My Craft Beer Bio – January 2025
Next week on Thursday Jan 9, 2025 I will begin teaching the Business of Brewing a class at Whitworth University and they asked me write up my “Craft Beer Bio”.
I am often asked about my craft beer background so I thought I would share it here.
Steven Shomler’s Craft Beer Bio:
Steven Shomler is an Entrepreneur and an Author, and he has been self-employed since January 5, 2015, running his company Spark to Bonfire which helps entrepreneurs “grow their businesses and elevate their brands”
Prior to becoming self-employed in 2015 Steven spent 10+ years working in the banking world, and 10+ years working in the non-profit world.
Steven’s Journey with Craft Beer includes:
Portland Beer Stories: Behind the Scenes with the City’s Craft Brewers
Steven is the Author of a book about the breweries of Portland, Oregon – Portland Beer Stories: Behind the Scenes with the City’s Craft Brewers
From the publisher: “Portlanders have got it made. Not only is the city filled with nearly countless breweries, brewpubs, bottle shops and homebrew supply venues, but also the people who created the community are nothing short of fascinating. Saddle up to the bar and get to know the stories of the men and women brewing some of the country’s most exciting beer and cider, from the origin of Ecliptic Brewing to a personal account of a beer truck driver.
When you are looking for an adventure outside the city limits, try out one of the seven beer road trips to other Northwest towns (with a designated driver, of course). Join author Steven Shomler for a hop through Brewvana.”
The Craft Beer Podcast
Steven is the founder and host of The Craft Beer Podcast which to date has 135 episodes published. You can find The Craft Beer Podcast on Apple Podcasts, iHeart Podcasts, Spotify, and many other podcasts outlets. From the podcast website: The Craft Beer Podcast – Sharing and Celebrating Craft Beer Stories You Will Love!
Culmination Brewing
Steven has been significantly involved with an iconic Portland, Oregon brewery – Culmination Brewing.
In December of 2014 Steven was the 3rd person to join the team at the Portland, Oregon start-up brewery known as Culmination Brewing. Steven helped launched Culmination which opened it’s tap room in January of 2015 and celebrated its grand opening in June of 2015.
Steven’s duties included branding, marketing, events, helping out behind the bar, all of the other tasks that come your way when you part of a startup brewery. Due to a family tragedy Steven stepped away from Culmination in the fall 2016.
In the summer of 2023 Culmination Brewing was about to go out of business – according to an August 3, 2023, article in the Oregonian Culmination was “circling the drain”
From that August 3, 2023, Oregonian article:
“We’re circling the drain,” Sluiter (Culmination’s co-founder Tomas Sluiter) said when asked about a possible closure of the brewery and taproom in Northeast Portland’s Kerns neighborhood. “There’s no way out of this.” Asked if the closure would be within days or weeks, he simply replied, “Yes.”
On August 8, 2023, the Culmination Board of Directors asked Steven Shomler to come back to Culmination to run the brewery and do what he could to try to save it. Steven’s first day back at Culmination was Aug 9, 2023.
From an Aug 12, 2023, Oregonian article:
“Culmination Brewing, once one of Portland’s most promising young breweries, is bringing in a Portland-area small-business consultant in an effort to keep the struggling business from closing down.
Steven Shomler, founder of the brand and business consultancy Spark to Bonfire, has been hired by the owners of the Northeast Portland brewpub that has seen its fortunes reverse since the start of the pandemic.”
Steven started out his second tenure at Culmination as the General Manager and eventually was promoted to CEO.
Steven’s second tenure with Culmination ran for 16 months from August 9, 2023, to Dec 14, 2024.
During that time Steven led Culmination through a rebrand & updated of their labels, launched their 4th flagship beer – Madness in Beauty Hazy IPA, helped them move into self-distribution when their greater Portland Metro area distributor went out of business, set up a number of synergistic contract brewing relationships, spent many nights behind the bar at the Culmination tap room pouring beer, and did all he could to revitalize the brand, reenergize their fan base, and stabilize the business.
Bourbon Barrel Aged…
Steven loves craft beer, and his two favorite beer styles are bourbon barrel aged beers, and the fantastic IPAs you can get in the Portland, Oregon area during fresh hop season.
The Business of Brewing ~ Whitworth University
Beginning Jan 2025, Steven will be teaching the Business of Brewing class in the Whitworth University’s acclaimed Brewing Science & Operations Program.
From their website: “The Northwest loves craft beer. Whether you want to work in a craft brewery or start your own brewing business, Whitworth is proud to offer one of the only professional programs in the Inland Northwest designed to set you up for success, in a city that is becoming a regional hub for brewing with more than 30 craft breweries. Why Whitworth? (We know it’s a bit unexpected.) You’ll learn more than how to brew great beer – you’ll be able to build a business with integrity and gain a greater understanding of community ethics of brewers.”
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