Portrait of a Brewer: Tyson Dennis, North Park Beer Co.

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…

Tyson Dennis
of North Park Beer Co.

What is your current title?
Lead Brewer

Where did you grow up?
Marietta, Ohio

What brought you to San Diego?
My wife is a native Californian, and I had been interested in Southern California since I was a kid. She had some family living in San Dego when we graduated from college, so we decided to take the leap.

What was the first beer and/or alcoholic beverage you ever had?
Miller Lite. That was my dad’s beer of choice growing up.

What was your a-ha moment that turned you on to craft beer?
The first time that I tried Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. I had never had a beer that I really enjoyed drinking until then, and it led me down a rabbit hole of trying out new hoppier options.

What led you to consider a career in brewing?
I kind of fell into it. I started helping out in the back while bartending at AleSmith, and then moved over to that side, and just began to enjoy and understand the process.

What was your first brewing/brewery position?
I started in the cellar at AleSmith.

What breweries have you worked for over your career and in what roles?
I poured beer for Stone Brewing, then AleSmith. I went from the cellar at AleSmith, to serving as cellarman, assistant brewer, brewer, and, now, lead brewer at NPBC.

Who have been the individuals that have helped you the most to learn and advance in your career, and how?
Starting out at AleSmith, I learned from too many people to name. I wouldn’t want to leave anyone out. [NPBC owner and Brewmaster] Kelsey McNair has taught me an incredible amount as well, and I continue to learn from him every day. 

What singular piece of advice would you give to someone interested in becoming a professional brewer?
Keep an open mind toward new ideas.

What ultimate career goal would you like to achieve?
I just want to keep making beer that people enjoy.

What is your favorite beer you’ve ever brewed, be it on a professional or amateur level?
Last year, we made a West Coast IPA collab with Von Ebert Brewing called Saturated Substance. I still haven’t gotten over the punchiness and the layers of hop flavor.

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

What are your favorite and least-favorite hop varietals at present?
Krush has been a cool new addition to the arsenal. Sabro can go.

What are some of your favorite brewing ingredients that aren’t hops?
Nuts of any kind in a stout.

If you weren’t a brewer, what do you think you would do for a living?
Some other form of manual labor. I was working construction before and would probably have kept going with that.

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?
Agriculture. It gets a decent amount of credit, but we really couldn’t do this without knowledgeable farmers in the hop-and-grain side putting out consistent products in a rapidly changing climate.

What is your favorite beer style?
West Coast IPA

If you could wipe one style of beer off the face of the earth, what would it be?
IPAs with lactose

What single brewing company’s beers and/or ethos/style has been most influential on your style?
Probably Pizza Port. Turning out such a variety of West Coast IPAs has always kept me going back and I’m glad that we are putting out so many, as well.

What is your favorite San Diego County brewing company?
Shout out to Seek Beer Co. If I am not drinking a beer at work, it is typically at Seek.

What is your favorite brewing company outside of San Diego?
At the moment, I would have to say Riip Beer Co. I’ve been loving everything I’ve had from them.

What three breweries that you haven’t yet visited—local or elsewhere—are on your current must-see bucket list?
I still haven’t made it up to Russian River Brewing, which seems crazy. I’d also like to go to Sierra Nevada Brewing’s HQ in Chico, and go back in time to visit Anchor Brewery.

What are your favorite local beer events?
I just like a good tap takeover at a beer bar.

If you were to leave San Diego, where would be the next-best place you’d want to brew?
I would probably end up in the Pacific Northwest or Vancouver, British Columbia. I have really loved it up there during my travels.

Which musical genre or artists are on your brew-day soundtrack/playlist?
‘80s new wave 

What motto rules the way you brew and approach brewing in a professional brewhouse?
You can only control what you can control.

What do you consider your greatest professional accomplishments?
Helping us win Small Brewery of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival in 2022. That was such a good feeling.

What are you proud of having achieved in your personal life?
I have been racing bikes at the San Diego Velodrome for the past year and am really starting to improve.

When you’re not at work, what do you like to do for fun?
Ride my bike on the road or at the Velodrome

Where do you like to drink off-the-clock?
Blind Lady Ale House is a go-to.

What is your favorite beer-and-food pairing of all time?
Pizza and beer. Keep it simple.

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?
That’s a tough one. It would need to be a decent-sized table. Close friends and family. It would probably be pizza and a good IPA. Maybe a double IPA, since I’m not banking on a hangover.

Who do you think you are (a purposely broad question)?
I’m the type of person who has a pretty difficult time answering this question. Pretty laid back and humble. I just want to bike around town and enjoy some beers.

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].