From brewing on the facility floor to managing hundreds of colleagues, you need a diverse skill set to become one of our coveted brewmasters. Everyone knows we have some of the best in the world, but does everyone know what it takes to earn the title?
Our brewmasters are trusted with the quality of our great brands. This is an incredible responsibility. I could come up with a long list of qualities needed to be a great brewmaster, but I would like to focus on three traits in particular: experienced, forward-thinking and passionate.
Experienced. There is no better preparation for a brewmaster than to experience brewing beer. To brew great beer, you need time in our breweries with our brewers. I was lucky enough to have spent over 20 years in our breweries across the U.S. including St. Louis, Williamsburg, Merrimack and Columbus, working with hundreds of amazing brewers. My brewing knowledge is a culmination of those experiences with those great people. It has made me who I am today.
Forward-thinking. The beer industry is constantly changing. As much as we need to be the stewards of our great process, we need to ensure we are not complacent. Our brewmasters need to always evaluate the current process and look for opportunities to get better — safer, more efficient, and more technically advanced.
Our brewmasters need to always evaluate the current process and look for opportunities to get better — safer, more efficient, and more technically advanced.
Passionate. The brewing process takes a great deal of time to manage. My first real job after graduation was working in the historic and beautiful St. Louis brewery, making beer for a living — I was absolutely hooked. I loved beer and I loved working with my coworkers, who were just as passionate about our beers as I was! Brewmaster is a major and important role within our breweries. You cannot do it without a tremendous passion for our colleagues, our consumers and our brands.
If you're working toward becoming a brewmaster in your career, here's my advice: Spend time in our breweries, as close to the process as you can get. Talk to the brewers — they have seen it all. Get involved in problems when they happen, even if you are just observing the problem-solving process around you. And taste as much, and as often, as you can!
About Jackie: Jackie Hamel has been with Anheuser-Busch since 1996 and attributes her 22- year stretch to the amazing people she has worked alongside. Originally from St. Louis, Jackie earned her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Missouri and her M.B.A. from Babson College in Boston. Jackie has held positions in our St. Louis, Williamsburg, Merrimack and Columbus breweries.
About Jackie
