Published by Leonardo Calcagno
Who are you and your current job?
Christine Mansour, Sales & Marketing Coordinator
What was the inspiration behind your brewery?
After developing a taste for beer in college, founder Jack White decided to try making more interesting beer than he could find in the store or at a keg party. Jack, along with his college roommate Pete A’Hearn, began home brewing in their apartment at UCLA and soon realized it wasn’t easy to get access to the various supplies and ingredients he wanted—nor did he have anyone with whom to trade ideas about brewing.
In 1992, Jack opened Home Brew Mart, which he filled with the supplies, ingredients, and conversation every brewer needed to make better beer at home. His plan was to one day take this hobby to the pro level and start a brewery. Around the same time, Pete went off to UC Davis to get his master brewer’s certificate – they soon found a collaborator in Yuseff Cherney, a fellow home brewer with a similar passion and a set of home brewing awards to boot.
Yuseff became Home Brew Mart’s first employee and was part of the team to open a “back room” brewery behind the shop. In 1996, Ballast Point Brewing was born
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Can you give us a tour of your beer scene?
The local San Diego craft beer market is very concentrated – there are a ton of craft breweries.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to start a brewery?
You must have the passion and the thirst for knowledge, and the ability to learn on the fly. There are a lot of craft breweries out there – what makes yours stand out from the rest?
instagram.com/ballastpointbrewing
