Photos and Interview by Zach Kaiser
Craft beer is on the rise. No longer is it a niche product on the shelf. Consumers are more knowledgable than ever about the ingredients and techniques in beer making. For the first time in history people have access to endless styles, flavors, and brands. It is excited but for some of the breweries themselves it can be daunting. The pioneers in beer pushed boundaries creating new recipes, styles, and business models. Today, breweries have to dive deeper and think thoughtfully about how they enter the crowded marketplace for beer. It takes innovation and relentless effort from a business and quality standpoint to be viable.
Diamondback Brewing Company founded by longtime friends Tom, Francis, and Colin entered the brewing scene as contract brewers, making large batches at other breweries facilities and selling those batches in cans and draft to the local Baltimore community. After a year of contract brewing, they set their sights on finding their own space and now have a bustling tap room in Locust Point in South Baltimore. To date they are putting out some outstanding New England style IPAs and trying out new recipes on a weekly basis. Like any new business, days are filled with triumphs, complications, frustrations, and sometimes heartaches. But at the end of the day, these guys are best friends and just want to have fun and express themselves. I feel like they are truly hitting their stride and I can't wait to see what the future has in store for them.
Next to the smokestack that sits centerstage in the tasting room, I sat down with Tom to see what life is like in the brewery through his eyes. This is Tom Foster of Diamondback Brewing. Listen In.
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