Blue Hose Brew

David Fields ’90 and Andrew Myers ’10 tap into the craft beer industry

More than eight out of 10 Americans live within ten miles of a craft brewery. While this statistic shows you how popular craft beer is today, David Fields ’90 and Andrew Myers ’10 didn’t get into the industry to be a part of the craft beer craze. Family is the reason these two alumni broke into the business.

“A Born and Bred Beer Brat”

“I consider myself to be a born and bred beer brat,” says David Fields, of Worcester, Mass.

Fields’ father began working at Rhode Islandbased Narragansett before David was born. His father eventually left Narragansett to work for Carling in Atlanta before returning to New England to distribute beer for Miller Brewing Company.

David came to PC on a baseball scholarship and played catcher for the Blue Hose from 1988 to 1992. After majoring in business administration and minoring in physical education, he went on to earn a master’s in sports administration from Ohio University.

“Quite frankly, (a career in sports administration) was the direction I was going,” he said.

David returned home to Massachusetts to work for the Worcester IceCats, the St. Louis Blues’ minor league hockey team. Coincidentally, David’s father’s company was one of the hockey team’s biggest customers.

“That just kind of brought me back into the beer business,” he said.

David worked for the hockey team for three years before buying his father’s beer distribution business in 2005. He sold it a few years later. In 2011, David bought into a startup craft brewery called Wormtown, located in Worcester.

“We had three employees, and we sold maybe 2,000 barrels of beer a year out of an 1,100-foot facility, an old failed ice cream shop,” David said.

Eight years later, Wormtown is one of the 100 largest breweries in the country. The brewery, most famous for its IPA named Be Hoppy, sells more than 34,000 barrels of beer a year and employs approximately 50 full-time and part-time workers.

Wormtown recently opened its second brewery, located in Patriot Place beside Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots. David has been able to connect with Justin Bethel ’12, who plays for the Patriots.

A Father and Son Hobby

Andrew Myers began home brewing with his father when he was 10 years old.

“It was our Saturday morning routine,” Myers said. “Instead of watching cartoons, I helped my father make and bottle beer.”

Myers majored in psychology and philosophy, but he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do after he graduated. What he was sure of, however, was a truism he learned from studying Aristotle and philosophers who spoke about the virtuous life: It’s important to do what you love.

“I feel like brewing was what got my dad excited, something that he was really interested in,” Myers said. “I loved it too. Studying philosophy got me to the point where I knew I wanted to do something in life I would enjoy.”

Myers kept brewing at home after graduating from PC. He was eating with his parents at RJ Rockers Brewery in Spartanburg, S.C., one evening when he asked about part-time opportunities there. The brewery was looking for tour guides, and Myers broke into the craft beer industry leading tours at RJ Rockers.

From there, Myers moved on to become involved in the craft beer community in Greenville, S.C. He helped open the Greenville Hop House and managed the home brew shop at Thomas Creek Brewery.

Myers has been the head brewer at Swamp Rabbit Brewery for five years, a year after the Travelers Rest brewery opened. He has won awards for his brewing and serves as the president of the South Carolina Brewers Guild.

David Fields’ and Andrew Myers’ stories aren’t uncommon. PC’s liberal arts education prepares graduates for any industry. If your path from PC led you to a career out of the ordinary, please let us know. We may feature you in an upcoming issue of the magazine. Cheers!