Pat Slattery and the Do Can Spirit

I was at one of my favorite beer stores recently and came across a beer called Imperial Destroyer IPA. It was from the Do Can Brewery and the label made me think of a Star Wars movie I watched endlessly growing up. So I picked up the beer and I have to say, it was much more than a cool label and catchy name … and that led me to Pat Slattery, the owner of the Do Can Brewery.

Pat Slattery began brewing in college back in 1990 but it wasn’t till he turned 40 that he considered going pro. Pat’s philosophy is all about brewing great beer and giving people a better beer drinking experience, and when I recently visited with him, he shared more about the Do Can spirit…

How did you get into the beer business?

I started brewing in 1990 when I was in college. I saw an ad in the back of Popular Science for a beer kit and figured it was easier to make than to buy. For me, it was a supply issue more than a hobby. Then when I turned 40, I decided to start a new business since the one I have now was running so well with such a great staff.

Love your brewery’s name…Where did Do Can come from?

“Those Who Do, Can.” Frankly I got it off of a bumper sticker. It wasn’t enough to start a company that just made another craft beer because there are so many good beers on the shelf now. I wanted to have a business that brought more to the table. So the Do Can proposition is a great beer that can be enjoyed alongside any other beer but also can be enjoyed as a stand-alone philosophy of ‘Industry, Enthusiasm, and Perseverance.’ That’s what “Have a Do Can Beer and Have a Do Can Attitude” means.

Imperial Destroyer IPA is another great name as well as a terrific beer. Are you a Star Wars guy?

I couldn’t think of a good name for the beer so I was googling “names of Imperial…” and I was going to write “..IPAs” but Google auto-filled “…Destroyers from Star Wars.” I was 7 when that movie came out so I am naturally a huge fan. So I got distracted and was reading about all of the ships in the Imperial fleet (you can’t imagine how many there are!) and finally a bulb lit up and I said, “I’ll just call it Imperial Destroyer.”

What styles of beer do you brew?

We have :

Do Can American IPA: An IPA with moderate bitterness and body with Cascade, Centennial, and Columbus hops.

Imperial Destroyer: An East Coast triple IPA with too many hops to make any sense. Some love it and some hate it.

Pineapple Express IPA: An IPA with lots of Citra hops. Really does have a pineapple, mango kind of aroma going on. Very well received.

Belgian Tripel: We use two kinds of yeast that yield a different flavor than most tripels.

Do Can Premier Russian Imperial Stout: This will be introduced in November 2014. 12% ABV and smooth for the category. We are really happy with this one and look forward to the response.

There are some seasonals and many new beers that will be introduced over the next few years. We will produce our standard offerings as much as possible but will also roll out new varieties whenever we have the fermentor capacity.

Do Can beers are only sold in a handful of stores in Massachusetts. What are your plans going forward?

We will most certainly be growing throughout MA in 2014 and probably cross state lines in 2015. We are very careful about our commitments as we don’t want to leave our customers with empty shelf space. It’s not fair to them and we really do appreciate them putting us on the shelf.

Beercations have been growing in popularity recently. If you could go on a beercation, where would you go and why?

Hawaii. I would bring a keg of Do Can and get hammered on the beach. But if I had to go and tour breweries and act halfway responsible, I would stay in New England and meet all of the great brewers out there who have so much to offer right here in our backyards.

What’s your dream 6-pack?

That’s a tough one! I would have five beers of five different styles from five different breweries in New England. And the sixth beer would be a can of Budweiser, ice cold. It’s not good in the way that a Big Mac is not a good burger. But a cold can of Bud is satisfying in the same way that a Big Mac is pleasing.