Bryan Shimkos

Unlike many brewers, Bryan was not a homebrewer before landing his first job in the industry as Quality Control staff. Graduate studies brought Bryan to Chicago, yet a career in microbiology wasn’t his idea of a fulfilling career. Not wanting to waste a perfectly good Master’s Degree, this became his avenue into brewing. “The transition from science to brewing was an easy one. There are so many applications of microbiology in the brewhouse, from yeast management to keeping aseptically sound. You can never be too careful in handling your beers,” Shimkos reflects.

In the fall of 2005 Bryan attended the diploma course at the Siebel Institute of Technology, which facilitated the transition from assistant brewer to head brewer. After some time at a west Chicago suburban microbrewery, Bryan moved on to the brew pub environment with an assistantship at Rock Bottom in Downtown Chicago. When Rock Bottom gave him the opportunity to become a Head Brewer in Cleveland, Bryan wasted no time in accepting. “Brewing in Cleveland really allowed me to solidify not only my brewing skills, but also my management skills. Running two breweries at once required a good deal of focus and organization.”

The opportunity to brew at Flossmoor Station arose coincidentally when Bryan decided that Chicago was soon to be home again. March 1, 2008, marked Bryan’s debut at Flossmoor Station Brewing Company. He promises to continue the fine brewing tradition created and carried on by the previous BrewMasters at Flossmoor. Bryan considers it an honor and challenge to brew in an area where the beer drinkers are very knowledgeable and care so deeply about their beer.

Richard Grant

A native of Detroit, Richard Grant has been a longtime homebrewer and professional brewer. He attended the Siebel Institute of Technology and worked with various brewers in the Chicagoland area. Richard has participated in numerous festivals including The Great Taste of the Midwest, Night of the Living Ales, The Brewpub Shootout, and the Festival of Wooded and Barrel-aged Beers. During his tenure at Rock Bottom Brewery, he learned the craft of Brewing. Richard currently lives in Chicago with his lovely wife and daughter, and one crazy cat named Ommegang.

1035 Sterling Avenue  I  Flossmoor, Illinois 60422  I  708-957-BREW

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