Portrait of a Brewer: Megan Jage, Athletic 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…

Megan Jage

of Athletic Brewing

What is your current title? 

Lab Supervisor 

Where did you grow up? 

St. Charles, Illinois 

What brought you to San Diego? 

I moved down after getting the job offer from Athletic in May 2020 

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

Mike’s Hard Lemonade from a friend’s mom. My first legal beverage was a bull-sweat shot from Bull’s Tavern in San Luis Obispo. 

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

Being handed an 805 in my freshman year dorm and seeing how the whole county of San Luis Obispo obsessed over Firestone Walker. 

What led you to consider a career in brewing?

Making plum wine in a bucket in a garage with one of my best friends and realizing I could probably get paid to do this. I loved that fermentation lets you apply chemistry and microbiology in a creative way. 

Where did you first apply for a brewing job and where did you get your first brewing/brewery position? 

I first applied at Libertine Brewing in San Luis Obispo and ended up getting a barista position there. I landed my first production job at Firestone Walker as a QC intern in Paso Robles. 

What breweries have you worked for over your career and in what roles? 

QC intern at Firestone Walker, cellarman/QC at Justin Vineyards, and lab tech to lab lead to lab supervisor at Athletic Brewing.

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

Dr. Luis Castro at Cal Poly led me down this path and helped me land the Firestone internship. Drue Landry taught me all my basic skills and showed me how to pave my way as a woman in the industry. And Kevin, Cody, Russ and Zoe at Athletic have uplifted and supported me every day for the last two years. 

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

You belong here. And get comfortable boots.

What ultimate career goal would you like to achieve? 

To play a part in creating a welcoming and safe environment for underrepresented communities in the industry. To begin to achieve this, I’ve become a member of our JEDI community engagement team at ABC and am participating as a mentor for aspiring and advancing brewery professionals in the spring 2022 mentorship program through the Brewers Association. 

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

Meg’s Ginger Pale was my first beer on the pilot system at Athletic. I’m also really proud of Rainbow Wall, Brave Noise, Trailblazer, Soul Sour and all of our beers that allow us to give back to our community. 

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

Unclogging sample ports of Mind Haze is a formative memory for me.

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

I’ve always been a fan of Cashmere, El Dorado and Saaz. I’m not huge on Nelson. 

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

Working in sustainable food systems or as a lifelong barista.

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? 

Legally, I have to say quality control. We have the best lab techs to help and support all of the departments. A solid QA program is what separates the good breweries from the great breweries. 

What is your favorite beer style? Pilsner 

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

Slushie beers 

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

I’d have to say Athletic. We really push the boundaries of the non-alcoholic (NA) beer category and no idea is too crazy for us to explore. They also give beer more meaning than just a drink. It has also been a vessel to drive change, whether that be destigmatizing NA beer, funding grants for parks and trails, or donating funds to causes we are passionate about. 

What is your favorite San Diego County brewing company? 

Fall Brewing has never served me a bad beer, has immaculate vibes and is my neighborhood watering hole. 

What is your favorite brewing company outside of San Diego? 

Barrel House in San Luis Obispo. I dream about their mustard.

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

Sierra Nevada in Chico, California; Pilsner Urquell in Plzeň, Czech Republic; and Scratch Brewing in Ava, Illinois

What are your favorite local beer events? 

Brave Noise release parties or anything with live music 

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

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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

Depending on the day, it’s either King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard or Taylor Swift.

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

When in doubt, ask questions and over-communicate. Problem-solving is so much easier when the proper time is taken to think things through and record all of your steps to learn from them later. We all interpret instructions differently and use different methods of logic. Don’t assume anyone knows exactly what you mean. 

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

Bother my roommates, pottery, building Lego flowers, hiking, spin class, reading, farmers markets and petting the neighborhood stray cats. 

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

The Aero Club. Can’t beat pinball and whiskey. 

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

Putting a pickle spear in a pint of lager for a little surprise treat when you finish your beer. 

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? 

I would invite my family, a handful of my best friends and some coworkers to feast on Portillo’s and Old Style beer. Gotta go out a true Midwesterner. 

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

I think I am a foolishly optimistic person trying to leave a positive impact anywhere I go.

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].