Julian Shrago

“Who the F@#k Is Jeff Bagby?!” adorned many a t-shirt worn by the Pizza Port brewers at the Great American Beer Festival several years back. It was somewhat of a rhetorical question for most in attendance, but for those who may be a little lean on their craft brewing history, allow me to give you a quick, but distinguished summary.

Jeff Bagby is a California native who’s been a craft brewer in the greater San Diego area for roughly 20 years. His humble beginnings as a homebrewer migrated into the professional sphere with a purposeful evolution. Armed with a sharp palate, deep curiosity, and strong work ethic, Jeff became (and is) one of best brewers in the world. First at Oggi’s, then at Pizza Port Carlsbad, and the eponymous Bagby Beer Company, Jeff has quantitively proven his abilities with an almost unmatched count of World Beer Cup and Great American Beer Festival medals. The breadth of Jeff’s brewing ability is echoed in the wide variety of styles that you’ll always find at his pub.

Jeff continues to serve as an inspiration to many brewers around the world.

His abilities as a brewer are matched by his generosity as a person and

huge willingness to openly share his methods. By no small measure, I became a professional brewer because of Jeff’s mentoring, friendship, and continued support. But my voice

is hardly isolated here. Jeff’s name and reputation are synonymous with world-class beer. And when it comes to West Coast-style IPA, Jeff is one of its originators and perfecters.

That’s who the f@#k Jeff Bagby is!

SHRAGO: As one of the pioneers

of west coast-style IPAs, what are some of your favorite examples being produced today?

BAGBY: Russian River – Blind Pig, Sierra Nevada – Torpedo, Boneyard – RPM, Hollister – The Pope, Firestone Walker – Union Jack, and Societe – The Apprentice.

SHRAGO: What are some of those most rewarding aspects of owning your own brewery/business?

BAGBY: Receiving feedback from people that have more than just a positive experience with Bagby Beer in some way. Whether they learned something, experienced something that they never had before, or even just that they identify with, and appreciate what we are doing.

SHRAGO: What are some of your passions unrelated to beer that people may or may not know about?

BAGBY: Spending time with Dande and our beagles and cat. Also, cocktails and spirits have become more of a passion in the last few years, even though it is sort of related to beer.

SHRAGO: Is there a style of beer you feel you’re a long way from mastering?

BAGBY: I feel like I still have a long way to go when it comes to really nailing lagers. Many processes required to make true lager require specialized equipment to accomplish the precision lagers really need. While I love these styles, and have enjoyed brewing (and drinking) them, I just don’t have a lot of experience with some of the necessary equipment yet to get our lagers where I’d love them to be. I believe committing to these styles means embracing some of the most difficult brewing that there is, which keeps me excited to continue increasing my knowledge and improving the way that we make lager at Bagby Beer.

SHRAGO: What are some beers that you have been enjoying for decades that still give you a sense of wonder?

BAGBY: I’ve enjoyed a lot of beers over the years but I can’t think of any that give me a sense of wonder. I will say that many of the changes in the industry in the last few years have been interesting to witness, especially when I look back on where it began for me, what was important in those early days, and how far things have shifted since then.

SHRAGO: What new and emerging trends/fields/styles/ingredients are you most excited about in brewing?

BAGBY: What I really hope for is the return to an appreciation for and celebration of classic and proper styles. As a brewer, I fell in love with beer styles from all over the world, and always tried to gain a sense of the culture and history through the beers, the brewers and these awesome places all over the world. It was always our goal to bring those experiences to our guests at Bagby through the beer.

What is sad to me is that more brewers are focusing on what is “trendy,” “new” or “innovative;” it feels like the industry is actually becoming less diverse and more homogenized when it comes to what beers are available to expose the craft beer drinker to. The stories are less important, the context is lost, the focus has shifted to whatever is newest, whatever is most likely to trade for some other beer far away, whatever is the most compelling to post

on social media. And, as there are fewer brewers and breweries caring about these classic styles, beer drinkers are missing out on a huge and rich aspect of beer: the deep roots, important relationships and a real connection to beer on a global scale, which to us is so important.

SHRAGO: Do you have any atypical sources of inspiration for your brewing?

BAGBY: Not really. I am always inspired by classic or original beers and/or breweries that I feel have brewed, or continue to brew, beers that define a style.

SHRAGO: You have a strong reputation for winning awards across a broad range of styles, so when creating a new recipe, what’s your general methodology?

BAGBY: I always seek out, taste and research beers that are landmarks and style-defining. When I can

I also try to visit the breweries and regions that are brewing certain styles so that I can talk with the brewers about their processes and ingredients.

I can then taste the beers as close to or at the source, and enjoy them in a cultural context, which is very important.

SHRAGO: Is there anything in brewing (the beer itself) that you consider off-limits?

BAGBY: For us, even though we love the styles and get asked all the time when we’re going to start, we didn’t design any part of our brewery to produce traditional lambic and/or gueuze. So, because we aren’t configured for this, and therefore cannot produce them properly, I consider those styles off- limits for us right now. Maybe someday we will have the ability to produce them in a way that honors the legacy, tradition and methods of these incredible beers.

SHRAGO: What should people know about you and your wife Dande that continue to shape

the world-class beers and memorable customer experiences with Bagby Beer?

BAGBY: What we hope people know is that everything that they experience while they are at Bagby, or they are drinking our beer somewhere, was done with a purpose. Everything that we do is the result of a past experience that we’ve had. Our goal is that everyone has an experience that enriches them in some way, makes them think differently about something, or challenges them a little bit. We’re also constantly working to improve the experience, get a little bit better, every day. Often these tweaks are a result of travel to other places, inspired by how problems are solved, how really terrific places are able to execute at their best level, and achieve a fantastic experience for everyone. Nothing makes us more fired up than having a really fun, quality experience, working to understand

it, and applying what we learn to our place. It’s enriching to us, and we hope it translates to our people, first with our staff, and ultimately to our guests.

Born in Northern California, Julian Shrago was

an aerospace engineer for over a decade before becoming a craft brewer. Along with his business partners, Gabe Gordon & Lena Perleman, they opened Beachwood BBQ & Brewing in Long Beach in 2011. The pub was recognized in 2013 as Mid- Sized Brewpub of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival, 2014 Large Brewpub of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival, & 2016 World Champion Large Brewpub at the World Beer Cup. Beachwood has expanded its brewing operations with Beachwood Blendery, along with a production facility in Huntington Beach, CA.