Meet The Brewer: Eric Walker at Devil and the Deep Brewery
Favorite Texas brewed beer? La Petit Prince - Jester King
Favorite non-Texas brewed beer? Trappistes Rochefort 10
Your favorite beer to brew and/or your favorite beer that you brew? My basic Saison. I love that beer, and it always seems to be a good time when we brew it.
What beer styles or classifications do you feel could possibly be overlooked by local beer enthusiasts? Lighter Saisons, Farmhouse Ales, and other clean examples of some of the more “off-the-beaten-path” Belgian-inspired brews.
The last and/or most interesting job you held before becoming a professional brewer. I was in the Navy and Army for 11years prior to college, and was most recently a Vessel Manager prior to going full time at the Brewery.
Words of advice to anyone hoping to turn their passion of brewing and beer into a career. Keep at it! Make beer, give it to people, seek unbiased critique. And then, make more beer, give it away for critique. Go to every brewery you can, and talk to the brewers. Our industry is excellent in that we have a very close, team-like environment and love to help each other out with questions / answers / concerns / hops / the occasional brewery fitting.
The state of the Texas craft beer scene is…. Growing, and with huge potential and space to do so.
Favorite perk of working in a brewery is the beer of course! Seriously though, brewing is a craft pursuit, and is an excellent trade to enter. It is very multi-disciplinary. Brewing is only a small part. There is carpentry, plumbing, electrical, the business management side of it. And of course you can have a pint when mopping the floors. Perks of the job!
Least favorite aspect of working in a brewery is that we deal with some rough chemicals. Be careful, its easy to get a chemical burn. Otherwise, even menial type labor, like scrubbing the tun or kettle, squeegee/mopping, hauling off spent grain, is just a part of it, and doesn't take away from the coolness of the whole thing.
If you had to start working in one other brewery starting tomorrow which brewery would it be and why? Jester King. A true farmhouse brewery, making in my opinion the best, most authentic beer on wholly their own terms. They are an inspiration of mine.
