“If no one’s told you that you can have a career path in something like brewing and distilling, go after it. No one can stop you—and there are people who want to help you succeed and achieve your dreams,” says Tony J. And he’s pretty much the embodiment of that piece of wisdom. Tony—a.k.a. Anthony Rahí Jaquez Moreno—holds a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Nevada, Reno. After working as a patent engineer and an adjunct professor at Howard Community College, Tony decided to take a leap of faith and followed a career in the brewing industry. He soon found himself serving as a beer guide at the House 6 Brewing Company and later worked in production support at the Port City Brewing Company. Since moving to Asheville from Alexandria, Virginia, Tony serves as a brewer for the Outsider Brewing Company. After deciding to formalize his brewing education, Tony joined the program at the Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast and will begin his studies in the first semester.

In this episode, Tony and I explore his expectations about the program. He describes his journey from Tijuana, Mexico to pursuing a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno. We discuss why and how he got into the beverage industry after working as a patent engineer and adjunct professor. He also provides his thoughts on beer Twitter, connecting with ancestral drinks, and following your dreams.

This week on Consuming the Craft:

●     Tony’s advice on talking into a microphone when podcasting

●     His background and first foray into the brewing industry

●     How Tony found AB Tech and the Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast

●     My dad’s wisdom on getting a desk job

●     Why folks who work in packaging are the unsung heroes of the beverage industry

●     Bridging the gap between consumers and products

●     Why Tony’s excited to learn about distillation from the program

●     What the first semester at the Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast is like

Connect with Tony J.:

●     Outsider Brewing Company

●     Outsider Brewing Company on LinkedIn

●     Outsider Brewing Company on Instagram

●     Tony J. on Instagram

●     Tony J. on Spotify

●     Tony J. on LinkedIn

Consuming the Craft

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of the Consuming the Craft Podcast, brought to you by AB Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

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To learn more about AB Tech and the Craft Beer Institute of the Southeast, visit our website.