I remember sitting in the FM 94/9 studio during an edition of the station’s Rock and Roll Happy Hour that brought together members of AleSmith Brewing Company and newly established Mikkeller Brewing San Diego. Long-time AleSmith brewer Bill Batten was on the microphone, professing that he would always be AleSmith at his core, while explaining that he was transitioning to a new role as head brewer for Mikkeller. While he may be AleSmith for life, the same cannot be said for Mikkeller. Batten resigned last week, choosing to move on due to what he describes as creative differences with company co-owner Mikkel Borg Bjergsø.
Batten joined AleSmith in 2002. During his 13 years with the company, he served in both sales and brewing capacites, ending out as senior brewer. When AleSmith owner Peter Zien moved the company to a larger facility in 2015, he formed a creative partnership with Bjergsø to form Mikkeller San Diego, retaining a minority-stake in the business. Batten stayed at the original brewery, becoming a full-time employee of Mikkeller San Diego, heading production and leading an eventual team of brewers.
It’s Batten’s opinion that both he and Mikkeller San Diego will be better off in the long run following his departure. As for his future, it is wide open. When resigning, he did not have another job lined up. Given his tenure and popularity within the industry, matched with the number of operations in town in search of a veteran brewer, he is sure to command a great deal of interest on the open-market.
As for the future of the position Batten vacated, representatives from Mikkeller San Diego had not yet formulated a long-term solution, but cited faith in their remaining brewing team. Brewers Daniel Cady, Chris Gillogly and Jacobo Mendoza will continue to produce the increasingly diverse line of beers Bjergsø conceives from afar. Currently, the brewery’s majority-owner devises concepts for recipes he shares via regular conference-calls and email communications. Those ideas and initial recipes are then adjusted by on-site staff to work with the Miramar brewery’s equipment.