Going (and remaining) Against the Grain

 

Each one of us has taken a different and unique path to the brewing industry. We’ve all heard those compelling stories on the journeys and challenges our peers and colleagues have endured in an effort to do what they love. Yet now, we are all collectively enduring the SAME challenge – the effect of COVID-19 and the immediate shift in societal norms. What will the future bring to our beloved industry, and what will it take to survive? One brewery in particular, aptly named, has weathered this storm by accepting the challenge, staying true to self and acting swiftly. Meet Jerry Gnagy, operating partner of Against the Grain Brewing in Derby City (Louisville), Kentucky. Now, knowing Jerry like I do, engaging in a virtual interview is not nearly as fun as being in his presence, but this is what the times call for, at the moment anyway. By his own admission, the fact that he is in brewing at all is representative of trial and error. When asked, “How did you get here,” he didn’t even blink before responding in his unique way, “Lots of poor choices, missed opportunities and unrealized potential led me into the brewing industry.” But then he quickly adds what he loves and the skills required, “but what excites me the most is the number of disciplines that you have to have some knowledge about . . . chemistry, biology, plumbing, electrical, etc. you have to use them all to be good at brewing.” I then asked, “what skills are going to get you through this COVID pandemic” He first responds with an expletive, but then laughs and says, “a friend made an apt analogy, we are treading water in the middle of a lake without knowing which shore to swim towards.”

 

Against the Grain opened in 2011, and is now a three-vessel, 30-barrel production facility and also, quite clearly a vessel for brewing innovation in Kentucky, if not the broader region. “I never could quite put my finger on the exact thing that I loved until I realized I like troubleshooting and solving problems creatively. And there are plenty of opportunities to troubleshoot in a brewery,” said Gnagy. The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly created an unwelcome challenge for us all, but if breweries are to survive, creativity is a prerequisite. “We have completely changed what we are doing in the retail spaces overnight and it has been eye-opening and successful. Also, we have employed new tactics for outside sales to distributors both in and out of market, including new products, discounts (he gasps sarcastically) and video meetings to get in front of salespeople and key retailers,” he added.

 

By now, it’s a cliché, but very true; it will be a collective effort to get through this challenge as successfully as possible. In the brewing industry, “we” means everyone; breweries, taprooms, restaurants, vendors and suppliers across the spectrum must work together and help when and where able, and Jerry is hopeful, by doing so, we will still enjoy a good portion of summertime. “We just canned our latest batch of Pool Boi Light. It’s a light beer with Kentucky blackberries that we came out with for the summer. It is light, fruity and low carb/calories…dare I say an answer to seltzers?”

 

As we all remain hopeful that “normal” can return to breweries, taprooms, food trucks and kitchens in our near future, the reality is becoming very clear that we are headed for a different place. Gnagy keeps perspective in the challenge of the times. ”I think we all understand that if we can make it through this we’ll emerge as a stronger company. As I always say, whatever doesn’t kill you and only makes you violently ill, then you’re probably better off.” Today you can find Against the Grain in over 40 states in the U.S. and upwards of 25 countries around the world. Clearly, Jerry and his partners at Against the Grain don’t plan on dying yet.