Portrait of a Brewer: Cecil Menasco, Stone Brewing

There are hundreds of hard-working brewing professionals giving their all to help maintain the storied reputation San Diego’s brewing scene has earned over the past several decades. Some have risen to great fame among industry pros and craft-beer enthusiasts. Some ply their trade in obscurity (and are more than happy to do so). Some are Instagram famous, trendsetters with cult followings that would rival social-media influencers. And while they share plenty of similarities, each is their own unique person with their own likes, dislikes, methods, techniques, inspirations, interests and philosophies. The goal of San Diego Beer News‘ Portrait of a Brewer series is to not only introduce you to local brewers, but to have some fun delving into the aforementioned areas so you can get to know them a little better and appreciate them and their contributions to the county’s standout brewing culture. All that plus stellar portraits from brewery lifestyle photographer extraordinaire Matt Furman.

Today’s featured brewer is…

Cecil Menasco

of Stone Brewing

What is your current title?

Small Batch R&D Brewer

Where did you grow up?

Escondido born. I lived in El Paso, Texas from ’86 to ’89, then back to California: Vista, San Marcos and Escondido (we moved a few times).

What was the first beer or alcoholic beverage you ever had?

Budweiser

What was your a-ha moment that turned you on to craft beer?

I didn’t set out to be a brewer. I gradually worked my way into brewing unknowingly (at first). I started working for Stone Distribution in 2002. By this time, I was already well into drinking what would become craft beer years later. My first IPA was Blind Pig. I had already been purchasing stuff like Carlsbad Ale Works, Gem of The Sea Solomon’s Ale, Port growler fills and so on. It wasn’t until I had a Stone IPA that I had the “a-ha” moment where I was able to come full-circle and connect Blind Pig to Stone IPA. Then I started discovering gems like Port’s Frank DIPA, Hop-15, Alesmith IPA and an all-time favorite, White Knuckle DIPA. It was then that I knew brewers were on to something.

What led you to consider a career in brewing?

I was in construction, a framer to be exact. I wasn’t really into it anymore, losing hours due to weather and then having to put in big days when the weather let up to compensate was getting old. So I took some time off. I had already been religiously going to Stone for growler fills, and, by luck, on a Friday I was introduced to Skip who was the Stone distro warehouse manager at the time. We had a short conversation about beer and other things, and during the conversation I told him I had taken some time off from construction and was looking for something different. So, based on the fact I had no problem showing up at 4 a.m. and I was good with a forklift, I had a job in a beer warehouse! Then a bunch of stuff happened, like helping out on the bottling line, running hoses. Occasionally I would get lucky enough to shake the Zahm and check CO2. I worked in the cellar for years (filter, dry hops, gravities, etc.). By this time I was curious and wanted to take  a shot as a brewer, and Stone gave me a chance. It wasn’t easy. I made a ton of mistakes, but kept at it.

Who have been the individuals that have helped you the most to learn and advance in your career, and how?

John Egan was important in my development in more ways than one, especially when it came to having patience with me. Tom Garcia showed me a thing or two. Who can forget Fido? If you’ve met him, you know. Sonny Clark really helped me out in the early days. Larry Hazen always had solid advice. Chad the Dad was also full of knowledge. Two definitely stand out though: Lee Chase and Mitch Steele. While I did not always get to work with Lee, his leadership and love for what he did was contagious. So were his ideas and frame of mind. He was always demonstrating that there was more than one way to get things done. We were moving at a fast pace, so we had to be “crafty”. While Mitch’s role didn’t have him on the floor with us all the time, he was a very important part to me growing as a brewer. He taught finesse and accuracy, all while reminding us we can have fun in the process. At first it was weird having an AB guy in-house, mainly because, up until that point, they were supposed to be the dark side of beer. I know there were some growing pains at first, but when Mitch left Stone it was a bummer. He showed us how to grow a big brewery. I was very fortunate to be part of Stone in its early years.

What singular piece of advice would you give to someone interested in becoming a professional brewer?

Pick one thing and get good at it. This will build your confidence. Don’t try to learn everything at once. Confidence is key to developing good beer and brewing habits. 

What ultimate career goal would you like to achieve?

One day I hope to own my own burger joint.

What is your favorite beer you’ve ever brewed, be it on a professional or amateur level?

Stone Imperial Russian Stout

What is your least-favorite beer you’ve ever brewed on any level?

Stone Cali-Belgique IPA

What are your favorite and least-favorite hop varietals at present?

My favorites are Citra, Mosaic, Azzaca, Idaho 7 and (recently) Moutere. My least favorite is Loral.

If you weren’t a brewer, what do you think you would do for a living?

Carpenter

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?

Any packaging position. They are the last hands to touch the beer before it leaves the brewery.

What is your favorite beer style?

IPA

If you could wipe one style of beer off the face of the Earth, what would it be?

Non-alcoholic beer

What single brewing company’s beers and/or ethos/style has been most influential on your style?

Sierra Nevada

What is your favorite San Diego County brewing company?

Fall Brewing!

What is your favorite brewing company outside of San Diego?

El Segundo Brewing

What three breweries that you haven’t yet visited—local or elsewhere—are on your current must-see bucket list?

Brasserie-Brouwerij Cantillon, Brewery Bourgogne des Flandres and Steeplejack Brewing

What are your favorite local beer events?

Brewbies has always been fun. I don’t really make it out to festivals anymore.

If you were to leave San Diego, where would be the next-best place you’d want to brew?

Portland

Which musical genre or artists are on your brew-day soundtrack/playlist?

I’m all over the place, from Celtic Frost to Ringo Starr.

What motto rules the way you brew and approach brewing in a professional brewhouse?

Relax…we’re not doctors.

When you’re not at work, what do you like to do for fun?

Lately, I’ve been learning to take long bike rides. I also love being at home with my two amazing cats. I also like to hang out at Fall

Where do you like to drink off-the-clock?

Fall

What is your favorite beer-and-food pairing of all time?

A good pilsner and a burger

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?

International lagers and tacos…all are invited.

Who do you think you are (a purposely broad question)?

Still working on that

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].