COSTA MESA, CA — Barley Forge Brewing Co. has hired award-winning brewer David Huls as their Brewmaster.

Huls brings with him fifteen years of experience in brewing craft beer, starting at Humperdinks Restaurant & Brewpub in Dallas, Texas, where he rose quickly from Assistant Brewmaster to Head Brewmaster. While at Humperdinks, he was awarded a Silver Medal at the Great American Beer Festival 2003 for his Modern Strong Scotch Ale. Following, he spent four years at Gordon Biersch in Plano, where he was responsible for the startup of the company’s first Texas location. After relocating to southern California, he spent two years as Head Brewmaster at Taps Fishouse and Brewery at their Corona and Brea locations. There, he picked up four more awards at consecutive Great American Beer Festivals: in 2012, he won a Silver Medal for his Irish Red Ale and a Bronze Medal for his Cream Ale; 2013 saw two Bronze Medals in the Helles and Schwarzbier categories.

Huls was impressed by the almost twenty years of development groundwork laid by the founders of Barley Forge, stating, “The amount of thought, energy, and passion put into Barley Forge’s overall vision and its core products were primary in my decision to join. Those factors coupled with the amazing location in Costa Mesa right next to The Camp and The Lab, within a stone’s throw from the best that Orange County has to offer in dining and entertainment, simply placed an exclamation mark on my final decision. I’m looking forward to meeting great people, making world-class beer, and helping to shape the beer culture of Orange County.”

Barley Forge Brewing Co. founder Greg Nylen looks forward to scaling up his own award-winning homebrew beer recipes for large-scale production, and future collaborations with Huls onboard. Of Huls, Nylen says, “David came to us with a unique skill set — a combination of over fifteen years of experience in a variety of breweries, brewing both lagers and ales in dozens of styles. He was also a homebrewer before going pro, which speaks volumes to me about his passion for the craft. His multiple Great American Beer Festival awards helped seal the deal. And he is also just a really decent person with a tremendous work ethic. So hiring him was a no-brainer. ”

Huls is currently hands-on with the buildout of the brewery under construction, projected to open Spring of 2014.

Barley Forge Brewing Co. creates beers inspired by the rich cultural melting pot of southern California. The brewery and tasting room are located at 2957 Randolph Street, in Costa Mesa’s SOBECA district near Bristol Street and Baker Street. For more information, call the brewery at (714) 641-2084 or visit barleyforge.com.