Ep129- Bogotá to Eugene, Solo to Co-Founder, Crafting Beer - Doug of Alesong

The Food Startups Podcast

Douglas Coombs decided it was time for a change.

He left a tech startup in a South American city of 9 million people and moved to a small college town in Oregon to start a brewery. Why and how did he do it?

We have a fun conversation about his journey and current venture: Alesong Brewing & Blending. They are focused on small batched beers aged in oak barrels, out of Eugene, Oregon.

Alesong recently took home a couple medals last weekend at The Best of Craft Beer Awards. Bronze for Saison du Vin '16 and GOLD for Shake Your Tree!

Working with his chemist brother (Brian Coombs) and a brew master (Matt Van Wyk), they have a strong, complimentary team. Listen and learn:

• When did Doug realize that it was time to start a brewery in Oregon?
• Why his brewery hours feel different than his past employee hours
• Life is Oregon, "what is it like man?"
• Going from solo founder to co-founder
• What do people beer lovers not know about starting a beer company?
• Matt the brewmaster, how do you channel his creativity?
• Changing the way craft beer is viewed
• What did you tell the people that invested in your company?
• Keys to high end wine + beer marketing
• "I’m not just buying the beer i’m buying a story."
• What is sour beer?
• Building a following; interacting with customers?
• Their mid-term and long-term goals