It’s been a busy year for Doug Pominville, who spent 2020 collaborating with breweries across San Diego County. It’s been a learning experience that falls in line with his half-decade in the brewing industry, where he learned the basics and beyond from Colby Chandler as a specialty brewer at Home Brew Mart before moving to Ballast Point Brewing’s Long Beach facility to start a wild-ale program. After quitting that job to follow his heart back to America’s Finest City, he was educated on different methods of brewing and cellaring at Fall Brewing before transitioning to Thorn Brewing, where he fine-tuned their processes, and started barrel programs for clean and wild beers. His has been a career with much movement, and that doesn’t figure to change anytime soon. Next month, Pominville will bid San Diego adieu when he heads back to his home state of New Hampshire to take the reins as Head Brewer at 603 Brewery.
In his new role, he will oversee 603 Brewery’s production team, including recipe-design and material-sourcing. Helming the company’s beer-making efforts is a step up in keeping with Pominville’s vocational progression, but the distant geography can’t be ignored, especially for a brewer who harbors such a deep affection and appreciation for San Diego’s beer scene. What could inspire him to pull up stakes and move to the opposite side of the country?
“I grew up in New Hampshire, so having family and friends there played a huge role in deciding on the Granite State. Then I found a brewery that was not only looking to fill a higher-level management position, but also has great branding, lots of potential, is making great beer and shares values that are similar to my own,” says Pominville. Among those values are the belief that beer is for everyone and that the industry should be all-inclusive. “This pandemic has taught me to be optimistic, patient and not to settle. My wife and I both love San Diego dearly. She a native with tons of family here and this is where our family started, but we wanted to move somewhere closer to the mountains with seasons where we can raise our family.”
A brewpub with a large beer hall, 603 Brewery distributes most of its volume within New Hampshire. The company’s 30- barrel brewhouse is ideal for producing small batches of beer exclusively for sale in-house as well as production batches for distribution. This year, the company will produce 10,000 barrels, with a goal of 12,000 barrels in 2021 once the draft-beer market recovers from the negative impacts of the pandemic.
In addition to brewing the wide-ranging but overarchingly balanced styles 603 Brewery is known for, Pominville will be called on to expand the company’s lager offerings. He will also put his barrel-aging experience to use in a big way.
“Today’s beer scene is competitive, dynamic and ever-evolving. To continue raising the bar, we always have to dedicate some focus on what’s next,” says 603 co-founder and General Manager Geoff Hewes. “We created our E09 platform [of more out-there beers] for this purpose, and this is where we believe Doug’s creative talents will shine. Just don’t be surprised if the creativity extends beyond beer.”
Many of the E09 beers (which get their name from the way 603’s kegs look when turned on their head after being cleaned) resemble styles that are popular here in San Diego. Current E09 offerings include a pale ale, multiple IPAs and a hybrid Czech- and Mexican-style lager. Pominville’s experience should result in success with these ales and lagers, but his new employers see more in him than technical proficiency.
“Aside from welcoming Doug back to his home state, we believe Doug is a good fit based on his leadership qualities,” says Hewes. “We spent a lot of time talking to his references from the brewing community and they all spoke highly of his character. His brewing accolades were obvious, but Doug was ultimately chosen to be a leader at 603.”
Pominville is excited about his new opportunity, but there is a great deal he’ll miss about the San Diego brewing industry, starting with friends within it and those who have passed down valuable lessons that have helped him get to where he is and where he’s going.
“We will be leaving after the New Year, but we’ll be back to visit often,” he says. “This isn’t goodbye…just see you later.”
603 Brewery is located at 42 Main Street in Londonderry, New Hampshire