Some would claim Scott Graham has the ideal life—one that some wish they could live.

The 42-year-old Gaylord resident and Emmet County native makes his living promoting Michigan’s growing craft beer industry as president of SAG Brewery Services, Inc., a consulting company he started to serve the brewing industry. His primary client is the Michigan Brewers Guild, which named him its first executive director in January, 2007.

The nonprofit Michigan Brewers Guild aims to increase the sales of Michigan-brewed beer through promotions, marketing, public awareness and consumer education, as well as monitor and assure a healthy beer industry within the state.

“The Guild’s goals really define its challenges,” says Scott. “We are dealing with small businesses that rely on the availability and affordability of raw materials to produce quality hand-crafted beers.”

This has become a real concern in the last 18 months as brewers are faced with double and often triple increases in the costs for hops and barley, which in turn is passed on to the consumer.

“Another challenge we’re dealing with is the misconception that beer—even craft beer—is second- or third-class when compared with wine,” Scott says. “This isn’t the case at all. In fact, we’re starting to see an increased interest in pairing beer with foods—everything from cheese to entrees to even chocolate.”

It’s this level of dedication by a growing number of enthusiasts that has fueled the industry and supports Scott’s claims that this is not just a fad, but a bonafide shift in consumer preference for supporting that which is made fresh and locally, whether it’s coffee, wine, cheese or craft beer.

Michigan’s brewing industry contributes over $24 million in wages with a total economic impact of more than $132 million. In terms of the overall number of breweries, microbreweries and brewpubs, Michigan ranks No. 6 in the nation. Just 10 years ago, when the Michigan Brewers Guild was formed, about 20 craft breweries were in operation. Today, the state boasts more than 70, with a total growth rate that is outpacing the national trend of craft brewers.

So how does one fall into the beer industry? Like most any creative industry, it’s driven by passion.

“I guess you could say it started when I was living in Germany on a foreign study program in college—I fell in love with their beers and the style in which they are made,” says Scott. “In fact, German-style beers are still my favorite.”

When he returned to Michigan, Scott says that in addition to completing his studies at Kalamazoo College, he became interested in the burgeoning craft brewing industry. He completed the U.S. Brewers Academy’s Short Course in Brewing in 1989, and then landed a position at the Frankenmuth Brewery under the direction of German Master Brewer Fred Scheer.

From there, Scott worked in a number of positions with a northern Michigan beer and wine wholesaler for five years, before joining the Big Buck Brewery Gaylord family in 1995 as a founding manager and brewmaster. Over six years with the company, he managed brewery planning, equipment purchases, and brewery installation and commissioning. It was then back into beer sales and marketing, with six years as an out-state sales manager for Miller Brewing Co.

Scott’s tenure with the Michigan Brewers Guild is just the latest chapter in his 19-year beer career—bringing him back into the local craft beer world. “I’m really drawn to the creative side of this industry—to the attention to detail and the particulars of crafting the beer,” explains Scott. “I’m real excited to be back working in the craft beer industry where my true passion lies.”

In addition to managing daily operations and guiding its board of directors, Scott maintains the Guild’s website (Michigan BrewersGuild.org), produces its annual publication (Michigan. The Great Beer State) and works with a lobbyist in Lansing to monitor issues of interest to the state’s craft beer industry. He also organizes the Guild’s two major festivals.
 
The Winter Beer Festival is held in February in Grand Rapids—drawing more than 2,000 die-hard craft beer drinkers who brave winter’s chill to celebrate their love of beer in an outdoor environment.

The Summer Beer Festival, which was first held in 1998, calls Ypsilanti’s Riverside Park its home. This two-day event sees more than 6,000 attendees who are there to sample more than 300 beers from 45 Michigan microbreweries and brewpubs. This summer, the Guild—under Scott’s direction—took on the challenge of turning the festival into an eco-friendly event. Partnering with Recycle Ann Arbor, the Guild ran its event with only 15 percent actual nonrecyclable waste.
 
Scott has a diploma in Brewing Technology from the Siebel Institute of Technology, is a current member of the Master Brewers Association of the Americas (MBAA) and is a past-president of MBAA District Michigan and past board member of the organization which he now directs.

In the future he aspires to open his own microbrewery, which will allow him to get back to the hands-on art of crafting beer.

“Operating my own business and working with the Guild gives me the flexibility to take my career where I want it to go and at a pace that works well for me. Brewing is not the career that I originally planned on, but there is definitely something about beer that inspires me and sparks my passion,” says Scott. “Beer is such a part of who I am—it’s what I’m driven to do.”

Dianna Stampfler is a dedicated food/wine writer who has recently discovered the savoring qualities of Michigan beer.

Sample Michigan Craft Beer At These Upcoming Events:

Sixth Annual Wein & Stein Festival
Oct. 9 • Frankenmuth

Pentwater Oktoberfest
Oct. 11 • Pentwater • pentwater.org

Allegan Country Inn – Oktoberfest
Oct. 11 • Allegan • visitallegancounty.com

Food, Wine & All That Jazz
Oct. 24 • Public Museum of Grand Rapids

Grand Rapids International Wine &
Food Festival
Nov. 21-23 • DeVos Place

Michigan Winter Beer Fest
Feb. 28, 2009 • Grand Rapids