Portrait of a Brewer: Nathan Stephens, Eppig 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…

Nathan Stephens

of Eppig Brewing

What is your current title?

Co-founder and Principal Brewer for Eppig Brewing

Where did you grow up?

Born and raised in Santa Cruz, California

What brought you to San Diego?

I started at UCSD in 1999 to study engineering and play water polo.

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

I have a fuzzy memory of sneaking a sip of Budweiser at a young age, but that was it for a while because I remember hating the taste!

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

In my early twenties, Rock Bottom in UTC and Pizza Port Solana Beach were eye openers for me. After college, I went all over Europe, where I fell in love with beer culture and how it was different from country-to-country. Somewhere deep down I knew I wanted to be a part of it.

What led you to consider a career in brewing?

After practicing engineering for almost a decade, I knew it wasn’t what I wanted for the rest of my life. When you are the brewer, you get to be both the “architect” and “engineer” when creating a beer, and that was really appealing to me. I decided to retire from engineering, attend the UC Davis Master Brewers Program and jump into brewing with both feet.

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

I applied to almost every brewery in town at the time. I didn’t know anybody in the industry and I just wanted to get experience wherever I could. Ballast Point finally gave me a call back for a part-time spot on the bottling line and I jumped at the chance.

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

I started at BP in Scripps Ranch and worked my way up the ladder on packaging, cellar work and brewing. When the Little Italy pilot-system location was getting ready to open in 2013, I was brought on to run the day-to-day in the brewery. I worked there until opening Eppig in 2016.

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

From school, Dr. Lewis and Dr. Bamforth really opened my eyes to the science behind brewing. Nolan Tondee is the one who hired me at Ballast. From a practical standpoint, Colby Chandler showed me how creative craft brewing could be. And then from my Scripps Ranch days (which was truly a crucible) there was a whole team of people who held each other accountable and redefined what it meant to be “efficient” in a brewery, and I am a better brewer for going through it.

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

Read, listen and communicate. There is something to be learned from everyone you come across.

What ultimate career goal would you like to achieve?

The same as it’s always been: Make beer that I’m proud of and have fun doing it.

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

Our Festbier. It looks great, it tastes great and has an authentic “German” character, so when I’m drinking one it’s like time-traveling. We only make it a couple times a year (Fruhlingsfest and Oktoberfest), so when we brew it that means there is something fun to look forward to.

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

Back in the Little Italy days, we made a bunch of beers with spices and other adjuncts with varying degrees of success. We made an IPA with a variety of herbs and didn’t account for the amount of bitterness and tannins they would impart. 

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

If they are fresh and bright, most varietals are going to smell awesome. When Centennial is right, there is nothing better in my opinion. I’m not a fan of anything with dill character like Sorachi Ace.

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

I would be working at a sandwich shop in a nondescript commercial park, quietly making masterpieces.

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?

All aspects from brewhouse to the tap require everyone doing their job and working together, but if you brew into a dirty tank or pour beer through a tainted draught line then all of the work has been pointless.  Cleaning and sanitation aren’t sexy, but they are critical.

What is your favorite beer style?

A fresh West Coast IPA is my first love, but if someone has a kölsch on their menu I’m always going to try it.

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

The beers where they add a boatload of fruit post-fermentation so it’s mostly just straight purée. Bullshit.

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

It’s cliché but Sierra Nevada. Things like quality and tradition are very important to me.

What is your favorite San Diego County brewing company?

I would say Bagby Beer Co. Doing what they want to do, doing it right and doing it great.

What is your favorite brewing company outside of San Diego?

Sante Adarius in Santa Cruz. They make very different beer from what I make (aged, mixed-culture, etc.) and at an especially high level.

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

Ayinger in Germany, Allagash Brewing in Maine and New Glarus Brewing in Wisconsin.

What are your favorite local beer events?

The Torrey Pines event at the end of San Diego Beer Week is my favorite. The beer, food and location are hard to top. I’m also pretty fond of our Oktoberfest parties at Eppig.

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

A small town on the Oregon Coast.

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

Talking Heads, James Brown, Nathaniel Rateliff, Maiden, Cold War Kids and Bill Withers to name a few. We get the Led out on Fridays.

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

Brew without compromise.

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

I can’t wait to get back to traveling. Days at the beach with my family are always the best. Cooking outdoors while having a few drinks is probably where I am happiest.

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

Pizza Port Bressi, Regal Seagull and Blue Ribbon Pizza are the places you would see me at most often. When I’m able, visiting our Waterfront Biergarten in Point Loma and grabbing some fish tacos it as good as it gets.

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

Kölsch and pulled pork

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?

It would be an Argentinian-style asado feast out in a grassy meadow beneath some oak trees with my family and friends. There would be Festbier and plenty of it (and whiskey).

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

Lucky

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].