Interview with Rock Bottom Head Brewer Pio

At the December Rock Bottom Holiday Brewer's Dinner I got to meet the new brewer Tim Piotrowski (or Pio for short.)  He is a very approachable and pleasant young man who obviously loves what he does.  At Rock Bottom I find that the brewer is often very much behind the scenes and thought that the Minnesota beer geeks would benefit from getting to know more about our recent addition to the local beer scene.  It doesn't hurt that he is putting out very tasty beers!  Pio was kind enough to take the time to respond to my interview questions:

EW:  Tell me a bit about yourself:  Where you grew up, and what previous training and brewing experience you have had.

Pio:  I grew up in Stevens Point, WI.  (Go Packers!)  Graduated from UW-Stevens Point with a Business Admin major and Camp Management minor.  I spent the next 4-1/2 years in California directing a YMCA Camp...and home brewing.  That's when I decided to sign up for the American Brewers Guild's education program.  I completed that training with an apprenticeship at Oskar Blues Brewery in Longmont, Colorado, and was hired on in packaging.  When I didn't see my future with that company, I interviewed and was hired by Rock Bottom.

I started by splitting time between the Walnut Brewery (the "first" Rock Bottom) in Boulder and the ChopHouse in Denver.  After about 6 months, I was transferred to RB Westminster full time.  I worked with Senior Brewer, Scott O'Hearn, to get as much preparation as possible for a Head Brewer role, and I realized that about a year later in Minneapolis.

EW:  How hard was it to transition over to the new brewhouse and take over after Bob left?  Were there any unusual circumstances or stories about getting used to your new equipment?

Pio:  After arriving in Minneapolis, I worked three of my hardest weeks ever.  The equipment was new, but that just took a little getting used to.  The big challenge was setting up the brewery, supplies, ingredients and processes in a way that made the most sense to me.  At the same time, we were in our busy season and I needed to keep house beers on tap and add some of my own new recipes.

I made it through that transition period, and I think we can all agree it's been quite the tasty experience!

EW:  I noticed that all the beers you served us at the Holiday Dinner were fairly dry on the finish, even the the historically sweeter brown ale and Irish red.  Is this part of your brewing philosophy/personal style? 

Pio:  Yes, I think so.  Sweet, thick beers tend to provide a one-and-done experience.  There is definitely a time and place for sweeter styles.  However, in a brew pub like Rock Bottom, I think that most customers enjoy having two or more beers over the few hours they spend with us.  A drier finish to the beer helps prevent taste fatigue, in my opinion. 

EW:  Did you start brewing as a homebrewer?

Pio:  Sure did.  I started in college, continued at camp in California on an off.  I always enjoyed the process of turning water into beer.  It's intoxicating!

EW:  Any bits of brewing advice you would like to spread to us homebrewers?

Pio:  Never stop trying new beers.  You'll always have your favorite brands or styles, but there is a whole world of beer out there.  (Having so much access to RB beer, I have to remind myself of that from time to time.)  New beers can provide just the inspiration you need for your next recipe.

EW:  Do you have any unusual beers in the works that we can look forward to? (Note: this interview was done earlier in the year so the beers may be long gone by now but Pio's take on these styles is worth reading...my fault entirely!)

Pio:  

-Big Horn Nut Brown is back.  I like the idea of paying tribute to the beers that got us to where we are and celebrating the amazing brewers that came before me.

-1/10, we're putting out a Belgian Grand Cru @ 7.8%

-1/16, tapping Double Down IPA @ 8.5% and 100 IBUs

Generally, unusual beers are not my style.  I much prefer to make amazing beers that guests keep talking about and coming back for.  I have found that in beers such as Paranoid IPA and Coconut Chai Stout.  

When a beer appeals to only a very small crowd, it sits in the serving vessel for long time.  I prefer fresh beers, changing styles frequently.

Thanks so much to Pio for talking with us!  I hope that you the reader has learned a bit about this "new" brewer and will check out what he is doing over at Rock Bottom Minneapolis.  

Next Up on JABlog:  Brew In A Bag

Rock Bottom MPLS Holiday Brewmaster's Dinner 2012

Every year during the holiday season the folks at Rock Bottom in Minneapolis unleash their chefs and let them do a beer-pairing dinner extravaganza.  I have been to this dinner several times over the last few years and all have been a lot of fun.  I was really interested in this year's event because I wanted a chance to test out the new head chef (Raphael) and the new brew master (Pio).  Our Rock Bottom has had a lot of changes over the past couple years, being bought out by Craftworks being the largest of these.  Partially due to changes in policy at that time, the old brew master Bryon Tonnis left for greener pastures (Duluth).  Assistant brewer (and crazy vegan) Peter Mack stayed on and they brought in Sherlock's Home alumni Bob Mackenzie as head brewer.  Just when the two of them seemed to be hitting their stride, Bob left for Cold Spring/Third Street Brewhouse, and Peter ended up at Town Hall.  Like some kind of soap opera isn't it?  The new brewer is Tim Piotrowski, or Pio, originally from Wisconsin, but living in Colorado most recently.  I'm not sure who he angered to get sent out to the icy gulag of Minnesota, but he seems to be settling in nicely.

Back to Rock Bottom.  After the Craftworks buy-out there have been some changes.  All the Rock Bottoms have the same four flagship beers brewed to the same recipe but possibly different in taste due to the different water and equipment from brewery to brewery.  Beyond that it seems like the brew master has some free reign to do seasonals and experimental beers.  Recently the Mug Club card has been changed from on high as well.  Previously it was based on visits and one could accumulate growler cozies, hats, shirts and my own personal goal of the barbecue tool set.  Now all the progress one has made toward that goal is scraped clean and it will be based on how much you spend at the restaurant.  I believe that the rewards are no longer items, but gift certificates to the restaurant.  Probably makes more sense from a restaurant/corporate stand-point, but we beer folks like our swag.  I'm also sad that they no longer will be counting pints drunk towards getting your name on a plaque mounted on a big keg on the bar side. 

After the above mentioned changes I've seen some drop in interest for RB from the beer people I know, and have even had some such thoughts myself.  As a beer geek and homebrewer, I want variation and ingenuity in the beers I drink.  I want the brewer to make the beer he/she wants to make and not what a corporation thinks will be liked by more non-craft beer drinkers.  I view Rock Bottom as a brewpub, not a restaurant that happens to make beer.  On the other hand I realize that most brewpubs live or die by the food they sell, so that is a vital component of the business.

The beer dinner was a nice way to try some of the chef's new ideas and to taste a bunch of the new beers paired to contrast or compliment those foods.  I was at RB not too long ago, but several of the beers on tap were left over from the previous brewers and I wasn't sure which were from Pio and which were older.  By now, all the beers on tap are from Pio's hand and I got a good sampling of them over the night.  Sj and I were slightly late due to our one hour commute, but they caught us up quickly with a large glass of Kolsch and a lamb crostini on arrival.  We settled into a couple of open seats and met some very fun people over dinner.  Lots of homebrewers in the house!  We also got to sit next to Pio's girlfriend (dragged from the balmy land of California originally) who was very fun to talk to and hang out with.  She filled us in a bit while Pio was spending time socializing with the other tables.

The appetizer course came out next, consisting of amazing green mussels steamed with the RB White Ale and spicy jalapeno butter.  This was my favorite dish of the night and probably the best mussels I've ever had.  This should go on the regular menu.  The pairing was a good one since the beer was the base of the broth the mussels were served in.  I don't tend to drink wheat beers since they often give me migraines, so I didn't drink much of this one. 

Between each course Pio talked passionately about the beers and the thought behind the pairing.  He is a young man who obviously loves what he does and takes pride in his beers.  For me it makes all the difference getting to meet and discuss beer with a particular brewer.

A butternut squash bisque was next, made and paired with the Sunday Bloody Sunday Irish Red ale.  A good soup, and the pairing was nice.  The beer was quite dry but not in a bad way.  I find that style is often overly sweet and carmel-like and the dry finish on this made you want to keep drinking it.

Salad course was an enormous grilled Belgian endive served over a Nut Brown balsamic reduction with gorgonzola cheese and pickled red onions.  The endive was a bit too big and didn't really get soft enough from grilling, but the flavors were great.  The version of Big Horn Brown was significantly different from the old one.  It used to be sweetish with an English character, but now is dry and a bit roasty.  If I didn't know better I'd be tempted to call it a light porter.  Don't get me wrong here, I really liked it, but simply quite different from the old version.

The main course was a roasted duck breast and leg glazed with a Belgian IPA and orange glaze that really played well with the beer pairing.  I am a professed hater of the Belgian IPA style, but this one was restrained and among the better examples of this heinous travesty of beer style.  I did drink the whole glass which should tell you something.

The nemesis to my lactose intolerant gut came out next.  Beemster 18 month aged Gouda cheese.  Strong nutty flavor with crunchy crystals make this a wonderful and tasty cheese.  Worth the risk.  The pairing on this one was probably the best of the night.  Served alongside a vanilla flavored Winter Tartan Scottish Ale.  This one was a bit sweet, but not cloying. 

To cap off the dinner we had a chai molten lava cake topped with a cardamom whipped cream and salted caramel.  The pairing with the Coconut Chai Stout was very pleasant.  This version of the famed MPLS RB beer was different, but I think Pio did a very good job of making this beer his own.  Dryer than the sweet original, this one seems a bit more like an Irish stout.  That may have been accentuated by putting it up against such a decadently sweet dessert though.  I liked the mix of chai spice flavors in both the beer and the cake.

Overall this was a very nice way to spend a Tuesday night.  I would make it a point to get to next year's dinner, and hopefully Pio is here to stay for a while!  Here is looking for no more RB brewer upheavals over the next few years.  If you haven't tried out Rock Bottom since Pio and Raphael took over, I would recommend a trip out there.  I also hope that RB gets past its growing pains and the company will find a good balance between the beer/brewery aspect and the bar/restaurant portion.  You can't find a much better place to hang out for a pint after a show at the Orpheum or State Theaters. 

Rock Bottom Brewery: Seattle, WA

Having just recently been to the Rock Bottom Minneapolis, it was interesting to try out the RB in Seattle.  The first time I was here was Thursday morning for the final NHC pre-conference event:  A beer breakfast to kick off the official NHC festivities.  A large line of folks started outside and just when we started to get pretty hungry they opened the doors, allowing a hundred famished homebrewers into the cozy interior.  Having been burned on the food front before at my Pike dinner, I was taking no chances and barged my way to the forefront and loaded my plate with eggs, fruit several types of sausage and crispy bacon.  These guys know how to cater an event!  The servers brought several taster glasses of beers throughout the event, including a very good kolsch, and a light honey summer ale.  The basic four beers, (kolsch, Belgian wit, red ale, IPA,) are all the same recipe as at the Minnesota Rock Bottom, but the others are different.  I met a great local couple in line and we ate together and discussed homebrewing and beer at great length.  Nothing is more of a social lubricant than beer and common interests!

It is Art!

I ended up back here for lunch one day, since it was walkable from my hotel and I knew the menu was good.  Of course it started raining on the way and I was a bit bedraggled by the time I arrived.  Who knew there was a soccer game going on and that the place would be packed.  Not even a spot at the bar to settle into!  After waiting quite a while, I was finally seated and ended up inviting another homebrewer to sit with me, as we wanted to make it back to the hotel for the Keynote speech in the afternoon.  It turns out that he works for my favorite magazine, Brew Your Own, in which pages I have seen my first published article.  I had a great time talking about East coast beer culture, sipping on a pint of chocolate stout and time flew before we realized we had to hike back to the hotel.

Rock Bottom Minneapolis

Rock Bottom has been a fixture in Downtown Minneapolis for many years, and has spawned several great brewers over that time.  The brewers from Surly started here, and even more recently Brion Tonnis, who is starting up a brewery in Duluth.  Last year the brewers were Bob MacKenzie (the guy from Sherlock's Home, not from Strange Brew...) and Peter Mack, both have since moved on.  I don't know much about the new brewer Piotrowski yet, but based on this most recent sampling of beers, I think he knows what he's doing.  I do know that he was sent out from Colorado, where he brewed at another RB.  Over the years and brewers the beers have certainly changed...for instance Erik the Red Ale was changed to a Vienna lager.

The food here is always good, with slightly upscale pub feel.  Service is usually good too, and most servers actually know about the beers they serve.  It is always funny to overhear newbies in the booth next to you asking servers, "Don't you have any regular beers here?"  In the past they usually have had a Christmas beer dinner, and I hope they continue.

The aforementioned Peter took our brew club on a tour of the brewery last year, and gave us a lot of insight into how the process worked.  That was a fun time!  I hope the new brewer embraces the local beer geek and homebrew communities.

It kills me to see this as a display and not filled with beer in my basement

Growlers filled from taps so drink them quick!

Since the chain was bought out by Craftworks there have been several changes, and that just might have prompted the switch in brewers.  The brewery now has four basic beers they have to brew and the recipe is the same for all the sites:  Red, Kolsch, Belgian Wit, and IPA.  The Kolsch is actually very good, better than last time I was here.  The brewer still has some lee-way in seasonals, so each site is still distinct.  The Molly's Titanic Brown was very nice and nutty, but the winner of the day was the Cocoa-Motion Porter served on Nitro.  Overall, I think this is a great place to stop before or after a show or a baseball game.  I should get to try a RB in Seattle next week and will be able to compare the two.