Stillwater, One Of The First Nomadic Brewery’s In The World, Finally Puts Down Roots

Brian Strumke, one of the first nomadic/gypsy brewers, didn’t set out to blaze a new path when he started Stillwater in 2010. It was something that evolved from his love of beer. For a celebrated music producer, DJ, and passionate homebrewer, who was continuously on the road, the idea of brewing beers anywhere seemed only natural. By partnering with breweries that had space, he could turn out his beer, and it freed him from being tied down to one location. Plus, it didn’t require him to sink a large amount of cash into a full-scale brewery.

But the idea was radical and revolutionary. When RateBeer.com in 2011 named Stillwater Artisan Ales, as it was known then, the second-best new brewery in the world, he became instantly known. His beers became Golden Ticket that beer geeks would search out and discuss in online chatrooms.

So, when the news that Stillwater had followed the lead of another well-known nomadic brewer Evil Twin (New York City) in putting down permanent roots, many wondered why. We caught up with him at his new outpost located at the Talking Cedar Brewery & Distillery just outside Seattle to discuss this and how music has helped fashion everything he has done.

You have often said that your music career led you to become a nomadic brewer; how?

When I came into beer, I brought the mindset from the music industry that I was in. I was producing music and DJing worldwide, so I looked at breweries like they were a studio. I could use them anywhere and obtain inspiration from different equipment and new and exciting people and cultures. My beers are a remix of different brewing styles and ingredients, all working together in harmony to bring something unseen before into the world.

Making a beer recipe is exciting. It’s very similar to making a dance track. Songs are made in a linear program with color-coded tracks I can visualize, and I have found the same goes for creating a new beer. Both fulfill a very creative side of my personality. It sounds strange, but once I realized they were so similar, I was hooked and kept coming up with new recipes. Any successful DJ has thousands of remixes at their fingertips, and I took that mentality to my beer making. I have a vast catalog of recipes to draw ideas and inspirations from each time I brew.

What was the genesis of the idea behind Stillwater?

I had been home brewing a ton when I was back home in Baltimore. I was introduced to Brian Ewing, who was starting an import company, 12 Percent Imports, based in New York. He loved my beer and pushed me to start making this more than it was. He got me thinking maybe I could make something out of my brewing. But, I didn’t have much money then, didn’t want to start a brewery, and wanted to keep traveling and making music.

I was really focusing on experimenting with beer then and getting my creative fulfillment in what I was turning out. From talking with Brian, my mind opened to the possibilities of nomadic brewing. I realized that he was an importer. Therefore he was bringing beer from other parts of the world and distributing it across the country. I was like, wow, he basically functions like a record label. So now, the next part of the equation was to find breweries to make my beer in. They serve as studios for me. I could hop around and create my beers from anywhere and then Brian would function as the record label and distribute them worldwide.

From the first moment your beers hit the market, they created a buzz for being creative and inventive. What was your philosophy behind them?

I have always tried to blur the style lines, especially in the early days. I would even make up styles to put on the label, not to confuse people, but to differentiate myself. People try to pigeonhole everything, and I didn’t want to allow that to happen. My beer, like my music, is art. Belgian beers and Farmhouse styles heavily inspired me initially, and I just expanded from there. Right now, I am trying to create the perfect Dry beer. Few brewers dive into it, but it’s a fantastic beer.

So, what led you to put down some roots for Stillwater for the first time?

When the pandemic happened, all my traveling stopped, and I found myself with time on my hands. Filson, the clothing and gear company, contacted me about doing a collaboration project with Stillwater. They were in Seattle, so I really felt that I would need to be brewing in that region while we hashed the project out. I was introduced to the Chehalis Tribe and their fantastic new state-of-the-art distilling and brewing facility at Talking Cedar. It was an investment project for them that had a ton of potential. They let me brew there, and soon our relationship grew stronger. I offered to work with them to make the entire facility successful, and they accepted.

I called a friend of mine, Brian Downing, a distiller in Kentucky who came out and took over that side of the business. Then I hired the brewer they had there, Ryan Meir, as my head brewer. Suddenly Stillwater had a home. This is my most significant collaboration to date. I mostly spent my time there during the pandemic, but since the world opened again, I have been out on the road again. The facility is doing great, and I am back to collaborating globally. At the same time, we grow the Stillwater brand from our new home.

What’s next for Stillwater?

I feel even more pulled towards going into a more postmodern realm with my project and my beverages, including expanding beyond beer into things like wine, spirits, and soft drinks. Because, just like music, I use beverages as my art form. Everybody in the world drinks something, so this is a way for me to communicate with people around the world.

The fact that I can focus on building certain concepts beyond their one-and-done lifestyle is excellent. I have so many recipes, and having one location now allows me to dig even deeper and expand my business with full-time offerings, many of which are slightly off-centered beers that most drinkers have never experienced. We have built a core lineup of beers that lets us establish our presence while rolling out different projects.

I have been traveling across the globe promoting Stillwater. I guess I like to do things differently. At a time when many brewers are consolidating their lineups, I have moved to a bigger brewery and am expanding across the board. As they say in the music industry, give the people what they want, and that means more Stillwater.