Craft Beer Rock Stars

It’s crazy how much the excitement that now surrounds the craft beer industry reminds us of the energy that used to (and to a certain degree, still does) surround the music industry. And just as the music industry back in the day gave birth to rock stars -people like Mick Jagger or Robert Plant, who became the faces of bands they came from – there’s a similar thing happening with some people in the craft beer arena today.

There are now industry players out there who have become so well known that they actually have their own following. They have fans invested in them as personalities who can’t get enough of their takes on things. Many of them are now as popular as the brands they represent. Some of them have become brands themselves – whether they intended to or not.

Just as with bands, craft breweries have frontmen (or women) who speak for the organization. In bands, they tend to be the lead singers – they’re comfortable in public and they enjoy being on stage. They’re also usually a founding member of the band.

The men and women who’ve become the faces and the voices of America’s most popular craft breweries are, more times than not, founders as well. They’ve been there since the beginning – they remember when nobody cared. They’ve a passion for what they’ve built and can communicate that passion.

Becoming a rock star doesn’t happen overnight. It takes years of touring, of selling yourself, your music, and your band before you might have any real fans.

The biggest names in the craft beer industry have followed a very similar path. They’ve spent years on the road, presenting themselves and their beers tirelessly to the public and to the industry. Then gradually things changed. People started showing up not just to sample the beer, but also to attend events TO SEE THEM – and craft beer’s rock stars were born.

As different as craft beer rock stars can be, they do share some important traits. Most importantly, they clearly love what they’re doing – it wouldn’t work any other way. It helps if you’ve an infectious spirit and a great sense of humor, as those who’ve seen Dogfish Head’s Sam Calagione in action will attest to. It doesn’t hurt if you once were a performing musician yourself as Stone’s Greg Koch was. As understated as Three Floyds’ Barnaby Struve might at first seem, his bearing and tattoos speak volumes about him and his brewery. And Kim Jordan’s warm sensibility and her new-age graciousness capture the ethos of New Belgium perfectly.

And these are just a few of our industry’s more widely known personalities. There are endless names and colorful apostles out there, all working tirelessly, speaking for brands that they care deeply about. None of them entered the game intending to do anything other than to represent their industry and talk passionately about the craft beers they believe in. And in the end, it’s that passion that attracts and earns them their eventual following.

Craft beer’s rock stars are a phenomenon that nobody saw coming. They’re part of the energy that inspires us and others in our biz -and the faces of their brands and our industry.