Portrait of a Brewer: George Cataulin, Home Brew Mart

There are hundreds of talented brewing professionals giving their all to help maintain the San Diego beer industry’s storied reputation. While these industrious practitioners share numerous similarities, each is their own unique person with individual likes, dislikes, methodologies, techniques, inspirations, interests and philosophies. The goal of San Diego Beer News’ Portrait of a Brewer series is to not only introduce readers to local brewers, but dig in to help them gain a deeper appreciation for the people making their beer and how they have contributed to the county’s standout craft-brewing culture.

Today’s featured brewer is…

George Cataulin
of Home Brew Mart

What is your current title?
Employee! There are only three of us, plus Jim.

Where did you grow up?
San Diego. I went to Clairemont High, Class of ’77!

What was the first beer and/or alcoholic beverage you ever had?  
When I was a kid, we got into a friend’s parents’ liquor cabinet…vodka, whiskey, schnapps, beer. My mom and the neighbor whose liquor we got into had to carry me home. I was 14 years old.

What was your a-ha moment that turned you on to craft beer?  
One of my bandmates in Prowler, Keith, took me to Karl Strauss’ downtown brewery. He ordered, and I said, “I’ll have what he’s having”, which was a Red Trolley Ale. It was delicious and full of flavor. It made me realize there was so much more to beer.

What led you to consider a career in brewing?  
After running the Carlsbad 5000 (I think it was 1996), we went to a friend’s house. Our host brought out some homebrewed beer he’d made. It was great. I was immediately interested in the craft, and started brewing. After a few years of brewing, and doing so competitively, I answered an ad that Colby Chandler had placed for help at Home Brew Mart.

What was your first brewing/brewery position?  
I was hired at Home Brew Mart as a Home Brew Advisor. I was an employee for about eight months before Doug Duffield and I were given the chance to create a recipe for the production system in the back room.

What breweries have you worked for over your career and in what roles?  
I’ve been at Home Brew Mart for 20 years. 

Who have been the individuals that have helped you the most to learn and advance in your career, and how? 
One would be Colby Chandler. He helped me level-up my techniques in the early days, moving from extract to all-grain brewing, and then he actually built my first mash tun, as available supplies were limited at the time. That was before I even got the job at Home Brew Mart. At the time, I was competing as a homebrewer. Doug Duffield and I were frequently battling for the top spot. While he didn’t directly instruct my brewing, the competitive drive, which was often fueled by Doug and others, drove me to advance in my craft.

What singular piece of advice would you give to someone interested in becoming a professional brewer?  
Start homebrewing. Learn how to make your own recipes. Be your own favorite brewer.

What ultimate career goal would you like to achieve?  
Retirement!

What is your favorite beer you’ve ever brewed, be it on a professional or amateur level?
Style-wise, IPAs. I always brewed what I liked and what interested me. I added fun stuff to IPAs like ginger, habanero, apricot and peach. I changed the dry-hop a lot.

What is your least-favorite beer you’ve ever brewed on any level?  
I’ve been fortunate enough to brew the things that I liked. I’ve never been made to brew something I couldn’t stand.

What are your favorite and least-favorite hop varietals at present?  
My favorite hop is Simcoe, which is why it’s featured in my IPA, Oh My Stars!. I don’t dislike any hops. They all have their place.

What are some of your favorite brewing ingredients that aren’t hops?  
California Ale Yeast (formerly known as “Home Brew Mart Ale Yeast”) and American 2-row malted barley.

If you weren’t a brewer, what do you think you would do for a living?  
I suppose I’d have followed my passion for photography and videography in some way. I’ve done both professionally, but not as a career.

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?   
At Home Brew Mart, we all do it all. There is no job above or beneath the brewers. Whoever keeps the place in business is important.

What is your favorite beer style?  
IPA…come on.

If you could wipe one style of beer off the face of the earth, what would it be?  
No need. They’re all there for someone.

What single brewing company’s beers and/or ethos/style has been most influential on your style?  
Russian River Brewing, Pizza Port, Alpine Beer Co. (pre-Green Flash Brewing acquisition), Ballast Point Brewing (pre-Constellation Brands acquisition) and Stone Brewing (pre-Sapporo acquisition).

What is your favorite San Diego County brewing company?  
I hope they’re all making beer they like.

What is your favorite brewing company outside of San Diego?  
Probably Russian River Brewing.

What are your favorite local beer events?  
I like the Southern California Homebrewers Festival.

If you were to leave San Diego, where would be the next-best place you’d want to brew?
I’m not going anywhere!

Which musical genre or artists are on your brew-day soundtrack/playlist?  
Iron Maiden, Iron Maiden and Iron Maiden

What motto rules the way you brew and approach brewing in a professional brewhouse?  
Brew what you love to drink!

What do you consider your greatest professional accomplishments?
S-C-U-L-P-I-N IPA! Being part of the success that Sculpin was, it’s hard to beat that!

What are you proud of having achieved in your personal life?  
Also, Sculpin IPA!

When you’re not at work, what do you like to do for fun?  
Photography, videography, hiking, camping…when I can do them all together, even better!

Where do you like to drink off-the-clock?  
Home Brew Mart

What is your favorite beer-and-food pairing of all time?
I don’t mess up  my beer with food.

Who do you think you are (a purposely broad question)?  
I’m sure there are some people who love this kind of question…I am not one of those people.

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].