When asked how he got into the brewing business, our new brewer Jeremy Kirby always blames his wife Sara. It was her that got the idea to make wine out of the backyard grapes they found behind their first apartment. In fact, Jeremy didn't much like beer...at least the kind he had in Highshool. Well, after a trip to the local Homebrew/wine making shop they picked all the grapes, smashing them by hand and adding all the little baggies of sugars and chemicals to the bucket; It took the better part of the afternoon. It was then that Jeremy read the last part of the directions: Age wine in bucket for 6 months, then in the bottle for another 6 months. "A Year?!?" he thought, "I'm thirsty now!" He remembered reading at the homebrew shop that it only took a month to make beer, and that sounded like a lot more reasonable scenario. Plus, he only needed a few more pieces of equipment and he could be up and running. That was the last batch of wine Jeremy and Sara ever made.

 

Jeremy and his Sara continued to homebrew about once a month through college and it was just about the time they graduated with English degrees that they decided to look into brewing as a career. After years of saving and researching brewing schools, they decided that the Versuchs- und Lehranstalt für Brauerei in Berlin (http://www.vlb-berlin.org/cms/front_content.php) was the way to go; Who better to study beer making from than the people who perfected it?

 

In the winter of 2007, after a brief internship at Gottberg Brew Pub under then-brewer Richard Stueven, Jeremy and Sara boarded a plane for Germany. The International course was a 5 month endeavour, 5 days a week and 8 hours a day with a heavy emphasis on practical laboratory and microbiological work. In school, Jeremy met many brewers from all over the world and working for breweries from all sizes. Together, they all learned the fine science of making, and drinking delicious beer.

 

When Jeremy and Sara returned to the states, Jeremy quickly landed his first brewing job at Carver Brewing Co. in the beautiful town of Durango, Colorado. It was there, under the direction of award winning head brewer Erik Maxson, Jeremy learned that there is a very wide gap between brewing theory and brewing reality. Brewing was hard work, but the fame and fortune were worth it....well, the fame was good....hmm, sometimes people said they liked his beer....well, Jeremy and Sara enjoyed free beer!

 

Jeremy and family lived and worked in Colorado for almost 2 years before the brewing position came open at Gottberg Brew pub, and both being from the Norfolk area, they were excited to get closer to family. So in June 2009 the family (now with the addition of 1 year-old Dexter Kirby) loaded up the moving van and came to Columbus.

 

Jeremy, Sara and Dex are excited about making good beer and great friends in the wonderful town of Columbus and Jeremy hopes you stop by for a beer or three some day!