The self-described delinquents at Burning Beard Brewing Company have never operated conventionally. Launching on Leap Day 2016, the founders outlined an uncompromising vision from the start: absolute and unapologetic authenticity in every aspect of operations.
“Mike and I developed the Beard ethos by putting down on paper who we are, who we’d like to be, and perhaps most importantly, who we will never be,” says Jeff Wiederkehr, the director of brewery operations and cofounder with Marketing Director Mike Maass.
That ethos, featured prominently on their website, espouses transformation, anarchy, and an appreciation for poetry. It also has helped to make the four-year-old brewery a cult favorite—no small feat in San Diego’s engorged craft-beer scene.