In The Weeds

IIn this edition of In the Weeds we are featuring Leah Henry, of Dog Rose Brewing Company. Located at 77 Bridge Street in the historic Lincolnville neighborhood. I remember this property as Michelle Roux’s Absolute Americana Museum, and for a bar nerd like myself it was a cool spot. It contained all the Absolute Vodka advertising through the ages. This should give you an idea of the collection that was on display, and my attraction to the place. Fast forward a few years, and now we have Dog Rose Brewing Company with head brewer and owner, Doug Murr. Doug, formerly from A1A Ale Works, now operates his own brewery, and a very cool one at that! You’ll find Jam band concert posters framed on the wall and that same style music playing over the house speakers. Pair this with darts and shuffleboard games for patrons to partake and some of the best locally crafted beer on tap. You can understand why this spot is a favorite amongst locals and tourists alike. Fresh flavorful food offerings from the Funkadelic food truck, permanently on site, and our featured bartender Leah behind the bar, it doesn't get much better! We got the chance to catch up with Leah, here is our chat.

LOF How did you get started in the hospitality industry? Leah I worked in healthcare for most of my adult life and needed a break as a mental reset. I was craving more interactions with a variety of people and wanted to see joy on their faces instead of continuous bad news. I started at a local beer bar with a friend and became intrigued with the different varieties of beer that I never experienced before. I went from a Miller Lite girl to seeking out Trappist and Hefeweizens. About one year in at this mostly bottle beer bar, a new brewery (Dog Rose) just opened, and I knew that I wanted to be a part of it. I was interested in not only being a part of something new, but also wanted to find my place in the industry doing something that I was starting to really love. I wasn’t looking to serve food, or to make craft cocktails, I wanted to find a professional culture around beer. Now four years later, the so called “break” I had from the healthcare industry became a permanent one. I love what I do now and have never dreaded coming to work like I did when I was in corporate healthcare. LOF What is your go to drink order? Leah Definitely depends on the setting. IPA’s are my first choice, but I’d have to say you actually turned me on to cucumber gimlets for something refreshing and bright. LOF What is your hangover cure? Leah I don’t drink like I used to, but if needed it would have to be water/multivitamins and Georgie’s Diner! LOF Coffee or tea? Leah Most certainly coffee. The stronger the better! LOF Favorite spots in town? Leah- We have a plethora of great places to dine and drink. I can’t keep saying Dog Rose, right? I prefer to enjoy music when I’m out so Stogies, Sarbez, and are my easy picks for something relaxed, come as you are and with music. I also enjoy Casa Maya, Catch 27, Odd Birds, and Meehans. LOF Hard question on deck; six only in Saint Augustine, definitive food, and beverage day. Leah There is no way to cram it all in one day…Morning starts off at Blue Hen for breakfast and pint glass mimosas, head to Ice plant for a limoncello. Go to Bog to have a flight of beer and a taco at Tacos My Blessing, on to Dog Rose for a Roadside IPA and some Brussels sprouts from the Funkadelic Food Truck, Odd Birds

for a Fernet. End the day with dinner at the llama Restaurant with food paired wine. Dessert at Amici’s Italian Restaurant with a coffee! LOF What ingredients or spirits are you really excited about? Leah Working at a brewery and being immersed in what makes a fine beer, I would have to say the ever changing and growing hop varieties. I also have been into gins lately. My first experience with it was a cheap, embarrassingly noxious one and I never gave it a change until recently. Currently, Hendricks is my favorite brand. LOF Who do you look up to in the industry? Leah I find my inspiration from the women in the brewery setting. The original makers of beer were women that began thousands of years ago. Politics, religion and economics during the late 18th century pushed out of the craft. But now progress is being made to change the stereotypical “breweries are for men with beards” to include women in the manufacturing and ownership of breweries as it once was. More on the subject - Organizations like the Pink Boots Society, is pushing to help women in the brewing industry through education and networking opportunities. 7.5 percent of brewers are women. Only 2 percent are 100% female owned. The segment that employs the most women is the brewery service staff (54 percent). I need to mention Doug Murr for sure. He is my boss. Doug started with little knowledge of the craft 20 plus years ago. Now owning his own place, it was all due to hard work, persistence and taking great leaps. He is respected in many circles as a beer wizard and great businessman this is very inspiring. I also look up to many of the professional bartenders in town. The ones that get hammered in busy tourism days but you can spot them as soon as you enter the establishment…You know the ones…they are staples of the business and you can feel the love for the craft/ hospitality from the door. LOF Stranded on a desert island, three bottles if you could pick them? Leah Sierra Nevada Pale, Samuel Smith's Organic Chocolate Stout, Woodford Reserve Bourbon. LOF Any advice that you would offer for aspiring new bartenders looking to break into the industry? Leah This answer has three parts, equally important. First, hospitality is everything. People come to bars and restaurants for the experience, they can get beverages anywhere. They aren’t looking for what you can do for them, it’s how you make them feel about themselves. They want to be treated important. THAT’S your job. Second, Know your products. There is nothing worse than being asked a question about what you offer and answering, “I’m not sure”. Read up on what the products are and what makes them special. If you only have a limited menu know what people are looking for by asking questions. One of my favorite parts of my job is getting a self-proclaimed “non beer drinker” or a “I only drink watery fizzy beers” to love stouts and sours simply from listening to what they love in other drinks and matching the similar qualities of a beer that they never would have thought to try. Lastly, Invest in your body. Standing and working behind a bar can be taxing on your body. Get good shoes, stretch/ yoga, get good sleep, eat right. Also, save the heavy drinking for after your shiftit’s a profession not a lifestyle. You are representing your establishment and its reputation LOF What do you do for fun here in town? Day off vibes, work hard, play hard what makes it all worth it? Leah Kayaking and finding secluded places near Matanzas Inlet to day camp. I love being outdoors as a way to unplug from busy shifts and people. I’m outgoing at work but love my alone time when I’m off. Enjoying off time with my boyfriend and stepson, is the best days spent. We go hiking, baseball games and spring hopping.

Leah wanted to share one of her favorite seasonal pours with our readers, it is the Lions Head Honey Sour, featured exclusively in the Tap Room of Dog Rose Brewing Company, a kettle sour with pre and post fermentation additions of local orange blossom honey 5.2% ABV and 12 IBU. n

Cheers!

Kelley Fitzsimonds