Over his decades in the craft-brewing industry, Doug Hasker has made a name for himself, not just as the lager sage of San Diego County, but as an effective mentor. While directing operations at Gordon Biersch’s Mission Valley brewpub, he educated and inspired the likes of Carli Smith, who went on to head Rock Bottom’s La Jolla Brewpub and is now brewing at D9 Brewing in North Carolina, as well as her successor, Dan Anderson, who is now the lead brewer at Zilker Brewing in Austin, Texas. Gordon Biersch closed its San Diego store in 2019 but the brewpub was soon taken over by local Mexican-food chain Puesto, which immediately hired Hasker back, allowing him to extend his years of quality brewing and mentorship. Hasker recently brought on another promising brewer as his assistant. That individual, Jacob Bauch, comes aboard after several years brewing all manner of beer, from modern-day hazy IPAs to forgotten historic styles, at North Park’s Home Brewing Co. We sat down with these new teammates and found out this partnership is a little different than its predecessors and carries with next-generation possibilities.
What were the factors that make this such a promising pairing?
Doug Hasker: Jacob and I have known each other for a few years and I’ve always liked his demeanor and his beers. He is a knowledgeable brewer, and having worked with George Thornton at The Homebrewer for several years, I was confident he’d be all the things I’m looking for in an assistant brewer and someone to pass the torch to eventually. As my brother Dan the MBA suggested, “hire the Eagle Scout”. Some of the best advice I’ve ever gotten! It’s been fun getting to know Jacob better as we spend more time together.
Jacob Bauch: I’ve known and respected Doug for a long time, and he’s been a mentor since my early days of breaking into the professional brewing world. In 2018, we even brewed a collaboration beer that won a gold medal at the Los Angeles International Beer Competition.
How have things gone so far?
JB: I’m enjoying the position immensely. Walking into such a beautiful restaurant space to go to work is awesome. It’s a real honor to be chosen to work with the Puesto restaurant family at such an historic San Diego brewery. I remember going to the pub when it first opened in its Gordon Biersch days. I was newly 21 years old—I never imagined I would be standing on the brew deck one day. I look forward to contributing to the success of this brewery ad Puesto as a whole.
Do you have any fun plans or initiatives you are working on?
JB: We’re looking at joining the hard-seltzer world with a Puesto Hard Seltzer one day; one that goes with all the great food here. Also, canning some of our lagers is just around the corner, so our beers will be available to take home with you. We’re already providing beer for seven Puesto locations…soon to be nine. We’re pretty busy with that, so when we have empty tanks is when we get to play with new directions.
DH: We found out early that our plan to brew a one-off beer each month to pair with a Taco of the Month wouldn’t work because of the turnover time with the beers. So, we’ve decided to brew annual seasonal beers throughout the year, starting with the Navidad bock that we brewed last winter, then perhaps a Cinco de Mayo beer along with a Mexican Independence Day release in September.
How has the pandemic impacted brewpubs, which rely so heavily on in-person dining?
DH: Every pub brewery has had a tough time during this pandemic. If you didn’t gear up with packaging before the lockdowns started, you’re struggling. A few got lucky, like Societe Brewing and Pariah Brewing, for example, putting in canning lines or focusing on canning before the lockdowns, so they were in a better position to switch to packaging as their primary business. For us, we didn’t even open until July, well into the pandemic, and we slowly opened up the other Puesto restaurants to take the Puesto cervezas. It’s been a struggle, but we’re keeping pace. Here in Mission Valley, we’ve not had indoor dining yet, so I’m looking forward to a full bar scene inside enjoying these beers like the olden day of yore…a year ago.
What else are you looking forward beyond COVID-19?
DH: Mostly, I’m looking forward to visiting my friends at other breweries. I can’t wait to have a meal inside a restaurant and not on a sidewalk or in a parking lot. Just sitting at a bar sounds delightful. Who would have known that we would all miss the small things so much? But that’s significantly offset by how happy I am having hired Jacob for the long term. I had many great applicants and interviews, and I’m confident Jacob is the right fit. He’ll be able to help get us to the next level and carry the torch when I finally decide to retire and move to Maui.