Portrait of a Brewer: Chris Barry, BattleMage 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…

Chris Barry

of BattleMage Brewing

What is your current title?

Co-owner, brewer, janitor and delivery driver

Where did you grow up?

North County San Diego, primarily Encinitas

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

Very distinctly I remember splitting a 12-pack of Coors Light with some friends in the bushes.

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

I don’t quite recall how it came about but I do remember getting our hands on some warm Newcastles, and I remember thinking, “wow, this actually tastes not-that-bad”. It was from that point we started checking out the BevMo to scout out new beers we wanted to try.

What led you to consider a career in brewing?

After brewing for a year or so, I wanted to start getting feedback on my beers besides from my friends (who were drinking it for free). Ryan was already a member of a local homebrew club, the Society of Barley Engineers, but I was living up in San Bruno just outside of San Francisco at the time and didn’t know anyone else who homebrewed. I decided to start entering my beers into some competitions to get unbiased feedback so I could hone in some of my favorites. One of the first competitions I entered was Rhythm and Brews in Vista. I came down to Visit during the festival and, surprisingly, my Chocolate Milk Stout won best in show. The prize for that was to be able to scale it up on Mother Earth Brew Co.’s system. That brew day on a professional system really pushed Ryan and I to start pondering the idea of opening up our own spot.

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

I think a year or so after that competition my wife and I moved back down to North County and I saw that Mother Earth’s homebrew shop was hiring. I applied and was pretty much hired on the spot.

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

I worked at Mother Earth’s homebrew shop as a homebrew advisor. I also worked at Ballast Point’s Home Brew Mart in the same role.

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

I definitely learned a lot from customers during my time as a homebrew advisor. People would come in with questions about different grains or hops or yeast strains, and if I didn’t know the answer I’d start doing research or try it in my next recipe. I was running all the brewing classes at both Mother Earth and Ballast Point, so I was brewing a batch of beer every week. The Society of Barley Engineers was also an amazing resource and taught me a lot of the science behind the craft. There are a lot of really talented people that were and still are a part of the club. Anthony Tallman at Burgeon Beer Co., who I met at Mother Earth while he was working at Backstreet Brewery, and Blake Masoner at Craft Coast Beer and Tacos (who we met as a customer shortly after opening BattleMage), have been super helpful. Both of those guys have been brewing professionally for a while longer than us and they had a lot of insight to offer. They both continue to help us out, which is rad.

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

The advice I give every homebrewer is to enter competitions. It’s the best way to get feedback that is unbiased and helpful in advancing your recipes to the next level.

What ultimate career goal would you like to achieve?

I think my position now is pretty great! Running a business with my best friend of 20-something years is as rewarding as it gets.

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

Every new beer we brew now is my new favorite, until we brew the next new one. That might sound lame but I do find myself saying, “I think this is my favorite beer we’ve brewed,” way too much.

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

I think it was my first time brewing a Belgian witbier on the homebrew scale. I used so much wheat and no rice hulls so the mash got stuck several times. It was a long, long brewday.

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

My all-time favorite is probably Simcoe. Mosaic, Motueka and Citra are some of my other favorites. We used to use Galaxy a lot, but the past couple years I haven’t been enjoying it as much. It’s not my least favorite out of all the varietals, but it’s probably my least favorite that we use.

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

Creating something. I’m fascinated by the way things work also, so maybe some kind of engineering.

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?

Every position really. Whether it’s packaging or cellaring, or being the face of the company in the tasting room. All of those things impact the experience as much as making the wort.

What is your favorite beer style?

A nice clean, dry pilsner is definitely what I reach for the most.

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

Cheese beers

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

I can’t really think of a brewery that has a similar style. Have you seen our tasting room on D&D nights? I will say that we have a pretty wide range of styles and customers are constantly commenting on how they love that.

What is your favorite San Diego County brewing company?

That’s not possible. What do I have in my fridge at home besides BattleMage, currently? Societe, Burgeon, Cellarmaker.

What is your favorite brewing company outside of San Diego?

I go back to the Bay Area annually and always make a point to stop at Cellarmaker.

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

Tipping Pint Brewing, Wondrous Brewing, There Does Not Exist

What are your favorite local beer events?

Hops in the Hills is a good one. Viking Fest and Meading in the Garden are some of my favorites.

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

If I went anywhere it would be back to the Bay. I love the cooler climate.

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

Nothing but operatic power metal all day.

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

A beautiful blend of artistry, engineering and aggressive sanitation.

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

I spend as much time as I can with my three-year-old daughter and my beautiful wife. When they are both asleep, I play my favorite video game that I’m addicted to for that month.

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

I’m always on the clock, ha. I do enjoy grabbing a beer and pizza at Shane’s in San Elijo.

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

Pizza and beer, for sure.

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’d probably go super-heavy with some high-octane barrel-aged imperial stouts and barleywines. I’m imagining a hero’s feast with, like, a whole pig and turkey, and a mountain of breads, cheeses and fruits. I’d for sure invite the creator of Dungeons & Dragons, Gary Gygax, the creator of Everquest, Brad McQuaid, and maybe William Wallace and Conan the Barbarian?

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

A nerd who is very passionate about his hobbies.

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].