Day two of a week long series of Allagash Brewing employee interviews, See yesterdays interview here.
Jason Winchester. Photo Courtesy of Allagash Brewing Company
Name: Jason Winchester
Year of Employment at Allagash: 2007
Job Title: Production/Guest Relations
Favorite Allagash Beer?
Hugh Malone
Favorite Allagash Beer/Food pairing?
Farm to Face and Fish Tacos
Have you always had this job or other jobs in the company?
Warehouse, Bottling, Guest Relations, Reception.
What is your favorite part of working for Allagash Brewing Company?
Training our new coworkers on how to be exceptional Allagash employees.
What is your favorite memory from working at Allagash?
There are a lot of them…One that stands out is definitely bottling Wild Friendship Blend with Vinnie [Cilurzo] from Russian River. He stayed for the entire two hour run. He didn’t just pop in to make an appearance, he came at the beginning and stayed to the bitter end and really wanted to know if there was anything he could do to help.
Tell me a crazy or funny story about working for Allagash?
We used to clear hop trub out of tanks by pressurizing them with CO2. Doug was having a particularly hard time and over pressurized the tank. The hop explosion was so memorable. He looked like the swamp thing, covered in hops. We literally found hops for days around the tank.
How has Allagash changed you as a person?
Working here has changed the way I relate to others outside of my work life. When I first started working here I was very focused on the task at hand and the task that was assigned to me and not necessarily what would be most helpful to everyone overall. Working here has taught me to evaluate the area of greatest need. I was taught to think: what can you do to be most helpful to your coworker? What do they want to do the least and how can you help with that? That’s the philosophy here. It has helped the brewery turn into the way it looks and is. That philosophy has spread to my friends and family and has been one of the best side benefits that has come from this job.
What is it like working for Rob Tod?
It’s like working for your friend. He really makes it a place you take a personal interest in. He gives you a real and rooted interest in the company. It feels like working for the home team. I feel like I’m going to work for the Boston Red Sox. You really, really want the company to succeed.
Check back every day this week for more Allagash employee interviews leading up to the Allagash 20th Anniversary Street Fair this Saturday, June 27, 2015.
