EP-187 Chris Leonard of Heavy Seas Beer

When beer lovers think of what goes on behind the scenes at a brewery,
thoughts may drift to barrels or exotic ingredients or post-shift taste
trials of the latest, trendy creation. Rarely does it concern the long
hours, professional development and rather yeoman work it takes to become
good at a job that straddles art and manufacturing.

Here in the U.S., we recently celebrated Labor Day, a holiday to give
thanks to all the effort our workforce provides to help our country and
economy chug along. This kind of effort should never be lost on the
behind-the-scenes staff who make the American beer industry what it is.

I didn’t expect to follow this kind of thematic path when I sat down with
Chris Leonard, brewmaster and operations manager at Heavy Seas Beer, not
far outside of Baltimore. But over the course of our recent conversation, I
became enamored with his perspective on recruitment, retention, and
professional development. These are unsexy HR terms we don’t often think
about when it comes to beer, but they’re also the key tenants to an
otherwise apprentice profession that uses these learning opportunities to
create some of the most thoughtful, innovative, and efficient brewers in
the country.

And there is a lot that goes into teaching a brewer, let alone running one
of the most successful brewing operations in the country. Over the course
of our conversation, Chris will offer you perspective on what it’s like to
oversee a collection of young brewers, but the impacts and considerations
he has to weigh when it comes to creating and improving some beloved
brands.

These are the kinds of conversations I love to have, when I can step back
from the excitement of daily news and dig into the day-to-day issues that
directly impact what happens to the beer in our glass. As we’ll come to
learn, Chris’ voice is a worthwhile one to consider.