Today’s five questions are with Anita Lum, Mainland Operations Manager (“M.O.M.”) for Maui Brewing Co. Her son, San Diego native Garrett Marrero, founded the company in 2005. Since then, Maui Brewing Co. has strived to be a business that is genuinely Hawaiian: their entire production process from start to finish takes place on the island. For example, rather than bringing in ingredients and supplies from other parts of the world, the company has established a commitment to their fans and Hawaii to only produce Hawaiian authentic goods. For this week’s Friday Five, Anita discusses how Maui Brewing Co. got started, what to expect in the coming year and her role within SD’s craft beer industry.
What does it mean to be M.O.M. for Maui Brewing Co.?
I will have to be honest – before my son started Maui Brewing Co., I was not a real big beer fan. That’s because, like most Americans, for the most part, I was exposed to the mass-produced, bland tasting beers. Once I was “converted”, I started to enjoy sharing my love of craft beer with others. In a weird sort of way, it’s also become sort of a “tie that binds” because understanding what Garrett produces makes me feel more connected to him which of course, makes me all that more proud of his accomplishments. Once Maui Brewing Co. products started to be distributed here on the mainland, my husband and I were logistically well-situated in a place where we began to help out with a variety of business errands. And, particularly during the months of APR-SEP (I call it “beer fest season”), we work many, many events in the Southern California market, promoting and educating our products and educating folks about craft beer in general. This role of M.O.M. really provides a creative outlet for me that I sorely miss – something that has sadly been lacking in my corporate day job for almost a decade. M.O.M. stands for “mom” of course, but also “Mainland Operations Manager” – really, a loose title for “doing whatever it takes” 😉 And, I think it’s very cool that many of the younger folks in the local craft brewing industry just call me “mom” now too. I love it!
Can you tell us about your involvement with Pink Boots Society, and a little bit about this organization?
In 2010, one of my friends at Stone Brewing Co. asked me why I wasn’t a member of Pink Boots Society yet. There really wasn’t any reason because any woman that earns at least a portion of her income from the beer industry is eligible to join. Well, before I knew it, not only had I joined but I had become their volunteer membership coordinator and webmaster. PBS is an international charitable organization that was created to inspire, encourage and empower women to become professionals in the beer industry. The organization was founded in 2008 by Teri Fahrendorf, a professional brewer since 1988. In 2007 Teri took a break from brewing to visit 70 breweries across the US; along the way, Teri stopped to participate in brewing at different breweries. On her journey she was asked several times how many women there were in the brewing industry. Teri didn’t really know the answer to that question so she became dedicated to collecting the names and contact information for all such women and before long, PBS was born! The organization has several goals including encouraging women consumers to learn about craft beer, to homebrew and to encourage women to become professionals in the beer industry. Ultimately, our organization would like to be in a position to provide scholarships for women to further their education in the brewing industry. We currently have approximately 700 members. Most are in the US but we do have members in Canada, Great Britain, South America, Asia and Australia.
Although your family is native to San Diego, what made your son, Garrett Marrero, decide to have a brewery located in Hawaii?
While Garrett didn’t start out with a specific career goal of “brewery owner on Maui”, of course that is certainly how things turned out but it doesn’t really surprise me because as a young teen, Garrett enjoyed preparing gourmet meals and tried his hand at homebrewing. He also loved the water in Maui! We had vacationed in Maui when he was a child and he visited again while in college. After obtaining certification as a rescue diver, he was especially drawn to Maui’s spectacular waters. I believe the allure of island life was definitely a draw but it wasn’t everything. After all, he knew the challenge was to make a living! Having worked successfully in the corporate “rat-race” for several years, Garrett was determined to move on and build something of his own – and why not on the island of Maui? Garrett and his fiancée set out to find a business to buy and, although it took a little while to find the right opportunity, things eventually worked out. These days I can’t tell you the number of times people enviously comment to me that, “Your son lives on Maui and brews beer …. must be nice.” And, while it certainly may seem like a perfect paradise, running a business anywhere – particularly a brewery on Maui, is most definitely not a cakewalk. Outsiders looking in will often only see the fruits of the labor – what they don’t always see or think about is the huge amount of sacrifice, skill, dedication and hard work that it has taken (and continues to take) to make this dream a reality …. that and a little bit of luck!
So M.O.M, what things can San Diego craft beers fans look forward to regarding Maui Brewing Co. on the mainland during 2012?
Well, I can tell you that you will see a new, limited release beer in late spring 2012. It will be a Belgian-style Witbier, La Perouse White, which was brewed by our Lead Brewer, BrewPub Operations, Kim Lutz. We are extremely proud that Kim was awarded a silver medal for this beer at the Great American Beer Festival this September! I recently saw a preview of the rough artwork for the can and it’s AWESOME! I think most folks in the Southern California market have noticed that more and more of our pub beers have started to make appearances at local establishments and we are hoping to be able to continue that trend in 2012 but as you can imagine, there are certain unique challenges to bringing product from 3000 miles away – and from a very isolated place!
When you are not enjoying a delicious Maui CoConut PorTeR, what craft beer are you usually drinking?
Oh, most definitely something bold! Living in San Diego, we are fortunate to have so many excellent craft beer choices but since you are putting me on the spot, I will name a few of my favorites ;-): Belgo-Anise IRS by Stone Brewing Co., Santa’s Little Helper by Port Brewing Co., Velvet Glove by Iron Fist Brewing Co., Victory at Sea by Ballast Point Brewing Co., Judgment Day by Lost Abbey and Trippel Ale by Green Flash Brewing Co. And definitely not local, but a couple of my all-time favorite beers are Bitches Brew, a limited release by Dogfish Head, Czar by Avery Brewing and Samichlaus – an Austrian strong lager — all really amazing beers!