Hello, my name is Gerrick Sweet and during the 2023 Fall Quarter I had the opportunity to do an internship with a brewery close to my hometown.

The brewery is Wildman Brewing Company and I did my internship under Ryan Porter. He is the head brewer at Wildman and was incredibly accommodating to me and able to teach me a ton not just about brewing but the business side and the other factors at play (like having proper floors and water usage!)

Ryan didn’t just give me the daily chores of canning and kegging and doing measurements. We also talked quite frequently about the business aspect of running a brewery and the logistics. Everything from staffing to how the cash flow is managed to ordering ingredients for the beer and long-term planning of brews to make and sales orders.

Along with the other people I had a chance to work with and meet, lots of them emphasized the importance of having a deep passion and fire for the industry. Especially if you’re gonna risk putting your money and living on the line and trying to make a business work.

Doing this internship gave me a deep understating and appreciation for what it takes to run a small brewery. The long hours, countless trial and error to perfect a recipe, even dealing with unexpected events like a fermenting vessel failing. I have a big heart for this brewery near my hometown and I am incredibly thankful for them taking me under their wing for the month I was with them!