“A Day in the Life” is a series where we’ll profile a variety of residents to get an intimate glimpse into their day-to-day. These are your neighbors. Get to know them.
If you haven’t paid a visit to Hopsters, the Boston area’s first and only custom craft brewery and restaurant, we recommend checking it out sometime soon. Along with creating your own signature beer, guests can also taste Hopsters’ own signature craft brews including Market Square Tripel (Belgian Triple), Imperialist IPA (Imperial IPA) and Endless Vacation (Belgian Farmhouse Ale).
All three of which are created by Jeff Rowe, head brewer at Hopsters. Here, the brewmaster tells BostInno how he spends his days experimenting with various recipes, brewing, and of course, tasting the craft beers for himself.
How do you spend most mornings?
I spend most mornings waking up early and mashing in with our assistant brewer, Dan. On the rare occasion that we’re not brewing we have a “keep it real” day – which entails cleaning and organizing all day.
What are the top priorities on your to-do list right now?
Number one on that list would have to be focusing on distribution. We have three flagship beers (Imperialist IPA, Market Square Tripel, and Endless Vacation) that have just gone out to market via Craft Brewers Guild. That would be my top priority, but outside of that, I’m always trying to find ways to make our brewery more efficient. Our beer comes first, and that is what drives us to make the best beer we can make.
What is the best part and the worst part about your day?
The best part of my day is when the realization that I actually love my job kicks in. The worst part is having to sample our beers in the morning (yep, that’s a joke.. I love that too).
What do you love most about your job?
I love the end of my shift because I get to look around the bar and see our customers enjoying the beer that we worked so hard to get into their glass. That is by far the best part of my job.
What’s next for Hopsters?
We (Hopsters) have our sights set on some big things. We have collaborations with brewers that we really respect, a barrel aging program that will make for some limited releases, a host of new beers coming to our taps, and there is the potential of opening up a second location with a bigger brew house and more brew kettles for our customers. Keep up with us of Facebook and twitter for upcoming events and info.
If you could impart one piece of advice to our readers, what would it be?
My advice would be to support your local beer scene. We have some fantastic brewers that are doing some great things.
If you weren’t answering my questions, what would you be doing instead?
Listening to bad metal music (Helloween) and brewing a batch of our “Autumn Midnight.”
Image courtesy of Hopsters
