Elliot Hoffman from Side Pull Brewery
Scott: How long have you been brewing beer? How have you been in the beer industry?
Elliot: I've been in the brewing industry for roughly seven years, although I homebrewed before that for a number of years. I started commercially brewing in 2018.
Scott: Why did you decide to start brewing beer?
Elliot: Growing up in California, much like Michigan, I was exposed to a vast landscape of incredible craft beer that spurred the interest of my entire friend group. It's kind of the cliche brewer origin story, but it started as a hobby with friends and became a passion. For me, the "why" in brewing comes from the joy of providing. It's always been something I've shared, joked, and debated over with friends and if I can continue to create that for people then I'll be plenty content. It's the perfect companion to the best conversations.
Scott: What education/training/experience do you have?
Elliot: Camino Brewing, who I've spent the majority of my industry experience with, provided awesome educational resources for me when I made the transition into commercial products including a quality control course at White Labs and full presentations from Siebel Institute's Concise Brewing course. But aside from that, the vast majority of my education has come from hands-on training, reading every book I could get my hands on, and talking the absolute ears off of fellow brewers. The nice thing about the industry is that almost everybody is an open book and I hung out in cellars and taprooms as long as folks would let me.
Scott: What are your goals for the next year?
Elliot: Our big goal for next year is getting Side Pull open.
Scott: What is a roadblock that you had in the beer world? How did you overcome that roadblock?
Elliot: I think the biggest roadblock I've experienced in beer has mainly been trying to get a new brewery off the ground. We've gotten fairly comfortable hearing "No" in a plethora of different ways, but it's also fortified our resolve and desire to bring Side Pull to fruition. Up until recently the majority of bankers we talked to wanted to classify us as a restaurant, which comes with a different set of risks, and wouldn't lend to us unless we put up a massive amount of collateral. The best things take time, and luckily we've really found the best possible people to work with through perseverance as well as our friends who continue to push us.
Scott: Favorite memory involving beer?
Elliot: My favorite memory of beer was probably the opening of Camino Brewing in San Jose. I had been with the owners since almost day one helping sell beer that we contract brewed, building relationships, developing recipes, and opening the doors in 2018 was the complete payoff from when I started with them two years prior. We were so busy, and drastically understaffed, that friends jumped behind the bar to help pour and I think I was literally there from 7 in the morning double checking all the beers until midnight when we cleaned up.
Scott: One positive thing about yourself?
Elliot: I think a positive thing about myself, which can also sometimes be a curse, is if I'm going to do something I have to give it everything I got. I'm sure my friends could poke fun at some of my hobbies I've really gone all-in on, but it's obviously helped me break into an industry that's become my career.
Scott: What are your top 5 beer styles?
Elliot: My top five beer styles for me are probably Czech Pilsner, West Coast IPA, American Pale Ale, Schwarzbier, and Saison but 90% of the time I'm looking for anything in the pale to amber lager category.
