One of the most well-known brewers in the industry, Mitch Steele of Stone Brewing Co., has announced he will be leaving the company to start his own brewing project.
He did not announce details of the project, only to say that he would be partnering with a handful of investors. His last day at Stone will be June 30th.
In a video in which Mitch made the announcement, he said “I had an opportunity that dropped into my lap. These guys approached me; they’re industry vets….” He added that “I leave with a lot of great memories.”
Mitch landed at Stone Brewing Co. 10 years ago coming from Anheuser Busch where he was assistant brewmaster at the AB New Hampshire plant. At the time, Stone was of course a much smaller company having been in business for a little over 10 years. The news that a craft brewer had hired a “corporate” brewer was unique and unusual 1o years ago. But Mitch, who was a graduate of the UC Davis brewing program, had been connected to the craft brewing industry in many ways during his stint at AB. He was already known by many craft brewers as someone who was a friend of craft and high flavor beers.
In recent months, Mitch has been traveling a lot, overseeing brewing operations in Stone’s two new breweries including trips to Belin. With two children at home and a strong affinity for playing in a local band, delving into his own project may make good sense for personal as well as professional reasons. With a brewery start-up, Mitch will be able to enjoy the creative aspect of designing new recipes and develop his own stylistic flair.