Portrait of a Brewer: Shawn Steele, Thorn 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…

Shawn Steele

of Thorn Brewing

What is your current title?

Director of Brewing Operations

Where did you grow up?

Royal Oak, Michigan

What brought you to San Diego?

I came out on vacation and never went home.

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

Bailey’s Irish Cream we stole from a friend’s mom. It was my first bad hangover!

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

I went to a brewpub in Canada before there were any in Michigan.

What led you to consider a career in brewing?

I went to Germany and asked myself: “Why can’t I be a brewer?” When I got home, I started the quest.

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

At Atwater Block Brewing in Detroit. I got a job in the kitchen and eventually got an apprenticeship with the brewer. I got hired after working for free for eight weeks.

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

Atwater Block, Karl Strauss, Rincon Reservation Road and Thorn Brewing, working as a keg washer, packaging pro, pub brewer, shift brewer, quality control manager, barrel master and director of brewing operations.

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

Tom Majorosi, the first brewmatser I worked for in Detroit. He is a German-trained brewmaster. He gave me my start and gave me the base I have built my whole career off of. He was patient and never looked down on me for what I did not know, but educated me every day so I would gain the knowledge of what he knew. A true mentor. Thank you Tom!

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

Become an engineer! Make money then become a brewer.

What ultimate career goal would you like to achieve?

What I am doing now! I made it, Mom!!

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

An IPA I made as a homebrewer from the hops I grew in my backyard. It felt magical to start with the raw materials, then pop the top off a bottle and taste the result! You never get to recreate the experience of the first time you’ve tasted a great beer you made yourself from hops you grew.

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

Any beer with lactose

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

Favorite: Mosaic. Least: Simcoe

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

Laboratory technician

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?

Cellar person or packaging. Some would argue they are more important than the brewer.

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?

Smoothie sour

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

Bell’s Brewery

What is your favorite San Diego County brewing company (yes, you have to choose one)?

If not Thorn then Eppig. I love their lagers.

What is your favorite brewing company outside of San Diego?

Bell’s. I just love Two Hearted Ale.

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

Sierra Nevada, Brouwerij Timmermans, Weihenstephan

What are your favorite local beer events?

Any sour night during San Diego Beer Week.

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

Mexico City

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

None. If I could brew in silence, I would be most happy.

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

Cleanliness

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

Eat tacos!

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

Well, first it was the Liar’s Club. When that closed, I was a lost soul until I found Newport Pizza. Now that Newport has closed, I am again a lost soul walking the streets looking for my next watering hole!

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

El pastor taco and a pilsner

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?

If I knew it was my last day before dying, beer and food would not be my priority.

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

Just a dude looking for the least painful place to stand. (a purposely broad answer)?