Last year I decided to become a nomad. Since I no longer had a stable place to live I packed up the brewery, put it in storage in Los Angeles, and stopped brewing. I thought that I would focus on developing Bushido in other ways and simply wouldn’t brew until I had my own place again.
So I haven’t brewed in almost a year.
After returning from Burning Man a few weeks ago I was filled with inspired energy and motivation. It had been too long since I brewed and I wanted to brew again. I thought:
“Home brewing is the prototype version of a typical professional brewery or brewpub. If that’s the case, what is the prototype version of a professional gypsy brewery?”
With that I began researching Brew on Premises (BOP) options.
I had peripheral knowledge of BOP, but hadn’t seriously looked into it or considered it to be an option for Bushido. The only place I knew that offered it was Kiuchi Brewery in Japan. Looking back, I really wish I had done a batch with them when I was living in Tokyo. But I understand why I didn’t. I was busy with so many other things during that time, and had the mistaken limiting belief that BOP was beyond Bushido’s reach. So I didn’t pursue it.
BOP isn’t everywhere, but it does exist in some cities. Thinking about this I realized that it would be a great thing for Bushido Brewery to engage in gypsy BOP for several reasons:
- The brewery will continue to produce its core product even while I travel.
- Semi-regular brewing will keep my skills sharp.
- Working with other brewers and equipment will teach me new and different techniques.
- I will gain experience working with larger batches on more professional-grade equipment.
My researched showed me that the next three cities in which I would be living – Seattle, Victoria BC, and Portland – all had a BOP facility I could use.
That settled it. I decided then that Bushido Brewery would resume operations during my nomadic travels as a gypsy brewery! This will be an exciting new chapter in the brewery’s life.