Nevertheless, he admits: "I ended up with a dream job."
During the interview process, Van Anda made one thing clear to his new employers: "I need to be able to have a brewer's choice beer." His first "experiment," Bourbon Barrel-Aged Bock, was fermenting in a pair of oak bourbon barrels when I visited.
"We're going to have a lot of fun with some interesting other styles," said Van Anda. "It keeps things fresh and interesting." While ales come in myriad varieties, there has been little experimentation with lager beers in America, and Van Anda looks forward to "pushing the limits of what can be done."
