Transient, from day one, has always been a one man operation. I have gotten into the habit of saying "we" or "our" when speaking for the business, despite it really being just me (I guess I thought it was less egotistical that way). It has been point of pride starting Transient from and with nothing, but I'm am also a bit stubborn when it comes to accepting help. I wanted to do it myself, or at least hold out until the tap room opened. On top of that, after countless unsolicited applications, there was clearly only one person that could fit the bill, and he worked for possibly the best brewery in Chicago. I finally gave in and just asked... and I am beyond thrilled to say starting Monday, Andy Lautner will be bringing his incredible brewing passion, skills, and beard to Transient!

Andy is coming to us from Spiteful Brewing, a small group of guys making some incredible beers out of a space that could fit inside one of Revolution's fermenters. Spiteful has always been inspirational not just for the quality of their beer, but how consistent they've been. That being said, hiring Andy wasn't entirely based on his experience with such a great brewery, but also his passion for and ability with mixed culture fermented beers (you know, the stuff I do with Transient). The homebrewing duo he started, Kimbell Brewing, has offered up beer that blew me away. I am confident in our future, and that is only bolstered by my faith in Andy and what he has to offer. This move will allow us to focus our efforts further, expand our small production, and without question improve the quality and consistency of our offerings. As I have said, I take pride in the fact that I started Transient from nothing, but none of that compares to how proud I am to welcome Andy to the Transient team.