I collaborated on a beer with Woods Boss brewing and Hidden Mother brewing- it was a beer that we passed through a ponderosa pine tree luge for 2 hours before the boil. We are constantly coming up with new, interesting hops, styles and methods.
Let’s get personal. What are some of the most important things in your life?
AT: The most important things in my life are my husband of 2 years and my little french bulldog, Mochi. Brandon (my husband) has been my main motivator and source of encouragement. I know I wouldn’t be where I am today without him. Outside of family, it’s really important to me to just live the best life I can, I don’t ever want to waste time. It’s important for me to pursue my passions.
Where do you see this industry 5 years from now? 10?
AT: Its a weird time in the beer industry right now, beer consumption is down for the first time in years. I think we will see a lot of breweries, good and bad, shut their doors in the next 5 years. I think this will force many brewers to only make high-quality beer. I would like to see people get back to the German style lagers. As much as I love creativity and innovation at the end of the day I love to drink a clean Pilsner. I think the drinking public will get to that point too in the next 10 years, but I also thing sour beer will continue to get more and more elevated, focusing on local ingredients, and relying on wild microbes.
Best atmosphere, mood or environment to grab a cold brew?
AT: Somewhere that’s cozy and inviting. I always enjoy the “local” feel of Jagged Mountain’s taproom even for it being in the middle of downtown. You also can’t beat a beautiful patio with a cold beer on a sunny day.
The greatest lesson you’ve learned in business is…
AT: Don’t ever stop learning. Be humble. accept advice and listen to others who are more experienced than you. Never be too proud, and always recognize room for improvement within yourself and with your work.
How often do you take a break from social media to recharge?
AT: I don’t feel like I am as active as I should be, there are days where I don’t open Instagram at all and some days I have a 20 slide story. I love the connections I’ve made around the world, at the end of the day I’m sharing my passions with like-minded people- and I love it!
Anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
AT: If you are reading this wondering if you should pursue your passion, what are you waiting for?! Life is too short for it to be mediocre. Be passionate about something, and surround yourself with support and DON’T give up.
