Guide to Beer 2016: Bold New Brewers

St. Louis breweries don’t exactly adhere to reinheitsgebot purity laws or the strict hierarchy of traditional German brewing. Instead, laissez faire experimentation and collaboration have produced as many exciting new brewers as beers. Local favorites like 4 Hands Incarnation IPA and Perennial Suburban Beverage weren’t concocted by owners or brewmasters, but rather these rising talents.

Luke Oldham
Assistant Brewer, 2nd Shift Brewing, New Haven
Areas of interest: The entire process. Though Oldham hasn't debuted a beer of his own (yet), he has taken on 2nd Shift Brewing’s day-to-day responsibilities (brewing most of its beers) while co-owner and brewmaster Steve Crider focuses on growing the brand.
Praise from the boss: “Luke is truly a go-getter. He’s a person who does exactly what you need him to do with zero problems,” Crider said. “And he’s also a goofball.”

Andy Hille
Brewer, Perennial Artisan Ales, St. Louis
Beers: Regalia, Stefon and Suburban Beverage
Areas of Interest: “Everything: recipe formulation, experimental styles,” Hille said. When developing recipes, he’s in pursuit of balance. “More like a culinary approach to beer – beers that don’t sway too far one way or another with flavor.”
Praise from the boss: Perennial co-owner Phil Wymore is impressed by Hille’s creativity as much as his skill. “Andy is very freeform and creative,” Wymore said. “And he helps us incorporate a lot of pop culture in our brand.”

Andy Burgio
Lead Brewer, 4 Hands Brewing Co., St. Louis
Beers: Incarnation IPA, Prelude
Areas of interest: Recipe development – especially for sour and barrel-aged beers. He is focused on achieving efficient brewing without compromising on quality.
Praise from the boss: “Andy’s passion is unparalleled,” said Kevin Lemp, 4 Hands owner and founder. “He isn’t satisfied easily, and from an owner’s perspective that is really what you’re looking for – because you don’t want to just put out a product. Andy helps us make sure that we’re putting out the very best beer we can.”

Brandon Stern
Brewer, The Civil Life Brewing Co., St. Louis
Beers: Burton-On-Holt pale ale, Wee Bit Heavy Scotch Ale, Oatmeal Stout, Belgian-Style Table Beer, Belgian-Style Dubbel Ale, Big Belgian-Style Blond Ale
Areas of interest: Recipe development. “Playing around and experimenting with new ingredients – continuing education and research,” Stern said. He is leading Civil Life’s Belgian series, as well as the brewery’s new cask beer program.
Praise from the boss: “He has a lot of skill,” said head brewer Dylan Mosley. “But also, I like (that) he doesn’t always agree with me. He’s not afraid to speak his mind. Brandon is definitely not for hire.”

Jonathan Moxey
Brewer, Perennial Artisan Ales, St. Louis
Beers: Fête de Nöel Winter Ale, Anniversaria, Dubbel Block, Dealers’ Choice cocktail series beers
Areas of Interest: Barrels and wild yeasts like Brettanomyces. “(But) my main interest is introducing people to the wonderful relationships beer has with food and how well it can work together when you find the correct harmonies and contrasts,” Moxey said. “My brother Brian (Moxey) is the chef here at Perennial, and I really enjoy making beer for his food and encouraging him to make food for my beer.”
Praise from the boss: “Like being a great chef, great brewers need to have a good palate to be able to be critical of a beer and perfect certain elements,” said Perennial co-owner Phil Wymore. “That’s something that Jonathan has in spades, and it makes him a really talented brewer.”