Interview with a Sales Director

Interview with a Sales Director A few weeks ago, Snake River Brewing Co.hired our new Sales Director, the talented Mr. Luke Bauer! Luke has been in the beer biz for a long time and he has a long history with Snake River Brewing, so everyone was stoked when he accepted the job..

In an effort to get to let our SRB friends know a little bit more about this jack of all trades, we thought it would be fun to ask Luke a few questions. Some of these personal, some beer related and some just completely ridiculous. Before we get to these questions, let us first give you a brief history of our new Sales Director and the path that led him (back) to Snake River Brewing.

Luke Bauer grew up in Wisconsin, his first taste of the beer industry brewing for a small brewpub in Madison. While this job for Luke seemed promising, an unfortunate money laundering scandal (actual true story) forced the doors closed and Luke to find employment elsewhere. After brief stints manufacturing hair care products, training birds at a raptor rehabilitation center, and being the 35th fastest bike courier in North America (in no particular order), Luke found himself in Jackson, WY after landing an internship with Alpinist Magazine. While loving this new internship Luke still had to find a way to pay the bills and found himself employed at Snake River Brewing as a server.

Over the next 10 years Luke worked for SRB twice (one summer living in the back of his Jeep in the SRB parking lot—a living situation that more than one brewpub employee has taken advantage of), Live Oak Brewing in Texas, and then working on both the marketing and sales side for Alaskan Brewing Company where ultimately ended up as the regional sales rep for the states of Wyoming,Colorado, and New Mexico. While being successful and enjoying his work for Alaskan, Luke felt a familiar pull back to Jackson and to his favorite brewery, Snake River Brewing. So when SRB posted the job opening online, Luke knew this was the perfect opportunity to get back to Jackson, WY and (for the 3rd time) work for Snake River.

So now you know the nitty gritty about how Luke managed to find himself as Sales Director of Snake River Brewing, let’s get into the questions

What are you most looking forward to now that you are back in Jackson?

I am most looking forward to taking out my pack raft this summer. There is so much nearby access compared to Colorado’s Front Range that I can’t wait to put it on the river.

What your favorite SRB beer?

Realistically I drink the Snake River Pale Ale the most because it has the perfect amount of hop character for me. If I was going to say my favorite specialty beer it would have to be the Speargun Coffee Milk Stout. There is a reason why it has won two gold medals in the past two years.

If you had to be any style of beer what would you be?

The last time I was asked this question I think I said ‘Barleywine’ because I am “big and bold” but that seems lame to me now. I think this time I am going to go with a coffee porter because I am complex but can party all night.

What is your favorite memory involving SRB?

Literally, every single one of those is inappropriate. Just kidding—±sort of. In reality it is just really fun to work here, different than a lot of other bars and restaurants that I’ve worked at before, the team has always stuck out to me as being a real family.

What are you looking forward to most now having this job?

I am looking forward to working towards steady and measured growth for the Pub—hoping to get SRB producing 10,000 bbl a year ;being back in the family and working with a lot of familiar faces who have been around for over a decade; working for a smaller more community-oriented brewery is exciting;getting out of Denver and back to Jackson.

What’s your sign?

Pisces

What’s your favorite brewery that’s not SRB?

The one that sticks out is this little brewery in a small town in Washington called Walking Man Brewery. The beers were great, it felt very welcoming and homey. Definitely felt like they weren’t trying to do anything in particular but were just having fun and doing a good job at that. [Ed. Turns out they won a few GABF Medals while they were at it.]

Do you have nicknames?

“Snuggles!!!!!!!!!” GABF 2007: I had only worked for SRB for maybe a week and was sent to GABF for the first time. I went out in downtown Denver and lost the main group and met a group of hairdressers who got me very very drunk;we took way too many shots. I clearly was confused when I got back to the hotel room and decided to hop in bed and spoon our longtime brewer Wayne, who proceeded to karate chop and kung fu toss me across the room. After a night spent on the floor everyone started calling me “Snuggles”, and it stuck.

If you had to go back in history, where would you go and why?

I would probably, say, 10,000 years ago in Turkey. There is this old ruin called Gobekli Tepe that suggests that hunter-gatherers may have gotten together to brewbeer well before they had organized agriculture.ALSO they have evidence of some of the first domestic dogs, which is pretty cool. I’d really like to party with them.

Pineapple on your pizza?

ABSOLUTELY

Toilet paper… over or under?

OBVIOUSLY over. My fiance and I have had multiple conversations about this over the years. The original toilet paper patent proves my position.

Thanks Luke for letting us get to know you a little better! We are excited for your future with SRB!

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