As a U.S. Navy veteran with a background in culinary service, I believe that great things—whether meals or beer—start with precision and purpose. Years spent crafting recipes in the kitchen revealed a deeper truth: thoughtfully made food and drink have the power to bring people together.
Over the past decade, that same passion has been poured into home brewing—refining recipes, experimenting with ingredients, and developing a distinct approach rooted in culinary principles. Now, with formal training underway through a commercial brewing certification, that vision has
evolved into something more.
My philosophy is simple: start with the recipe, prioritize quality ingredients, and keep everything fresh. Every batch is crafted with intention and attention to detail, favoring smaller,
more frequent brews to ensure consistency and creativity in every pour.
After years of living a fast-paced life, the mission is to create something different—a place to slow down. A “North State of mind.” A space where neighbors become friends, conversations come easy, and guests are invited to stay awhile. Here, you can relax, connect, and discover new flavors on tap—one carefully crafted batch at a time.
After 25 years of balancing books, forecasting budgets, and explaining (for the thousandth time) why “just rounding up” is not an acceptable accounting method, I decided it was time for a career pivot. A bold one. A slightly hoppy—and occasionally honey-sweet—one.
Armed with a decade of homebrewing experience, a deep passion for mead making, and a Commercial Brewing Certification from Wake Tech, I traded spreadsheets for stainless steel and quarterly reports for quarterly releases. Turns out, fermentation is a lot more fun when the only thing aging is the beer—and the mead—not the receivables.
What started as a “hobby” (a garage slowly being overtaken by fermenters, hoses, honey buckets, and suspiciously labeled carboys) evolved into a full-blown second career. Friends became taste testers, taste testers became critics, and critics became regulars.
I still believe in balance—just not the financial kind. I'm talking malt and hops, honey and time, bold and smooth, classic and experimental. Whether it’s a crisp ale or a rich, complex mead, every batch is crafted with the same attention to detail that once went into financial statements…only now the end result is a lot more enjoyable.
Of course, none of this would exist without the unwavering support (and remarkable patience) of a very understanding wife and family—who endured years of experimental batches, commandeered fridge space, and the occasional “this one’s actually pretty good, I swear.” Their encouragement made the leap from spreadsheets to tap handles possible.
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