Despite the challenges of the past year, beer is still being made, industry progress is still being made, and breweries are still being opened.
One such brewery is Embolden Beer Co. About to celebrate their one-year anniversary, Embolden’s team hasn’t just been surviving, they’ve been thriving. I checked in with Kyle Pool, co-founder and CEO of Embolden, for his reflections on the past year.
Cheers!: What inspired the opening of Embolden Beer Co?
Kyle Pool: We developed Embolden Beer Co. as a testament to our longstanding love of Craft Beer and brewery culture, and saw the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase Cody Morris and our head brewer Andrew Kelly’s talents for cutting edge beer brewing alongside our next-generation concept of New Motion.*
*New Motion Beverages is the parent company of Embolden where they also make canned craft cocktails, hard teas, seltzers, and kombuchas.
Cheers!: You’re coming up on your 1-year anniversary. You launched in the middle of the pandemic. What was the last year like for your team, and what is the current emotional state of the team?
Kyle: The past year was full of so many ups and downs, but it was reassuring to see hard work and determination paying off. I think we are all equal parts excited to pass this milestone, hopeful for the year to come post-pandemic, and humbled that we have this opportunity to share something joyful through a universally difficult time. Not to say that we didn’t have moments of fear and doubt, but a healthy dose of exhaustion and adrenaline got us through in the end!
Cheers!: Your original brewers, Cody Morris and Andrew Kelly come from Mission Brewery. What made them the right team for EBC, and how did that relationship start?
Kyle: Cody is a long-time friend and was helping us in a consulting capacity to help us launch New Motion when the opportunity to open a brewery of this scale came to us. We immediately knew that he was the perfect person partner with not only bringing New Motion to life but also giving birth to Embolden with his many years of master brewing. Andrew was the natural choice as his head brewer, as they have incredible synergy and team dynamic that takes everything they collaborate on to the next level.
Cheers!: Your current tap list spans the gamut of styles from IPAs to pilsners to hard seltzer and kombucha under the New Motion banner. Which styles best represents EBC, and why?
Kyle: Embolden is exemplified by the diversity rather than a singular style—taking the same level of care to produce fantastic old-world lager as we do “hype” beer such as Hazy IPA because we love all our friends, and we all enjoy different styles of beer.
New Motion is defined by being a pioneer in the Hard Sparkling Tea space as we were originally Hard Kombucha brewers. We wanted to come up with a tasty product that bridged the gap between flavorful beverages people love to drink and “better-for-you” products they should be enjoying.
Cheers!: You’re located in Miramar, in the old 32 North Brewing space. How have you made it your own?
Kyle: Through some blood, sweat, tears, and a few coats of paint, we have reinvented the space to represent a natural, vibrant, and welcoming aesthetic that echoes our brand mission statement of “…craft, culture, and community.” We also created a full beer garden that was especially Covid-friendly, and now serves as an awesome space for groups of all sizes to drink alfresco year-round!
Cheers!: Do you have any new beer/products coming in the near future that you are particularly excited about?
Kyle: I am personally thrilled that we are launching a new core Hard Sparkling White Tea for New Motion called Coconut Cove in the next few weeks. For Embolden, it’s always great this time of year to grab a big pastry stout to warm up with and that will be kicked off with our Barrel-Aged Words of Wisdom released Nov. 20 on our one-year anniversary.
Cheers!: Is there anything else we should know about Embolden right now or you have planned for the future?
Kyle: The one-year anniversary party on Nov. 20 is the biggest thing on all our minds right now. After that, expect some awesome seasonal releases and fun events at the tasting room to bring everyone together for the holidays!
Cheers!: What is the best way for beer drinkers in North County to try some Embolden Beer?
Kyle: Come by the tasting room here in Miramar at 8655 Production ave, San Diego, CA, 92121 to enjoy the whole lineup of core and special releases. If you can’t make it out this way, find us in all the best bars, restaurants, and bottle shops with our product finder on our website www.drinknewmotion.com.
Follow @emboldenbeerco on Instagram and Facebook to see the latest brewery updates and new beer releases. Don’t forget! The Roast! West Coast coffee podcast has returned for a third season. All new episodes are released on the Coast News Podcast page every Tuesday and Thursday.
