Today we’d like to introduce you to Ben Shirley.
Ben, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started at Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Oregon in 2008 as a host in the front of the house with very minimal knowledge about beer or the brewing process in general. While I worked in FOH, my interest in beer naturally grew, and I worked my way into the pub brewery team, then eventually into the production plant. It was then that I learned about 10 Barrel from Jimmy Seifrit (10 Barrel Head Brewmaster) – we had met back in 2004 – and, one thing led to another, and I was hired on with 10 Barrel in Bend, OR in July of 2011. At 10 Barrel in Bend, I learned from the best, refining (as I continue to refine still today!) my brewing techniques and skills. In 2015, 10 Barrel decided to open a pub in San Diego and that’s when I hightailed it back to my original stomping grounds, accepted the offer to be head brewer, and we opened up here in San Diego May of 2017.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
So many obstacles and challenges. I could share so many stories – but, in a nutshell, it was a crazy road from learning super fast and growing my interest in beer, moving from a FOH host to production – you can imagine some of the learning curves and challenges. Once working for 10 Barrel, I went seven months straight doing four days a week of graveyard shifts (10 pm – 7 am) at the brewery followed by three-night shifts at the pub, (that’s right, seven days a week), until it let up a bit. That was a huge challenge. Fast forward to opening up the pub in San Diego and the grind has started all over again. But, in a great way – I’m dedicated to hard work and learning every day.
Please tell us about 10 Barrel Brewing.
I head the brewing operations at the 10 Barrel Brewing Co. San Diego Brewpub. We are master craftsmen of fermented beverages. We make it all. Personally, I like to brew session quality ales and lagers because I appreciate the four main brewing ingredients. And we keep the menu constantly changing and diverse as possible. I take feedback from customers and our staff to inspire the beers we create and ultimately put on the menu – it’s always a tough decision to choose!
Contact Info:
- Address: 10 Barrel Brewing San Diego
1501 E St, San Diego, CA 92101 - Website: www.10barrel.com
- Phone: (619) 578-2311
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/10barrelbrewing/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/10BarrelSanDiego/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/10BarrelBrewing?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
Image Credit:
10 Barrel Brewing Co.
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