Meet Everybody: Max King

It takes many hands to produce the scrumptious nacho platters and award-winning brews that keep our guests happy, sated, and returning for more! Have you ever wondered about the folks that have helped make Everybody’s Brewing a Gorge institution? We’re launching a blog series profiling our motley crew called "Meet Everybody", beginning with Max King, a veteran pub employee just promoted to assistant general manager!

Vital Stats

• Name: Max (short for nothing) King
• Hometown: Seattle, Washington
• Favorite Current Everybody’s Beer: The Cryo-Chronic
• Favorite Everybody’s Food Item: Chicken Burrito with Jalapeños
• Spirit Animal: Killer Whale
• Favorite Band/Musician: Led Zeppelin/Stevie Ray Vaughan

How long have you worked for Everybody’s Brewing? What positions have you held?

I’ve been with Everybody’s for five and a half years. Most of my roles have been in the pub, where I started out as a server/bartender and worked my way up to a “manager on duty” position. I also spent some time working on the packaging line in the brewery.

The assistant general manager (AGM) is a new position. How do you see this role fitting into the overall business? What excites you about transitioning from a front-of-house focus to an overall pub management role?

I’m excited to learn about the “bigger picture” of pub operations and to develop a deeper understanding of the various roles. I see the AGM as being kind of a “jack of all trades” position, mostly focused on oversight. I want to ensure that our processes and quality standards are maintained, while increasing efficiency and supporting employee morale.

Do you have any specific goals or priorities for your first few months as AGM?

After all my time working on the pub floor, I’m very comfortable with the front-of-house roles and how things operate. I’m much less familiar with kitchen operations, so learning the back-of-house functions is my first priority. I have a lot to learn, and I need to learn it quickly! Once I have a solid understanding, I want to focus on increasing efficiency and accountability in the kitchen.

What is your favorite aspect of working for a brewpub in a small town in the Columbia River Gorge?

The tight-knit community. It’s embracing and welcoming here. I love having regular local customers, developing a rapport, and really getting to know them over the years. That’s especially pleasant coming from a large city, where that sort of connection was hard to find.

You lead staff beer education sessions, often in conjunction with Sam, one of our brewers. What inspired you to take an active role in promoting beer knowledge?

Sam originally taught our “Beer 101” sessions, which focus on the basics. I have a homebrewing background, and a former head brewer approached me about working with Sam to provide our servers and bartenders with more in-depth information, including sensory analysis. I really enjoy being able to explain various beer styles in an elegant and appealing way.

Everybody’s has developed a broad beer portfolio over the past 13 years. Is there a defunct Everybody’s beer that you would love to see return?

Two of them! Brown Chicken Brown Cow , an American Brown Ale. I enjoyed the nuttiness, the mild bitterness, and the toffee notes – it really hit the spot in the fall and winter. Also, the

Little Sister Session IPA (ISA). It had the traditional IPA profile that I love, with a lower alcohol content, so you could drink it all day at the mountain or on the water.

You like to cellar beers and conduct vertical tastings. What got you into that? Do you have a “crown jewel” of your collection?

My friends got me into barrel-aged beers shortly after college, and that was the start. I like to get several of something (a case, if possible), and see how the product changes over time. I mostly focus on barrel-aged and sour beers. My most prized bottle is a 2007 Deschutes Brewing “The Abyss”, from the year that I graduated high school.

Do you have a favorite story from your time at Everybody’s? One that you’re allowed to tell, at least?

*Laughs* Yeah, I have to be careful here! Probably a staff rafting trip that we took during my first year with the company. Each raft had a different type of beer, and we had a blast swimming between the rafts and raiding them for particular beers. It was kind of a cross between musical chairs and capture the flag. I also recall a flying burrito incident on the bus ride home…

Help us get to know you better. Can you share a personal fact that most folks wouldn’t know or expect?

I’ve been skiing since I was three, and I won third place in tennis nationals when I was 13. (Author’s Note – Max also bakes a damn fine loaf of bread).

The next time you see Max at the pub, congratulate him on the new position!