Portrait of a Brewer: Mike Howell, Barley & Sword Brewing

There are hundreds of talented brewing professionals giving their all to help maintain the San Diego beer industry’s storied reputation. While these industrious practitioners share numerous similarities, each is their own unique person with individual likes, dislikes, methodologies, techniques, inspirations, interests and philosophies. The goal of San Diego Beer News’ Portrait of a Brewer series is to not only introduce readers to local brewers, but dig in to help them gain a deeper appreciation for the people making their beer and how they have contributed to the county’s standout craft-brewing culture, all while presenting them in the finest visual light care of exceptional local lifestyle photographer Matt Furman.

Today’s featured brewer is…

Mike Howell
of Barley & Sword Brewing

What is your current title?
Owner and brewer

Where did you grow up?
I spent my childhood going back and forth between the Treasure Valley around Boise, Idaho, and John Day, Oregon.

What brought you to San Diego?
I was stationed in San Diego in January 2009 onboard the USS Wayne E Meyer (DDG-108), and ended up staying after I separated from active-duty and transferred into the reserves, having served over 14 years between the two.

What was the first beer and/or alcoholic beverage you ever had?
Rolling Rock Extra Pale Lager when I was in junior high. It was the absolute worst experience and I had an extreme distaste for beer until I was 22.

What was your a-ha moment that turned you on to craft beer?
The first craft beer I remember having was Sea Dog in Maine in 2010. The variety of styles and complexity of flavors were shocking to my undeveloped palate. If I remember correctly, the hefeweizen and the Irish red were my favorites.

What led you to consider a career in brewing?
As a homebrewer, I could never drink as much as I brewed, so I always made it a point to bring it with me to every party and event I attended. That act of sharing the experience and tying it to social gatherings and events made me realize how much I enjoyed sharing my craft with others. That act of sharing an experience – a journey – and the realization that humanity has been doing the exact same thing across our entire history made me want to continue that tradition in my own way.

What was your first brewing/brewery position?
Keg-cleaner during a very brief internship with Council Brewing. I only helped co-owner Liz Chism out a couple of times, but loved the experience.   

What breweries have you worked for over your career and in what roles?
I wouldn’t call my time at Council a job, but that was my first experience on the other side of the tap. Beyond that, I have never been employed by another brewery. I did do a collab with my cousin at 1188 Brewing in John Day just before I pulled the trigger and entered the professional brewing game as an owner and brewer.

Who have been the individuals that have helped you the most to learn and advance in your career, and how?
Since opening Barley and Sword last June I’ve met some incredible people in the community. Jeff Lozano of Ballast Point Brewing, Alex Patten of Bay City Brewing, Jason Carlson of Home Brew Mart and Martin Martinez have all been wonderful sources of knowledge and guidance. I’ve had deep discussions relating to the color spectrum of beer with Jeff, modern versus traditional lagering methods with Alex, unique styles and recipes with Jason and the nuances of homebrew versus pro-brew processes and techniques with Martin. It’s been an honor to brew with the majority of them, as well. My collaborations with Alex, Jason and Martin have all been informative and fun experiences. I have not been able to brew with Jeff yet, but I’ll lock him down for a brewing session one of these days. I’ve learned so much from these guys and I’m very grateful to call them friends. 

What singular piece of advice would you give to someone interested in becoming a professional brewer?
Take your time and do your research before pulling the trigger. Admittedly, I put the cart before the horse a few times as I entered the professional realm, which has created some additional challenges I could have avoided. The excitement to get started is something that should be leveraged not only in execution but also in planning.

What ultimate career goal would you like to achieve?
As much as I would like to have a wildly successful brewery, I didn’t get into this business for the money. I truly enjoy brewing and sharing my passion with others. I would be very happy to have a successful brewery that is a staple of the community, a place where everyone knows your name, and the beer and ambiance are top notch. 

What is your favorite beer you’ve ever brewed, be it on a professional or amateur level?
I get asked this a lot and I always struggle to answer. I would say that my favorite beer is my Irish red ale, Beoir Dearg. It takes me back to Smithwick’s, which was the first beer that I fell in love with.

What is your least-favorite beer you’ve ever brewed on any level?
Bridge Blonde Ale. By all accounts it’s a good beer, I just feel it could be better.

What are your favorite and least-favorite hop varietals at present?
I brew very traditional styles with a more balanced malt-and-hop profile. As a result, I don’t utilize any of the modern varietals in my brews. East Kent Goldings and Fuggles are my staples for all of my ales and Northern Brewer, Tettnang and Perle are the backbone of my German styles. I’ve branched out recently during the collaboration with Alex from Bay City on the California common and used Cluster, which I have been really impressed with. As far as least favorite, there’s no specific varietal that I don’t like. I stay away from those with extreme citrus character. Any hop that is super-bold with grapefruit or citrus will likely not be found in my beer.

What are some of your favorite brewing ingredients that aren’t hops?
Without a doubt barley. Malt is a fascinating thing in that our handling and processing of it is what gives us so many varieties from which to choose. The way a small tweak of the grain bill can impact the final product makes the brewing process so unique and exciting.

If you weren’t a brewer, what do you think you would do for a living?
I actually have a day job in addition to my role with Barley and Sword. I work for the U.S. Navy as the lead scheduler and planner for all Combat Logistics Force and Service Support ships on this side of the Pacific Ocean. Essentially, I manage the day-to-day operations for the ships that keep the fleet supplied, such as oilers, dry cargo and ammunition ships, as well as towing and salvage vessels. As a prior commanding officer of mine used to say, “You can’t kick ass without bombs, beans or gas.”

In your opinion, what non-brewing position is of great importance at a craft-beer company but often gets overlooked or less credit than those making the beer?
The administrative and operations team. There is no way that I could do what I need to do if it wasn’t for my operations manager, who runs the taproom and takes care of all the administrative details of the day-to-day. I have a wide mental bandwidth, but there’s no way I could handle payroll, social media, menu management and a whole host of other things on a daily basis in addition to my own responsibilities.   

What is your favorite beer style?
This varies by season, but lately I’ve been really enjoying porters and stouts.

If you could wipe one style of beer off the face of the earth, what would it be?
I believe that there is a time and place for all styles, but I would have to say the kitchy, hype American IPA derivatives. I know this is a contentious position to take, especially in San Diego, but I think that we’ve lost some appreciation for the finer points and complexities of well-balanced beers.

What single brewing company’s beers and/or ethos/style has been most influential on your style?
I have always been in awe of Helix Brewing. Cameron has done an incredible job of creating a beautiful community-focused taproom with a wide selection of styles. That dedication, not only to the craft but also the community, is something that inspires me in my decisions for Barley and Sword.

What is your favorite San Diego County brewing company?
This is a tough call, but I’d have to say Burning Beard Brewing. Their traditional styles, especially their Belgians, are incredible.

What is your favorite brewing company outside of San Diego?
Also a tough call, but Deschutes Brewery is a favorite. 

What three breweries that you haven’t yet visited—local or elsewhere—are on your current must-see bucket list?
Sadly this list is very long, but I hope to rectify that this year. In the near future I’d like to get to Eppig Brewing, Protector Brewery, and Burgeon Beer Co.

What are your favorite local beer events?
North Park Beer Fest

If you were to leave San Diego, where would be the next-best place you’d want to brew?
I’d likely move back to the Pacific Northwest. There is a huge craft-beer presence but I think there’s still a lot of room for more small-town local breweries.

Which musical genre or artists are on your brew-day soundtrack/playlist?
I’m a big bluegrass fan so The Dead South station on Spotify or my Irish Drinking Song playlist. They always get me in the mood to brew.

What motto rules the way you brew and approach brewing in a professional brewhouse?
“Take your time” and “slow down”.

What do you consider your greatest professional accomplishments?
Two of our beers winning gold and silver at the San Diego International Beer Competition within four months of us opening our doors. I had definitely struggled with the identity of being a “professional” brewer until that day. That was very much an I-made-it moment for me.

What are you proud of having achieved in your personal life?
I’m proud of breaking out into the world at a young age. Joining the Navy and setting out on my own was the most challenging thing I’d ever done, but that choice set me on a path to becoming a more resilient and capable person. I’m proud of taking that challenge and all the others afterwards head-on and finding a way to make things work for me.

When you’re not at work, what do you like to do for fun?
I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, smoking ribs, sipping whiskey and playing board games. Weekend road trips and camping are an activity I hope to get back into in 2024.

Where do you like to drink off-the-clock?
I have a home bar known among my friends as “The Hardwood”. I love to bartend and enjoy the relaxing experience of making cocktails and hanging out with friends.

What is your favorite beer-and-food pairing of all time?
A nicely seasoned smoked rack of ribs and a hearty porter or stout never fails.

If you could somehow plan your last beer dinner before dying, what would you drink and eat, and who would you invite to join you?
An Irish red ale followed by the peatiest campfire-in-your-mouth Scotch with a medium-rare steak and horseradish and garlic mashed potatoes. I’d invite my grandfathers. To share that moment with them would be perfect.

Who do you think you are (a purposely broad question)?
I’m someone who is intense about his passions and loves sharing them with others.

If you’re a brewer at a San Diego brewing company and would like to be featured in our Portrait of a Brewer series, drop us a line at [email protected].