I’ve had a number of people ask me why I wasn’t going to do the brewing for Black Dog Brewing Company.  I usually explain it this way:  the difference between a home brewer and an actual professional brew master is the difference between painting the walls in your bedroom and painting a still life on canvas with oil; the two don’t necessarily equate.  That’s why when we started the brewery, we knew we needed an artist – someone who could consistently brew amazing beer.  We also knew it was important to get our brew master as soon as possible in order to advise on critical equipment purchases, consult on brewery build out, and essentially put together all the processes it takes to get the beer from the grain into your glass.  Taking all of this into account, we opened the head brewer position at the end of June and as with most things in business, timing is everything.

It just so happened that we started looking for a brew master while a very experienced individual (with family roots right here in Mooresville, I might add) was continuing his search for the perfect opportunity.  After a few phone conversations, meetings, and interviews, it was abundantly clear that we had found our brew master.  Along with his experience, his immediate grasp of our vision and plans made this individual stand out among the field – not to mention his list of accolades that include award winning beers on both the state and national levels.

I’m very happy to announce that as of last week, Shawn Byrnes accepted the role as Black Dog Brewing Company’s Brew Master.  Over Shawn’s 13 year career, he’s made stops at Upland Brewing Company, Lexington Avenue Brewery in Asheville, North Carolina, Fountain Square Brewery, the Ram Restaurant and Brewery, and now Black Dog Brewing Company.  We couldn’t be more excited for Shawn to take the reigns as Brew Master where he will help us realize our vision of becoming an 18,000 BBL production brewery and produce amazing, award winning beers!

As mentioned previously, we will be hosting an ‘invite only’ beer tasting event in late September (dates and times TBA) for investors, potential investors, and other key people, in which Shawn will be handcrafting some of the beers that will become the hallmark of Black Dog Brewing Company.  So if you’ve thought about investing or being a part of a brewery, here’s your chance to not only sample some great beer and talk to our new Brew Master, but we’ll also be providing information on our vision and investment options.  We have very limited room so if you’re interested, you’d better drop us a line at jeremy@blackdogbrewingcompany.com and reserve your spot!