Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Michael Howell. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Michael thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

In a region that is most well known for hoppy beers of all varieties, we are taking our beer back to the basics. Focusing on traditional style beers, even our English India Pale Ale (IPA) is very different from the norm. Our goal is to brew approachable beer crafted in a way that that honors the history if each individual style.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I began homebrewing in 2010 with mead. Mead is a very easy thing to make; honey, water, yeast, and you’re set. Over time I shifted into the realm of brewing beer. I found myself drawn to the history of beer, it’s ingredients, and the impact it has had on humanity.

Fast forward 13 years and I now own a brewery that specializes in traditional styles of beer. Beer that is specifically made to be representative of each individual style in it’s purest form. I love sharing that history with people. It’s an amazing experience to realize that you’re tasting history in each pint.

In San Diego, it is expected to find a plethora of high hop beers and variations thereof on a beer menu. In some cases they take over the menu entirely. I am very proud to provide a completely different experience.

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

My group of partners that spearheaded this business initially came from my Dungeons and Dragons group. The idea came to life in the midst of a D&D session. I love the idea of this adventure starting in a tavern of the imagination and now I spend my evenings and weekends in a tavern that we built.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Social media is a powerful thing in the 21st century. That being said, we’ve found that word of mouth has been nearly as powerful for us. So many people have come in saying that their friend had told them about us. It’s a wonderful feeling knowing how many people are out there sharing the good word about what we’re doing here.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.barleyandsword.com
• Instagram: @barleyandsword
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barleyandswordbrewingcompany