Portrait of a Brewer: Matt Akin, Duck Foot 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…

Matt Akin

of Duck Foot Brewing

What is your current title? 

Head Brewer

Where did you grow up? 

Normal Heights, right here in San Diego.

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

I have a vague recollection of getting to have a sip of my dad’s beer at dinner one night as a kid, MGD, I am sure. It was pretty bad and certainly did not create any desire for more. 

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

I know the beer, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, the starter for so many brewers. An older brother of a friend decided that we needed to branch out and try new things when he bought us beer and came back with a case of Sierra Pale. I’m pretty sure we felt a little robbed because we got fewer beers, but we drank them anyway, and from then on I was the annoying friend that only wanted to try new beers. That led to a series of discoveries, but one in particular stands out: my first bottle of AleSmith Horny Devil. I remember everything about that experience, from buying the bottle at BevMo to not being able to get the stupid plastic cork out of the bottle. We broke a corkscrew, but when we did finally get it open, my world was changed. The flavors were so different and intriguing, and I wanted to know everything I could about that beer. 

What led you to consider a career in brewing? 

I was fascinated by the combination of science and art that goes into making beer. Throughout college I was sitting in the back of the classroom reading beer books. I don’t think I ever really considered any career other than brewing. 

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

AleSmith Brewing. After I tasted Horny Devil for the first time I was certain that I needed to brew there. I would come in after morning classes at UCSD to help on the bottling line. Once I graduated, I was there even more frequently until I was finally a full-time brewhouse monkey. 

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

AleSmith, where I worked my way up from scrubbing kegs to head brewer. Benchmark Brewing where I was a co-founder and brewmaster, so I did just about everything at some point in time. And now here I am at Duck Foot, where I am the head brewer. 

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

Peter Zien gave me my start when I was looking for work after college. He also taught me to be a beer judge, which has probably been the most beneficial thing in my career. 

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

Do or do not, there is no try. Really, you just have to throw yourself at it entirely.  

What ultimate career goal would you like to achieve? 

I want to be able to make beer for a living and take my family on a couple of vacations each year. We are getting close. 

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

This is another really difficult decision. I have made some beers that I think are pretty awesome and other beers that were awesome because of who I got to make them with. But one that stands out in my head was Benchmark Get on the Bus, later known as Beaten Path. The bar owners on 30th Street who ran the monthly Drinkabout bus asked us to brew a fifth-anniversary beer for the Drinkabout. We had less than a month, but we pulled it off. It was such a chuggable presentation of Citra hops. It was so vibrant and refreshing with a soft body and huge citrus notes from aroma to aftertaste. At some point I wanted to brew more of it but I could not get the hops for it. They were all spoken for. At some point a sales rep who had told me there were no Citra hops available came in and tried the beer, and a week later I had all the boxes of Citra hops I needed. 

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

I once homebrewed a chocolate-orange stout inspired by the orange-shaped and -flavored chocolates that you crack open and they look like the wedges of an orange. Man, that beer was terrible. Eighteen years later and I can remember the look on the face of the friend I opened the first bottle with. I knew really fast that I needed to find us a different beer to enjoy that evening. 

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

I like so many of them but I find myself finding ways to fit Citra into beers all the time. Least favorite: anything kicking off onion and garlic characteristics. 

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

I really don’t know. I never really considered doing anything else. In some kind of fantasy land I would be a forest ranger living in the woods far from people and I would likely be brewing and distilling in my free time, anyway.

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? 

There are so many options, everyone has an important role to play. For me, though, it is always the people who are educating the public and giving them their own a-ha experiences that lead to further exploration. 

What is your favorite beer style? 

I certainly drink mostly West Coast IPAs, but I like them on the small side, 5-6.5% ABV (alcohol-by-volume). 

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

They all serve some kind of purpose and provide joy to someone, so why should I take that away from them? I just might not brew the ones I don’t like. 

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

AleSmith beers, since that is where I learned so much of my brewing craft. For ethos/style I enjoy the Societe approach, we are kindred spirits in our love of beer for the sake of beer.

What is your favorite San Diego County brewing company? 

I don’t have to pick one, you are not the boss of me! I really love many of our breweries but each of them has a thing I love about them. For hoppy, I go to Societe. For sheer variety, it is Pizza Port. I need a new favorite for Belgian-style beers, and I am accepting applicants. 

What is your favorite brewing company outside of San Diego? 

Brasserie Dupont 

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

Dupont, Rochefort, Achel and Westmalle. I know, that is four but those last three are the three Belgian Trappist breweries that I have not yet had the chance to visit and I have to finish the six-pack. 

What are your favorite local beer events? 

Guild Fest and the pairing event at the end of San Diego Beer Week at The Lodge at Torrey Pines.

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

Brugge

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

It varies pretty wildly from Dead Kennedys to The XX, Bad Religion and Bauhaus, but Friday is always Funky Friday when we get down. 

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

What will happen when you open or take off that valve? 

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

Baking, kayaking, hiking and camping

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

At home. It is paid for already. Also, It’s been so long since I went out regularly that I just don’t have a home-base bar at the moment. 

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

Cantillon’s Rose de Gambrinus and a salad that had cilantro in it. Holy wow! Those flavors just popped. It was totally unexpected but I think of it every time that I am working on pairings. 

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? 

Oh my goodness, there would be so much food and beer. If I knew I was going out, it would be such a gluttonous affair. I would also need at least a month to plan it so that I could maybe brew a beer or two that would otherwise be missing. I would need some Benchmark Table Beer with Baja-style shrimp cocktails to start. Cantillon Rose de Gambrinus with the salad, making sure there is cilantro in there! For the soup course, I would want some Belgian fish-based waterzooi paired with a Duvel. Then on to a peppercorn-crusted seared ahi steak paired with Duck Foot Mas y Masa. An interval between courses clearly needs a bright session IPA like The Coachman to cleanse the palate before we move on to a grilled filet mignon on a pile of blue-cheese mashed potatoes paired with a nice, rich brown ale. AleSmith Nut Brown would do nicely. Dessert would be some Pizza Port Bacon and Eggs with an assortment of baked delights. And to close it all out, a way-too-large glass of Duck Foot ChupaQUADra Belgian-style quad. I think after all that I might be full and satisfied. 

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

I’m just a brewer trying to make sure there is plenty of great beer in the world. 

If you’re a brewer at a San Diego brewing company and would like to be featured in our Portrait of a Brewer series, drop us a line at [email protected].