You may want to sit down and grab a beer for this one, folks – a major change has occurred within the Everybody’s Brewing family! After nearly six years of producing memorable, top-quality beers, Adam McClure has stepped down as Head Brewer, passing the pint glass to Dave McGinley, a member of the Everybody’s brewing team who has had a hand in creating several of your favorite brews. We’re deeply grateful for all that Adam shared with us, and will miss his presence around the brewery, but we’re excited to implement some new ideas that have been fermenting away in Dave’s brain. You’ll be seeing plenty of him once we can safely host community events, but in the meantime, check out the profile below to learn more about Dave and his approach to brewing.
Q: How long have you worked for Everybody’s Brewing? What roles have you had? What do you enjoy about working for Everybody’s?
Dave: I have worked at Everybody’s Brewing for three-and-a-half years. I was hired as a brewer, but I have worked in every part of the brewery. I spent my first couple months in the cellar, and helped on the canning line when they needed an extra guy. I brewed a few batches on the original 15-barrel system from the old brewery, but really began to shift into brewing when we moved to our current location and started using the 30-barrel brewhouse. What I like the most about working at Everybody’s is that we have always been able to experiment with new recipes and ideas. Most breweries will not give you the opportunity to push the limits and try new things like we have been able to do here. Anyone on our brewery staff that has an idea for a beer recipe, name, or a unique ingredient is encouraged to bring their ideas forward.
Q: Prior to joining Everybody’s, what experience did you have in the brewing industry?
Before working here, I only had one professional brewing position - I worked at pFriem for four-and-a-half years. I started at the bottom as an assistant, cleaning kegs and learning their cellar procedures, and worked my way up to Senior Brewer and held that position for a couple years before moving on.
Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in brewing? Was this always an interest, or did you experience a career shift?
Like most professional brewers, I began as a home brewer. Two of my close friends bought a home brewing system when I was 22. They made two batches of beer and then lost interest, so I asked them if I could borrow their equipment. I made many batches, and learned the ropes with the basic system that I built. My beer really started to get better when I moved to Oregon and met two of my close friends, who were home brewers at the time. We combined our systems to make a proper brewing setup, and I began providing beer for all our friends and brewing ridiculous amounts of beer. I felt like my job at the time wasn’t really going anywhere, and had been thinking about going back to school for brewing for many years. After a lot of encouragement from my friends and family, I quit my job and enrolled in brewing school!
Q: Do you have a favorite beer that you’ve created for Everybody’s?
It’s always hard to pick a favorite beer! I’ll give you my favorite beers that I have made here, covering three different styles:
- Lager - Petrichor Helles
- Stout - Sneaky Sneaky Stout
- Pale Ale - Lotus Single-Hop Pale Ale
Q: Have you ever had a brewing experiment go awry, or created a beer that simply did not taste good?
Every brewer has had an experiment or beer that did not turn out well - if someone says they haven’t, they are lying. When consumers taste a beer that has been constructed well, they should be aware that a lot of knowledge went into creating it, and that includes both successes and failures. When you fail, you learn what not to do next time. When you succeed, you build off that to make your beer even better.
Q: What are your three favorite beers that Everybody’s Brewing makes, and what are your three favorite beers from other breweries?
My favorite Everybody’s beers are The Cryo-Chronic IPA, Stir it Up Hazy IPA, and Imaginary Friends Winter IPA.
My favorite beers from other breweries are Wanderlust IPA from Breakside (Portland, OR), Sticky Hands from Block 15 (Corvallis, OR), and Andechs Vollbier Hell (Germany).
Q: What is your favorite style of beer, and is there a style that you just wish would go away?
I would have to say that IPA is my favorite style of beer, but I love almost every style (with a couple exceptions). I’m not very fond of amber ales, but I have had a few that are not too bad. A new style I wish would go away is smoothie beers. If you want a smoothie, then get a smoothie! Beer, in my opinion, should be refreshing and easy to drink, without a spoon.
Q: What is the most unusual beer that you’ve ever sampled?
The beers from Ale Apothecary in Bend are some of the most unusual I have ever tasted. They are wonderful and aged in unique ways, creating interesting flavors you do not taste often in beers.
Q: What are some of your priorities and/or goals as the new head brewer?
My main priority as head brewer is to continue to keep the beer quality high, and to improve it in any way possible. Our team is strong, and I want to continue to support every person and every area of the brewery to set us up for success. On the creative side, I’m looking forward to trying out some new hop and yeast strains.
Q: What do you like about living and working in the Gorge?
As someone who grew up in the desert, I enjoy living in a place that actually has four seasons! I love the beautiful landscape of the Gorge, and have always wanted to live in places that are close to water and have hills and elevation changes. This allows for many different types of outdoor activities that are right at our back door. I also love the fact that beer, wine, and cider are key aspects of our region, even though our population is not the largest.
Q: On your deathbed, you can have one last beer – what would it be?
Lindeman’s Oude Gueuze Cuvée René. A Sour blend of different aged lambics that has a very unique taste, and a lot of depth.
Q: How do you spend your time when not brewing beer?
Outside of work, my favorite hobby is gardening. My mother worked on the farm at Cal Poly Pomona when I was very young, and I remember helping her when she would have to bring me to work with her. In college, I grew hydroponic tomatoes for the University of Arizona in one of their off-site greenhouses. I have always loved to work with plants, and having the freshest produce right outside that has not been sprayed with any chemicals. Just like beer, plants don’t talk, so that’s probably why I like these two things so much. I also enjoy snowboarding, hiking, and tipping a few back in my canoe when the weather is right.
