Jace Gonnerman was the Beer Director for Meridian and Brookland Pints, and Smoke and Barrel. He’s also worked for Arrowine, with and for Lou’s City Bar, and any good beer you had at the Washington Football Team’s Fed Ex Field over the past few seasons was because of him. Here he is, in his own words.
“Well, I’m packin up my game and I’ma head out West.” Well, southwest. Well, slightly southwest. But I had to find a way to open with the words of Poet Laureate Kid Rock.
I’m not sure if I’ve earned or deserve this space, but Jake from DCBeer said I could have it, so here we go.
After almost a decade working in craft beer in DC, I’ve accepted a job with Starr Hill as the General Manager of two of their taprooms: Charlottesville and Crozet.
Being that this is not a world where we can congregate and toast a glass, this is the best way I’ll get to say goodbye to most of you.
Sponsorship
We’ve been contemplating a move to Charlottesville for years: closer to family, slower pace of life, bigger yard for our three young kids, etc. And this opportunity emerged quickly and unexpectedly.
I’ll miss DC tremendously and there’s a lot of people I want to thank.
I want to thank Lou’s City Bar for giving me my start in the industry when they opened a decade ago and for bringing me back on a consulting role last year.
I want to thank the crew at Meridian Pint, Brookland Pint, and Smoke & Barrel. This year didn’t play out the way any of us would have liked, but we did some amazing things along the way. Savor and CBC weeks that make me shudder to think about to this day. Thank you to John, Jen, Drew, Jennie, Asher, Logan, JVR, Zach, Heff, Ben, Maria, Paul, Victoria, Jonathan, and dozens of other amazing people I had the chance to work with.
Thank you to Sam and Tim for showing me the ropes and instilling in me the importance of cold beer and clean draft lines.
Thank you to Arrowine. One of my biggest regrets is that my time at Arrowine was so short. Doug Rosen and company have built a world-class store that does everything the right way. It’s full of passionate and committed individuals – whether it be wine, meat/cheese, or beer. In different circumstances, I could have easily spent a decade here. The next Beermonger comes into a situation as good or better than any in the DMV.
Thank you to all the brewery folks, distributor reps, beer writers, beer buyers, bar owners/managers and most importantly – customers I’ve had the chance to meet. Many of you have become lifelong friends. If you find yourself in Charlottesville, please drop me a line. Come visit. I’d love to see you.
DC, thank you for all the amazing years. I’ll be back to visit.
Take care of yourselves,
Jace
