It’s no secret that TapRoom Beer Co. (TRBC) Head Brewer Daniel Cady has been spending a lot of time in the Pacific Northwest over the past year. Proof comes in the form of hand-selected hop lots and collaborative fresh-hop beers, as well as medals earned at brewing competitions in the region. During his numerous visits, Cady and his wife have made friends within professional brewing circles and become enamored with the area and its craft-beer community. Enough so that when a brewing position at Seattle’s Holy Mountain Brewery opened up, Cady threw his hat in the ring. Now, he and the missus are packing up as they prepare to move to The Evergreen State.
“While I have origins in the Pacific Northwest – having been born in Washington and lived there before moving to San Diego in 2000 – I have not had the opportunity to live there as an adult. Through my multitude of trips there, I found myself engulfed in passion, inspiration and pure elevation of craft – something I feel I can play a strong part in,” says Cady. “I am elated to have the opportunity to work as a brewer at Holy Mountain, wherein we plan to continue growing the hoppy beer program alongside continued innovation in an already legendary barrel-aged strong ale and mixed-fermentation portfolio.”
Founded in 2014, Holy Mountain is based in Seattle’s industrial Interbay community with a satellite taproom in the Phinney Ridge neighborhood. The company is known for producing a wide variety of beers, including numerous oak-aged, farmhouse, mixed-culture and high-alcohol ales. While those creations were the initial focus of the brewers who established the business, its offerings have grown to include hoppy ales and lagers. Cady says Holy Mountain checks a lot of boxes for him, creatively and culturally, and that he believes this move will go a long way to reinvigorating his passion for his profession.
“I am excited to get settled in and contribute to the Seattle brewing community, bringing a unique SoCal experience with me,” says Cady. “I am excited to learn how things work in the space, the ebbs and flows of the year, and how real weather can truly drive inspiration and impact perspective. And fresh hops. Oh, the fresh hops.”
Over the past few years, Cady has been one of the most prolific local producers of fresh-hop beers, ales and lagers featuring whole-cone hops harvested mere hours before being incorporated into said beers. It is an area he has pushed via style-selection and various methodologies, and one in which he has excelled, earning medals in various competitive arenas. He has also applied a great deal of attention and energy into barrel-aged beers over the course of his career, both at a brewery where that was a large focus and in his current role, where space for oak receptacles is scarce yet he’s made the most of it.
Cady began his career at El Cajon Brewing in 2011, working as the sole on-site brewer under consulting fermentationist Dean Rouleau for roughly a year. From there, he moved to Manzanita Brewing (later renamed Twisted Manzanita Ales), which had just christened a 30-barrel production facility in Santee. During his three years there, he gained his first experience with barrel-aging and helped produce a wide range of styles. In 2016, he joined the production team at Mikkeller Brewing San Diego in Miramar, where he ascended the ranks to head brewer while experimenting with all manner of ales and lagers, ranging from traditional to off-the-wall.
In 2021, Cady took over brewing operations at TRBC following the departure of original head brewer Bill Batten. During his time at the helm, Cady made the North Park brewpub his own, refining existing recipes while creating new beers that went beyond consumer preferences. When asked what he feels his greatest accomplishments have been at TRBC, it all comes down to the liquid.
“Challenging convention, pushing myself and those around me, being a vocal contributor and, hopefully, leaving a lasting impression,” says Cady. “We got to make some crazy, stupid, dumbass beers along the way; some really damn epic beers. Awards don’t sell beer, but passion and determination can. I believe we have shown that to folks in the last couple years, and I feel great about the work me and brewer Justin Pribbenow have done for TRBC.”
Cady’s last day at TRBC will be Friday, December 12. While he is excited about what lies ahead, he says he will miss San Diego, its incredible beer and his contemporaries who, like him, have worked so hard to make this region a standout craft-brewing locale.
“These last 14 years have been some of the most inspiring, engaging and motivating years of my life,” says Cady. “Thank you to anyone and everyone that gave me a hand, a shoulder or a kick in the ass.”
TapRoom Beer Co. is located at 2000 El Cajon Boulevard in North Park