Portrait of a Brewer: Kyle Harrop, Horus Aged Ales

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…

Kyle Harrop

of Horus Aged Ales

What is your current title?

Owner, brewer, blender, packager, labeler, waxer, janitor…everything because I am still a one-man operation, but luckily I have some great family and friends that help out from time to time.

Where did you grow up?

El Segundo, California

What brought you to San Diego?

I moved down here mostly because I loved the beaches and I could afford to buy real estate shortly after finishing graduate school and starting my aerospace career.

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

The first alcoholic beverage I ever had was Jim Beam bourbon mixed with a Coca-Cola-flavored Slurpee. Haha!

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

Having a pint of Arrogant Bastard Ale with my parents at Naja’s Place in Redondo Beach on my twenty-first birthday.

What led you to consider a career in brewing?

It has been my passion for all of my adult life and I am still obsessed with craft beer a decade-and-a-half later.

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

I went straight from homebrewing to starting Horus, but I learned a lot from collaborations at the beginning thanks to the folks at J Wakefield Brewing, Great Notion Brewing and Alvarado Street Brewery, to name a few.

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

Sam Richardson at Other Half Brewing, Mike Saboe at Toppling Goliath Brewing, and Patrick Rue at Erosion Wine Co. (and formerly of The Bruery).

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

Always keep an open mind and strive to learn something new every single day.

What ultimate career goal would you like to achieve?

Brew a traditional lambic with one of the breweries in the Pajottenland region of Belgium, and then revisit the country a couple years later to drink it.

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

Proper Dose (imperial stout with chocolate, coffee, hazelnuts and vanilla) on a professional level because the beer was so risky for me at the time, particularly from a cost perspective and being a collaboration with my favorite band, The Story So Far. I think it will go down as one of the milestone adjunct stouts when it is all said and done, especially for being non-barrel-aged.

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

I made a rauchbier at home once and, while it was pretty true-to-style, it tasted like a cross between bacon, soy sauce and toasted wood. I named it Nightmare Fluid. I just really dislike smoked beers or peated whiskey, in general.

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

I am huge fan of Michigan Copper and Talus at the moment. I am not a huge fan of Sabro lately because it is reminding me of sun-tan lotion, and Riwaka is giving off heavy bubble-gum vibes.

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

If I did not go back to solely doing aerospace, I could picture myself as a college professor teaching something related to fermentation or mathematics.

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?

I think social-media managers do not get near enough credit because the majority of sales are driven through the platforms. Today’s consumer expects answers immediately and it is something that demands attention 24 hours a day.

What is your favorite beer style?

Barleywine without a doubt. A Deal With The Devil, Kuhnhenn Bourbon Barrel-aged Barleywine, and AleSmith Brandy Barrel-aged Old Numbskull are some of my favorites.

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

Since I have already bagged on smoked beers, let’s say gruit. I prefer hops for flavoring beer, not herbs.

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

Forager Brewery in Minnesota

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

Societe Brewing

What is your favorite brewing company outside of San Diego?

Trillium Brewing in Massachusetts

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

Anchorage, Burial Beer Co. and Suarez Family Brewery

What are your favorite local beer events?

Modern Times’ Festival of Dankness and Pizza Port’s Strong Ale Fest

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

I’d open a new brewery somewhere tropical with consistent waves and good food.

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

Pop punk, in particular The Story So Far, Spanish Love Songs and The Wonder Years, followed by heavy metal, mostly Iron Maiden, Metallica and Black Sabbath, and then hip hop, where my favorites are Run The Jewels, Mac Dre and Kendrick Lamar

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

No shortcuts under any circumstances.

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

Bodysurfing, disc-golfing, eating at new places, hiking, ping pong, surfing and vinyl shopping

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

False Idol for tiki drinks, Raised by Wolves for craft cocktails, and Craft Coast for beers

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

Pepperoni-and-sausage pizza with West Coast IPA

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 every brewery I had ever collaborated with, Highroller Lobster Co. from Portland, Maine, would handle the shellfish-heavy menu, and it would be paired with as many foeder-aged lagers and mixed-fermentation saisons as possible.

Who do you think you are?

I’m a dad and husband who lives in the most beautiful place on Earth getting to do what I love for a living.