Employee Feature: Samira

Meet Samira, Aslan Seattle’s spirited, badass General Manager who never fails to make you laugh!

Originally from Corvallis, Oregon, Samira has lived in a couple of different places before venturing to Seattle. From Corvallis, she went to Eugene for school and then ended up in Glacier, Montana. In Glacier, Samira worked at a rafting company and resort. (“I was NOT a raft guide, way too afraid of that! I was a reservationist!”)

Samira has now been in Seattle for 10 years. Her original plan was to move to Seattle to pursue music and go back to Montana for seasonal work, but she found a job in tech that she enjoyed, so she stayed for good! After four years in the tech industry, Samira decided that she wanted to work with people more, be on her feet rather than at a desk, and be surrounded by a more relaxing work environment… The beer industry was the perfect answer!

Samira got into beer working at Rueben’s Brews and was there for almost four years. She moved up the ranks, becoming the Assistant Tap Room Manager there. Jess, now Aslan Seattle’s Assistant GM, was working at Aslan when we were hiring for the GM position and reached out to Samira telling her to apply. “I was like, ‘What the hell?! I can do this!’ And it worked out!” said Samira.

Samira was hired at Aslan in June of 2021, making this her two and a half year mark here! She’s learned a ton after this time of leading this taproom:

“I was a little nervous going into this role being the person that is leading the charge. But, I have definitely grown a lot more confident in my decision making. I'm really good at problem-solving. Enough things happen randomly, and you learn from every single incident. You figure out how to prepare yourself the next time that happens or how to avoid those problems in the future. So I've just learned a lot. And that feels really cool and empowering.”

Seattle’s beer industry is pretty big and comes with a lot of friends. “The beer industry in Seattle is a really cool place. People are just excited to be here and to be friends and to try new things,” said Samira. After six and a half years in this industry, Samira has met so many people and created some amazing friendships!

Aslan Seattle is located next door to Local Tide, a sustainable seafood restaurant. You can order their food at our taproom and pair it with one of our beers. Through this companionship, the Aslan Seattle and Local Tide crews have become pretty close. “We feel so supported by them. They're really an extension of our team, and we are an extension of theirs,” said Samira. Local Tide and Aslan Seattle even had a Friendsgiving celebration a couple of weeks ago!

In her free time, Samira is learning how to sew, rearranges her house with her partner Derek, visits her four siblings down in Oregon, plays the guitar, and sings. If you didn’t see her at the Seattle Four Year Anniversary Party singing karaoke, you must come to the next karaoke night (date TBD!) to see her and join in the fun!

Samira has great ambitions for Aslan’s Seattle’s future, that includes more events, collaborations with Local Tide, and more! We are so grateful to have her on our team not only to provide great leadership but to help make you smile in any situation! If you haven’t met Samira yet, swing by the taproom and say hey!

Employee Feature: Nick S

Nick Shelly, the kitchen manager at Aslan Brewing, is a shining example of dedication and passion in his role. With just passing his two-year mark at Aslan, Nick has demonstrated his commitment to culinary excellence and has risen through the ranks to lead the kitchen with confidence and creativity.

Nick with his son, Asa

Starting his journey in March 2021, Nick initially joined Aslan as a line cook. He quickly learned the ins and outs of every station within the kitchen and moved up to a lead position. Most recently, about six months ago, Nick was promoted to Kitchen Manager, leading the entire back-of-house team in new recipes, scheduling, efficiency, and much more!

With a couple of months in this leadership position under his belt, Nick has started to feel more comfortable embracing the new responsibilities with enthusiasm and determination. He now enjoys the freedom to infuse his creativity into the menu and empower team members to develop their skills.

Nick learned everything he knows from working in kitchens and with chefs who inspired him and took him under their wings. His very first job was in a kitchen as a dishwasher, and since then, he has worked his way up, never leaving the world of kitchen jobs.

“I've always really enjoyed the work that kitchens are, the environment that you're in, and the people that you get to work with,” said Nick. “There’s a sense of camaraderie and how much we're all just doing our best to take care of each other. It was just what I craved in a career, and I never really looked back after I found it.”

During one of his first kitchen jobs, Nick worked under a Michelin-starred chef. From him, Nick learned many skills, from baking bread to achieving precise knife cuts and butchering meat. Nick worked with him for about three years, and during this time, he decidedly that this was the career path that he wanted to continue in.

Despite cooking for a living, Nick loves cooking for his family too! He enjoys getting creative with seasonal produce, and his fiancée specifically loves when he makes chicken parmesan. Outside of the kitchen, Nick finds joy in his family life. Born and raised in Whatcom County, Nick is engaged to his high school sweetheart, and they live together with their almost-two-year-old son, Asa. “He’s learning new words every day and getting into anything and everything! He’s definitely keeping us on our toes,” said Nick. His parents still live in Whatcom County, and his mom helps out a lot with watching Asa.

Nick’s favorite part about working at Aslan is getting to work with his team. He mentioned that he has never worked with a crew that works together so well and is able to have a ton of fun while also getting things done. He is particularly excited about continuing to develop the catering menu for private onsite events and creating a team to execute it perfectly.

At Aslan, we are excited to see what else Nick brings to the table (literally!) as he continues to develop and become more comfortable in his new position as Kitchen Manager!

Employee Feature: Nick L

Since 2015, this employee has been in the dish pit, the brains behind our menu, serving tables, and behind the bar at the Depot… Meet Nick (if you haven’t already!)

Nick started at Aslan Brewing seven years ago, right at the beginning of it all. He is currently one of the longest employees Aslan’s had, meaning that he knows all the ins and outs, and ups and downs of this place. He started in the kitchen as a prep cook and worked his way up to lead prep, then from a line cook to lead line cook, and eventually became the kitchen manager. Nick was the kitchen manager for two and a half years when he decided that he wanted something different: to work in the front of house. He then became a food runner, host, server, and bartender, and is now a front-of-house lead. So you can accurately say this guy knows his way around Aslan!

Nick wanted to switch to the front of house because he loves meeting and talking with new people and making their day with good service and a good beer. With all of his experience working in the kitchen, he’s able to describe Aslan’s food really well to customers and answer all questions about allergies on the spot. He’s also able to answer almost all customer questions about Aslan since he’s been around for most of its history!

Nick has watched Aslan go through many different phases of its life, but he says that throughout all those phases, it hasn’t really changed too much. Of course, the people here have changed, as well as a few core dishes, but the core values and fun that is had within this company has continued to live on. 

One of his favorite memories at Aslan is battling with lightsabers at a company campout a couple of years ago. “We all gathered in one big circle and put out all the campfires and all you could see was like the lightsabers swinging around trying to look cool and whatnot. It was so cool!”

Nick was born and raised in Bellingham. He left for a couple of years to go to college but found his way back to this town.

“Everything I like is here! The mountain biking is great, and the snowboarding and skiing are great. The brewery scene is one of the biggest scenes in all of North America right now, and the restaurant scene is blowing up. It’s right on the water. There are a couple of lakes and rivers as well. We’ve got it all!” he said.

He doesn’t see himself leaving Bellingham any time soon. (Which we are happy about!)

Outside of working at Aslan, one of Nick’s favorite things to do is mountain biking. Some of his favorite trails up at Galbraith are Atomic Dog, Mohawk, SST, and Double Down. He started mountain biking in ‘98 and has been doing it ever since! Other than biking, Nick enjoys time with his new pup, a Boxer Pyrenees mix named Obi-Wan, and checking out Bell’s restaurant scene with his partner Kathleen. Some of their favorite spots to hit are Storia Cucina, Nicki’s Bella Marina, and Old World Deli. 

Nick always brings a great attitude to work and continuously puts a smile on the face of customers and coworkers. We are so lucky to have you on our team, Nick!

Employee Feature: Elmer

Meet Elmer: one of our most tenured and beloved bartenders at the Brewpub and the brains behind Unidos!

Elmer has worked at Aslan for six years, since 2017, making him one of our longest employees here. He started off as a line cook and now has been a lead bartender for the past four years. 

Born in San Deigo and raised in Woodburn, OR, Elmer moved to Bellingham with family when he was 13. He also spent some time in Portland but moved back to Bellingham at 21 to be closer to family and for better work opportunities. He has sisters, a brother, and his mom living here in Bellingham. 

“I’m very big with family.” 

When asked about his favorite Latino food in Bellingham, Elmer immediately said his mom’s house. “When I want the authentic experience, I go to my mom’s. She cooks really well, and my oldest sister has started to get our mom’s recipes down as well!” They often have family meals to celebrate or just to be together.

Elmer’s son, Giovanni, will be moving back up to Bellingham from Portland to start middle school at the end of August. “I remember where I was at in middle school, so I'm super excited to have him be here and to just be a part of that!” he said. 

Elmer’s younger sister Mayra recently got a job here at Aslan. He said they work really well together and that it's fun for him to watch her do her thing and be there to help her when she needs it. This is her first restaurant job, and she’s been absolutely crushing it!

Elmer obviously has a huge spot in his heart for family. He said when his family is doing well, then he is happy. Aslan, to him, has become his second family. The culture within the company and the customers that come here have helped him get out of his comfort zone, grow his communication skills, and meet people in all walks of life, he said. He’s met some of his best friends as Aslan and even lives with a couple of Aslan employees! 

A couple of months ago, Elmer reached out to our production team and had a meeting about creating a Mexican Style Lager. Of course, they said yes! He wanted Aslan to brew a Mexican Style Lager because Aslan never has before, and he wanted to bring awareness to the Latino community in Bellingham and provide a safe space for Mexican families to come gather and feel welcome. Elmer chose the name “Unidos” for this beer, meaning United, to emphasize the bringing together of the Latino community here in Bellingham. 

The artwork for this beer label was done by local artist Ivan Colin, also chosen by Elmer. Ivan used Mexican Talavera pottery as inspiration for the label, and he absolutely crushed it!

Elmer is very excited (along with the rest of us as Aslan) for El Suenito to open soon! They are a Mexican and LGBTQ+ owned brewery and tamale restaurant projected to open in Bellingham in the Fall. He is excited for more representation of the Latinx community in Bellingham, especially within the beer scene.  Be on the lookout for collab beer that just might be in the works…

We appreciate all of our employees coming to us with ideas, big and small, and we are so lucky to have someone like Elmer here at Aslan that actively goes above and beyond to help create the community-oriented space that we aspire to be. Thank you, Elmer; we appreciate you!

Employee Feature: Steph T.

If you’ve ever been to Aslan you’ve probably seen this friendly face… meet Stephanie!

Stephanie (Steph) has been a staple here at Aslan, having been here for over seven years! She has helped this place become what it is today and seen all the different forms Aslan has gone through. Steph started off at Aslan as a food runner and quickly moved up to server and bartender within the summer. Now you’ll find her slinging beer mostly at The Depot. 

Originally from Vermont, Steph and her friends heard rumblings about Bellingham all through college. She knew that she wanted to get out of Vermont and after one visit to Bellingham on a uniquely sunny March day, she decided that it was going to be her new home. Mt Baker was also a huge draw for her, with snowboarding being a big part of her life. 

On her drive out here from Vermont for the big move, Steph got a call from Aslan offering her a job. She started the day after she arrived and has stuck with us ever since!

Within her seven years at Aslan, Steph has taken many breaks from two weeks to two months to pursue her love for travel. “I always say that my favorite thing about Bellingham is leaving and coming back,” she said. Hawaii, Nepal, Brazil, and Peru, are just a few of the places that she visited. Steph is stuck between Peru and Brazil being her favorite place she’s visited. How could you choose?!

Outside of slinging beers, Steph loves to snowboard in the winter and take advantage of the nice weather in the summer. “I feel like in the summertime you appreciate it so much more because it's been so dark all winter!” she said. She does this by hiking, swimming, backpacking, and getting outdoors. Just today she jumped into Lake Whatcom!

Steph has big travel plans for her future! In fact, they are so big, that this weekend is her last weekend at Aslan! Her traveling starts with a cross-country road trip back to Vermont through California and the deserts. From Vermont, she is then flying out to Croatia with family. Next are Portugal, Spain, and possibly some other European countries. After her European adventures, Steph will be back on the East Coast for family and friend time. 

“I'm so comfy here in Bellingham and I'm just excited to push myself and step out of my comfort zone for a second,” she said. 

Of course, she will miss her daily doses of Aslan. She recently had the realization that she really enjoys the physical act of pouring beers and that it’s something she’s going to miss a lot. But the thing she will miss the most is the people she has gotten to work with and serve for so many years.

“Aslan has really been my family and my community since I've been here. It's kind of like built into the job almost. I definitely have formed really meaningful relationships with people here,” she said.

Steph is planning on coming back to Bellingham after her summer travels but is also open to moving somewhere else if a job takes her there. We are sad to see her go but so thankful for the time, care, and positive energy she’s brought to Aslan and so excited to see what she does next! And we are stoked to see her at the Depot once she returns… this time on the other side of the counter 😉

 Visit her on Sunday at the Depot and wish her well on her next adventure!

Employee Feature: Jeremy

Meet our rockstar Prep Lead Jeremy!

Jeremy was born in Georgia but lived most of his life in Washington State. For higher education, he ventured down south to Portland to attend Western Culinary Institute where he studied culinary. After graduating, Jeremy came back to Whatcom County initially for a job offer as a sous chef and eventually came to work in the kitchen here at Aslan Brewing!

Jeremy started at Aslan just over six years ago. He was hired as a kitchen prep and within six months he was promoted to Prep Lead. His favorite things to prepare are the big batch jobs like the poutine gravy. But his absolute favorite part of working here is the crew.

“The people are great here. It’s just always fun, even if it’s a stressful day, all the environments here just feel like you’re hanging out with friends!” said Jeremy.

Jeremy says that he has collaborated on a lot of the recipes at Aslan with other employees, but the Bread Pudding that rotates on and off of our menu is a recipe that he and his wife use often. Also, the pepper jam that is used on the pork belly appetizer comes from Jeremy’s creations.

Outside of his life as Aslan, Jeremy loves hanging out with his family and outdoors. He and his wife Mariah have been married for 10 years after meeting in middle school and started to date in high school. They live just north of Bellingham with their son Jasper who’s seven. Most of his extended family and his wife’s family also live up in Ferndale.

Jeremy and his family enjoy spending time at the beach, camping in the mountains, and mushroom picking in the late summer. He has pictured and identified over 70 different species of mushrooms here in Whatcom County! His son plays football and Jeremy often practices with him. Since he’s in the kitchen 40 hours a week at Aslan, Jeremy does a lot of his home cooking on his backyard patio at the barbecue. His personal favorites to make are ribs and pulled pork.

Everyone at Aslan has something great to say about Jeremy. Our Kitchen Manager Adam especially appreciates having him on our team.

“Jeremy knows what to do and how to do it, and then he does it with the skill and attention to detail of a true professional. He is one of my favorite people to work with because the work is already getting done quickly and accurately so we can spend all of our time just joking around and making it an uplifting work environment. If he weren't married, I would call dibs.” said adam.

What would we do without you, Jeremy?! We appreciate you!

Employee Feature: Erin

Meet Erin: our plant-loving, pow-chasing, all-around badass bartender of six years!

Erin started at Aslan’s Brewpub as a server in 2016 and quickly moved into being able to cover any position (i.e., bartender, server, food runner, hostess). Now you’ll primarily find her working at Aslan Depot as a bartender, cleaning tap lines, tending to Aslan’s vast array of plants, or helping out with events–while still picking up shifts at the Brewpub when needed.

Snowboarding and splitboarding (and the dream of one day getting a snowmobile!) brought Erin to Bellingham from Spokane about 12 years ago. Her plan was to move around the U.S. and work at different ski areas, but she quickly fell in love with Mt. Baker.  She started out as a lifty there but now runs the volunteer program and helps with coordinating events. 

When not working at Aslan or Mt. Baker, Erin dreams of one day owning a farm and event space that focuses on farm-to-table gatherings.  Her dream location would ideally be near to Bellingham and be open to all people from all walks of life.

“I love hospitality. I also would like it to have some sort of ambiance with good food, community, and conversation on a farm. I would love to share that with people,” Erin says.

After working on farms in New Zealand and Orcas Island, she’s gained some valuable experience that will help her take steps towards her farming dreams! 

On Orcas, Erin worked at a restaurant and event venue where she farmed by day and served by night. In the off-season, she was able to stay on and learned everything she now knows about preserving and canning produce. It was there, on Orcas, that Erin realized what she wanted to do with her life. 

In New Zealand, Erin worked on a cherry orchard where she learned about pruning and grafting rootstock. She also spent some time harvesting kiwis–which, despite being one of the hardest jobs she’s ever done, was really fun and profitable.

By working consistently at the Aslan Depot with its ever-changing tap list, Erin has gained much more knowledge of wine, cider, and beer. “When I started working down here, I was really excited to kind of have this endless amount of learning with wine, cider, and beer. Getting to talk about beer more was really intriguing to me!” she said. Not only is this a fun challenge for her, but she’s also gaining skills to use in her future.

Erin’s pup Timber helping her care for Aslan’s Brew Pub plants!

With events slowly trickling back into our world, Erin has also started helping plan, decorate, and coordinate details with Aslan events. From plant care, to event logistics, to just being the ray of sunshine that you need on a cloudy day, Erin’s versatility has helped Aslan grow in so many different ways!

“I really like variety and I feel like I get to do that at Aslan. There’s always been this feeling that I can grow and that I've been respected for the work that I've done. They recognize it and I think that goes a long way with any workplace.”

Thank you Erin, we appreciate you!

Employee Feature: Chris and Christian

From friends to coworkers to DJ partners to coworkers again, these two have been through it all together: meet Chris and Christian, two members of Aslan’s world-class brewing team. 

Christian is originally from Hawaii and relocated to Bellevue, WA at the age of 12. He came up to Bellingham for college and has been here ever since. Chris is originally from Snohomish and moved to Bellingham after graduating college to be closer to his girlfriend, Connie. Christian and Chris met in 2014 at a house party through mutual friends and they hit it off immediately. They bonded over their love for DJ-ing and cats and eventually started working together in landscaping. Chris started at Aslan first (about four years ago) as a packaging assistant and after a quick eight months, was promoted to Brewing Lead. 

When Chris was promoted, he was asked if he knew of anyone to take his spot as a packing assistant; he knew just the person. Christian started on the packaging line at Aslan in August of 2018. He was promoted to Brewer/Cellarperson in 2020. “We just hermit crabbed ourselves up the chain, basically!” said Chris.

Before working at Aslan, neither Chris nor Christian ever thought about becoming a brewer. It can be a hard industry to move up in and it’s difficult to figure out where to start. Chris described it as serendipitous that they both started here during a time when people were shifting around positions or moving away so there were spots higher up for them to fill. Both brewers say they learned all they know about brewing from working at Aslan and being surrounded by educated beer folks.

Both Chris and Christian earned degrees in chemistry in college, with Christian opening his books and studying while simultaneously packing up beer at work. “It led me to be doing something that I really enjoy but it was brutal,” Chris said. Christian agreed, having a science background definitely helps them on a daily basis when working with beer. 

Besides the beers that they inspired and brewed themselves at Aslan (i.e., Color of Sleep, a Czech Dark Lager and Lupulin Saloon, a California Common) Chris and Christian have some favorite beers that might shock some: Christian’s being Coors Light and Chris’ being Rainer. As they say: “It's one thing to brew a really good beer but it's another thing to brew a technically sound beer that's also shelf-stable and able to go out to all these people and taste the exact same!”

Christian has loved working as a brewer at Aslan.

“It’s a combination of hard mental work and hard physical work. With this job, it just keeps me active, keeps me going. And everyone here is just freaking top notch and that’s a huge bonus.” Chris agrees: “It's a good mix of technical components but also there’s an art to it. It’s fun and it’s challenging.”

Chris’s dream beer to brew is pastry stout with La Feen’s donuts. Chris explains that he “wouldn’t want to brew those normally, but if you do something dumb enough it can be cool!” Christian adds laughing, “You can’t always take yourself too seriously, and it’s a great photo opp!” While Christian fully supports the pastry beer, he personally is interested in brewing a funky Saison or mixed-fermentation beer to switch things up a bit since he hasn’t brewed anything like that before. 

We wouldn’t be producing the awesome beers we do if it weren't for these two. Here’s to hoping we can get their dream beers made!

Employee Feature: Andy

Meet Andy, the brains behind Aslan’s marketing for the past two years. Without his constant positive attitude in the office and attention to every detail, this past year of craziness would have looked a lot different!

Andy’s love for craft beer started with a sip of Live Oak Hefeweizen, from Austin, Texas where he went to college. “It tastes like summertime bubblegum, and it was such a stark difference from all the cheap lagers you’re used to drinking in college,” he said. That beer opened his eyes to the world of craft beer.

He spent some time studying in Copenhagen, Denmark, where his knowledge and appreciation grew, living a short bike ride away from Mikkeller & Friends. Shortly after, he moved to Seattle, and as we all know, there is no shortage of breweries down there. The friendly and passionate beer culture and community enticed him, along with the brewing process; he knew that at some point he wanted to work in a brewery. 

Andy moved to Bellingham for the Director of Marketing position at Aslan in June of 2019. After about four years of working at a large tech company in Seattle, he needed a change, and Aslan was the place! “I wanted a new gig where I could be surrounded by passionate people, and help grow something that was a little bit more tangible and real,” said Andy. “So I started looking for jobs, mostly in the brewing industry.” That’s when he found Aslan.

And now here’s the bittersweet news: After about two years here, Andy is celebrating his last week here at Aslan this week. We are so sad to say yet another goodbye to a member of our team, but so incredibly proud and stoked for where he is heading next! Andy and his girlfriend Mary felt that after six years in the Pacific Northwest, it was time to return a bit closer to home and family. Having grown up in Florida and Atlanta, Georgia, Andy jokes that he can’t really get farther away from home being in Bellingham unless he moved to Alaska. They decided that Colorado is a happy medium, with some family being there and travel being a lot easier. “I wanted to retrace my steps a little bit and move somewhere a little more central, like Colorado, that has all the things I love about Washington but is a little bit closer to family,” he said.  

One thing that Andy helped provide to Aslan’s marketing is perspective. He saw a lot of importance in using everyone’s voice to tell the complete story of Aslan. “Everyone at Aslan has a different experience and a unique story to tell. These collective experiences across everyone at the company is what really makes Aslan, Aslan. Rather than trying to distill everything that's happening, and having one person representing and sharing it, I aimed to cast a wider net with our storytelling/branding and showcase who we are as a brewery and community,” he said.

There are many things that Andy will miss about working at Aslan, but the one thing he will miss the most is the people here. He really appreciates the true passion that people in every department have for the product and service they are providing, while also prioritizing fun and “horseplay.” 

“It's truly a rare thing to have, the balance of both [hard work and horseplay], and it's the people that make those two things possible that I’m going to miss the most. When you're surrounded by that, you're encouraged to work harder and be the best version of yourself at work,” he said. “​​I don't think that many places have the combination of passion, and effort, with horseplay [like Aslan does].”

And of course, he will miss the beer! Aslan doesn’t distribute to Colorado (yet!) so his one parting request is for Brand Manager JD to get that happening and have other coworkers switch off sending him beer until then! 

Thursday is Andy’s last day so be sure to stop by and wish him well with his next chapter!

Employee Feature: Maddi S.

If you’ve ever interacted with Aslan’s social media then you probably know who this gem is… Meet Maddi, Aslan’s Marketing Manager and social media wizard.

Maddi started her work here at Aslan as the Event Representative in 2017 where she traveled around and poured brews at festivals. Her current position as the Marketing Manager began as an internship in the marketing department. “I honestly kind of weaseled my way into the role and just kept bringing it up. And then finally they were like, yeah, we could probably create a role for you,” she said. 

In the last two years interning and working in the marketing department at Aslan, a lot has changed and grown. “We've just become a lot more inclusive and also a lot more female-focused, which I think is great,” she said. “There has also been more focus on community-driven events, working with nonprofits, spotlighting local artists, and the addition of our ambassador program”. 

Maddi is most proud of Aslan’s TikTok account that was launched by her this past year. It started off as a joke but quickly became very popular. “We got a lot of people from the community messaging us, telling us how these videos were making their day. It was too easy to just not do, you know, like it's good entertainment and it's tons of fun.” 

After her almost four years here at Aslan Brewing, this week Maddi is moving on to work fully remote as Marketing Manager at Trip Outside, an outdoor adventure company. “This is like my dream job and something I never thought I could achieve. I'm so thankful for Aslan for giving me that step up. I wouldn't be able to do this job without having worked [here].” With this new job, she is excited to travel and explore new places around the US with her dog, Nugget, in her truck and camper. 

Maddi reminisced on a couple of her favorite moments here at Aslan Brewing. One day she came into work and everything in the front of house was running smoothly, but the second she walked into the back she found utter chaos. Apparently, someone had drilled a hole into the wall and hit a water pipe and water was just spewing out of the wall. All hands were on deck trying to clean up the mess, squeegeeing the floor, and trying to contain the water. “It was not funny when it happened, but now looking back on it, it's really funny!” she said. 

Like many others here, she also really enjoyed any time she got to hang out with her coworkers outside of work. Lake days, camping, and bike rides are some of her favorites. 

It is very bittersweet that Maddi is leaving, but we are so excited for her to move onto something that she’s dreamed about for a long time.

“I just love everyone in this building. I'm just immensely thankful to everyone. And I'm thankful to Jack and Andy for giving me a shot as a student. I was this really inexperienced student and they just gave me this huge opportunity and now it's taking me places that I couldn't have pictured myself going, especially in such a short amount of time.”

Tuesday will be Maddi’s last day, so swing by before then and wish her well on her next journey! She will still be spending a lot of time in Bellingham and hopefully around Aslan locations too!  “You guys can't get rid of me! I'll be around,” she laughs.

Employee Feature: Jess

Meet Jess,

Seattle Lead and Beer Educator Extraordinaire. Jess has been working with us since October of 2019, and boy do we feel lucky to have her! While the past year and a half have been no walk in the park, Jess has somehow managed to make it feel like one. 

The best way to describe Jess’s work ethic may very well be “all hands on deck.” She’s got her hands in a little bit of everything and when she doesn’t understand something, she’s quick to dive in to change that. “It's just always been important to me to understand,” says Jess, “even if I'm not working directly in every aspect of it, [i like to] understand every part– from the front of house to the back of house.”

Jess has worked in the beer industry for 5 years now, getting her start at Reuben’s Brews in Seattle. “It was tough to get into this industry,” notes Jess, “I felt like I had to continuously prove [myself].” Nonetheless, Jess took to this challenge, vigorously immersing herself in all things craft beer while working at Reuben’s. She notes how she would regularly wander to the back to see what the brewers were up to, asking a slew of questions and striking up conversations about the brewing process whenever given the opportunity. “I think it's good to not only know what's going on, but to actively try and participate in it” says Jess.

This eagerness and determination to learn the ins and outs of craft beer is what propelled Jess into the idea of Beer Education, something that became an important part of her role at Reuben’s. During her time there, Jess built and ran Reuben’s beer education program alongside another coworker, Shawna Cormier. Together the two worked to teach classes and host pairing events for companies and private parties on behalf of Reuben’s. 

Shawna, a home brewer and Certified Cicerone, encouraged and inspired Jess to grow her knowledge in all things beer– eventually convincing Jess to also become a Certified Cicerone and to complete the Beer Judge Certification Program so that she could judge at home brew competitions. The two became fast friends, unified by their love for local craft beer.

Prior to meeting Jess, Shawna started what is now known as the Seattle Beer School (SBS)– a beer education and events company. It wasn’t long before Jess became involved in that too, helping Shawna host and teach at events across Seattle and online. The pair have now taught and hosted upwards of 25 events for the Seattle Beer School, while simultaneously co-hosting a podcast called Cheers to Beers.

“My whole life is based around beer” laughs Jess.

Jess’s knowledge on all things beer is nothing short of impressive, and if you haven’t yet had the opportunity to attend one of her classes, we couldn’t recommend it more. She’s incredibly well-versed and well-educated on the world of beer, making for an exceptionally fun educational experience. Her and Shawna also do a wonderful job at creating an inclusive space in which they hope folks of all backgrounds feel welcome.

Be on the lookout for more events run by Jess, such as the Fremont Dungeness Fest down in Seattle on July 10th. And if you can’t make that, be sure to stop by the taproom to pay her a visit! She’d love to answer any questions you have about our beer or suggest delicious food pairing options for your favorite to-go beers.

Employee Feature: Layne

Say hello to Aslan's Brand and Sustainability Manager, Layne! Once described as Aslan's "face at the door," Layne plays a huge role here at Aslan. Whether it's handling multiple accounts across town, taking care of all of our Organic certifications, heading the donations program, or being the mastermind behind some of Aslan's best TikTok's– Layne is a bit of a not-so-secret, secret weapon.

Having worked with us for just over a year now, it's been impressive watching Layne's immense growth over the past year. She's quick to take on new responsibilities or side-duties that go far beyond her job role– and she always manages to do so with the utmost positivity. When Layne's not buzzing around the brewpub striking up conversations with everyone in her path, she's usually out serving as Aslan's "beer fairy"– delivering samples to one of her several accounts or making deliveries.

“I used to dream about working here” says Layne, “I would wear Aslan merch all the time, and my friends and I would come to the brewpub and whisper “hire Layne” into the atmosphere. I even had my grad party here and made everyone do that” laughs Layne. “I was manifesting”.

A recent graduate from Western, Layne was working four other jobs at the time she heard about the open position at Aslan– but that didn’t stop her from applying. “I had actually already applied for a position once here, but I didn’t get it, which was discouraging” recalls Layne, “but then I interviewed again for the open sales position, and felt pretty good about it,” says Layne. A few weeks later she was hired and brought in as Aslan’s new Sales Rep– a job she’s been crushing ever since.

That was back in December of 2019. Come March of 2020, everything Layne knew about her new job changed. “It was really weird” notes Layne. “Coming into a job and not knowing anyone, then going into quarantine just a few months later”. With Covid-19 shutting establishments down all over the city of Bellingham and halting beer sales, Layne found she was running out of work to do. So, in an effort to stay busy, she began absorbing other duties around Aslan– such as the sustainability and donation programs.

These programs are now mainly overseen by her –no small feat for a one-woman show– though she’s quick to make it look easy.

Beyond Aslan, Layne takes a lot of pride in being a mother to her two cats, Mitsy and Kramer— also known as “the light of [Layne’s] life” (her words, not ours). She loves cooking as well, though she’s too bashful to claim it as a serious hobby. “I wouldn’t call myself a cook,” says Layne, “but I do really love to cook”. She also enjoys going for walks or heading up to Mt. Baker to snowboard on the weekend. “Craft beer also used to be a hobby of mine”, adds Layne, “but now that I work in it, I need to find a new hobby. If anyone knows of any they should let me know” she laughs.

Layne is a true gem. Always positive, full of hilarious anecdotes, and an unmatched work ethic. Call it manifestation or call it destiny– We're lucky to have her around here as our multi-talented, many-hats-wearing employee.

Thank you, Layne!

Employee Feature: Spencer and Corey

Spencer (left), Corey (right)

Meet Spencer and Corey, Aslan’s in-house chemists.

Spencer joined us first, about four years ago. He now holds the Quality Control Manager position after building our chemistry program from scratch. “I help make sure that our beers don’t explode,” laughs Spencer. And although he may say it jokingly, he’s absolutely right! Spencer has worked four long and hard years to bring our lab together, all to make certain that we’re making consistent and tasty brews.

“I actually got hired on as a pack tech– because they needed someone,” says Spencer. “I was two weeks into that when Frank (head brewer at the time) approached me asking if I knew how to use a spectrophotometer” (a piece of equipment used to measure diacetyl and IBU’s in a beer). Having completed a degree in Chemistry prior and looking for work in his field, Spencer jumped at the opportunity.

“I was by myself working down here in the Chemistry department,” says Spencer, “In the beginning, there just weren’t a lot of breweries our size doing this…in fact, we’re the only lab in Bellingham and probably anywhere north of Fremont at that” adds Spencer. He knew that if he was going to start an effective program, he had to learn a little from one of the masters. “I [went to] Fremont Brewing for help… [specifically to] Robert Fulwiler (Technical Director at Fremont Brewing). He’s done a ton to help us. And I mean a ton.”

Spencer recalls how starting the program felt a lot like piecing the bare minimum together. “Some of our initial equipment we got for free,” notes Spencer, “and as issues have arisen in our brewery we’ve developed and added more equipment as well as added more methods.” He and Corey –Aslan’s Lab Technician and Data Expert– now operate a complete lab.

Corey joined us just two years ago, following a similar path as Spencer by initially starting as a dishwasher up at our Bellingham brewpub before quickly relocating to the lab. A chemistry student at Western, Corey was eager to get more experience in the field as well. It wasn’t too much later that he was offered a position in Aslan’s lab, training under Spencer.

Now Corey plays a crucial role in many of Aslan’s operations. “I started here on the chemistry side of things and realized it was an avenue for helping manage all the data as well,” says Corey. After self-teaching much of his coding, Corey now helps Aslan collect important data that helps improve our day-to-day operations. “It’s been cool teaching myself how to code. I got a computer science minor at Western, but learning how to implement that into certain aspects of the brewery as well has been a lot of fun,” says Corey. Spencer nods in agreement– “Corey is able to communicate data really well,” he adds.

With the two of them joining forces, Aslan now runs an incredibly refined program with little room for error. “We sample every single batch of beer,” says Spencer, “usually averaging about 12 tests per each batch of beer”. This ensures that all of Aslan’s beer comes out tasting right and consistently tasting the same. “Now we have confidence in our canning,” says Spencer. 

It’s because of these two, and the hard work of our brewers, that Aslan is able to keep producing high quality organic craft beer. Thank you to both Corey and Spencer for always going above and beyond and taking care of the little details. We couldn’t do it without you!

Employee Feature: Maya

Meet Maya! She's been rocking with us for just under 4 years now, working as a host and waitress at our Bellingham brewpub.

Maya's lived in Bellingham for 8 years now, after moving here from Battleground, Washington to start her Spanish degree. She has since graduated and gone back to school to get her TESOL certification (TESOL: “Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages”), a certification that allows Maya to travel and teach all over the world.

After receiving her certification in summer of 2019, Maya was able to travel to both Mexico and Taiwan for short-term teaching assignments. “The people in Taiwan were so nice” Maya notes of the experience, “and there’s this gift-giving culture where, whenever you meet somebody new or if you haven’t seen somebody in a really long time, you have a ton of gifts prepared for them– so I had to literally buy a new suitcase because I got so many gifts” says Maya.

She has a deep love for traveling to other countries and learning about new cultures. “I’m hoping to do a work-away or WWOOF type of program where I can stay in one spot for a few months at a time” says Maya. The acronym WWOOF stands for “World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms”, and the program aims to teach it’s volunteers about sustainable living and organic agriculture while providing a place to live and a new cultural exchange.

Maya’s desire to partake in this type of organization is very telling of her personality and aspirations. She is known by her peers as a very conscious and hard-working person, always approaching things intentionally and with extreme kindness and care. She’s also naturally inquisitive, always asking questions and looking to expand her knowledge so that she can teach herself and help others along the way. These are just some of the many qualities that have made Maya such a fantastic addition to our team over the years.

Once it is safe to travel internationally again, Maya says she hopes to live in or travel to a Spanish-speaking country in particular, so that she can brush up on her Spanish and become more fluently bilingual. While her travel plans have all been put on hold, Maya says she's happy to be here in Bellingham, preparing for her next move in life. She enjoys many activities, such as reading or cooking new things, starting a new house project, or tending to her many houseplants. And when the weather allows, Maya is also known to be an avid hiker. She spends many of her summer days out in the Cascades exploring new trails and taking in everything the Pacific Northwest has to offer.

While life seems to be in a bit of a limbo these days, we are beyond grateful to have amazing staff like Maya to keep the spirits high and the ship smooth sailing. Thanks for being such a stellar employee, Maya!

Employee Feature: Keaton

Meet Keaton– Our warehousing specialist. Best described as Aslan’s “beer shepherd”. 

“I don’t make it and I don’t sell it” explains Keaton, “but I do everything in between”.

Keaton’s job is a conglomeration of fine details and big picture work– making sure that beer gets to where it needs to go, keeping our inventory organized, ensuring that we have the grain we need for brewing and the packaging materials we need for packaging… He does a little bit of everything around here.

Keaton started out as a pack tech a little over a year and a half ago before quickly advancing to his current position as our warehousing specialist. “To be honest, I didn't know anything about brewing or craft beer before.” Keaton admits, “so it's great to be trusted and to have management and coworkers be patient enough to let people learn their way into new roles” says Keaton, “I’ve learned a lot since I started”.

A big time skier, Keaton moved out to Bellingham 13 years ago from Boise, Idaho in search of a new mountain to call home. He quickly fell in love with Mt. Baker and with Bellingham. “I don't really want to leave!” exclaims Keaton, “it's just a great community and culture… lots of outdoors folks”.

Having access to the outdoors is pretty important to Keaton, who spends most of his free days in winter time up at the slopes. In the summer when the snow has melted away he enjoys doing other activities such as hiking, camping, or what he describes as “fair weather surfing” out on the peninsula. “I used to mountain bike a lot too” Keaton adds, “but I’ve [had a lot] of injuries”. 

Keaton making a pit stop during his bike-packing trip

While he may not be much of a mountain biker anymore, he does still enjoy getting out on a bike from time to time. “Bike touring is super fun” says Keaton, “it's just time consuming”. Keaton tells in detail of the time he took off after college on a 5 month long bike touring trip. “I rode from Bellingham over the Cascades to Boise to visit family first”. From there he headed down south to join some friends at the Burning Man festival in Nevada. “After that I went to Yosemite and then down to the San Diego area” adds Keaton, “then I peddled back up the coast to Oregon and went over to Bend, but by then it was November and it was snowing... so I just kind of called her a day”. By the end of the trip Keaton had ridden over 3,000 miles. “It's fun” says Keaton, “you're moving fast enough to actually get places, but slow enough that you don't miss things as they pass by”.

Keaton says he has lots of travel plans for the future, once the world reopens. Until then– we are lucky to have him here at Aslan. He is recognized as an outstanding coworker and friend to so many, known for his kindness and genuity, solid work ethic, and positive attitude. 

Thank you for all that you do, Keaton! All things big and small.

Employee Feature: Adam

There’s a new chef in town…

Aslan is excited to welcome Adam Grossman to the team! An avid food enthusiast and long time chef– Adam comes to us with over 15 years of experience in the kitchen.

Adam started working in a kitchen at age 14, after his dad purchased a vegan pizza restaurant in Seattle. “It was a good intro to the industry for me” said Adam. Surprisingly enough, Adam’s skill for cooking didn’t exactly stem from his family. “My parents were [actually] horrible at cooking…So growing up I assumed that cooking was some mystic art that you had to study for years to understand…It wasn’t until I took Home Ec in the seventh grade, you know, actually sitting down with directions to figure out how things work together that I realized it’s not [that hard].”

“I always knew I wanted to cook”, says Adam. “Whether it was experimenting at home or taking all of the cooking classes I could get my hands on…Cooking is just about everything I’ve ever done“.

Adam was hooked. From seventh grade on, he dove into the world of cooking. “I had an amazing high school culinary program and my teacher there used to be the professor at Seattle Central for their culinary program. She taught most of the chefs around Seattle. She saw some promise in me and got me into one of the best restaurant’s in the city, which I was not ready for. They fired me within 10 weeks… That’s the only time I’ve ever lost a job.”

Things turned around quickly for Adam though, as he secured a position at Salty’s Waterfront in Seattle shortly after, where he stayed for 3 years. “They really taught me how to cook”, noted Adam, “it was just a crazy amount of volume…That’s when I learned that I could actually be good at this.”

By 19 years old Adam was hired on by a startup restaurant in Edmonds to run the kitchen and design an entire menu for organic wood-fired pizza. “That job was fun. A lot of responsibility for a 19 year old... I designed a really awesome crust and some good pizza recipes, but there’s only so far you can go with pizza you know” added Adam. “So after five years of cooking in a kitchen, I decided to go to culinary school”.

Adam attended La Cordon Bleu in Seattle. “It was so much fun” stated Adam. “The best part was at the end, you had to do an internship. The internship could be at any restaurant you wanted, as long as they made [food from scratch]. So I applied at wd~50 in New York, working for Wylie Dufresne doing molecular gastronomy in an actual Michelin-starred restaurant in Lower East Side Manhattan, and they let me in!”

“I worked in a basement for 12 hours a day. My entire station was the size of one sheet tray that I put over a sink because I was an unpaid intern– I was mostly getting in their way” laughed Adam. However, even as an unpaid intern, Adam recounted the experience positively. “I learned so much… we clarified our stock with a centrifuge to make transglutaminase, an enzyme that binds proteins. [Dufresne] called it ‘meat glue’” recalled Adam. “We [were constantly] mixing science and food to figure out what [we could] make.”

After completing his internship, Adam made the move back west, where he spent the next few years working in fine dining and Italian. He even made the move to Las Vegas at one point to cook, only to return 6 months later. “I just got burnt out” admitted Adam. “So I moved up to Bellingham to go to business school and quit cooking altogether.”

While attending business school Adam accepted a job as a chef for Bellingham Cider Co. “No matter what I did…The kitchen just kept drawing me back in, over and over” says Adam. It wasn’t long before he was asked to transition into the head chef role, a role which he would attempt to do while still attending school full time. Trying to balance a hefty work and school schedule, Adam eventually dropped his studies to pursue cooking full-time.

After working a year-long stint as Bellingham Cider Co.’s Head Chef, Adam now joins our team to assume the role of Kitchen Manager. “I want [Aslan] to be its own free-standing exciting venture” stated Adam. “You’re not [just] here for Aslan beer… I want people to get excited about coming in to eat our food…We have so many talented, passionate people in the kitchen who want to have fun with the food” added Adam. “If someone comes up to me with an idea for a new dish, we’re going to give it [an honest] try”.

The inspiration for a new dish? “Seasonality” says Adam. “Seasonality inspires my menu items as well as local sourcing. For example, we’ve been working on a new dish called the Oktoberfest Bowl. It was actually all Dex’s idea (line cook at Aslan), but we’ve been working together on the execution. The other day we fermented 60 lbs of apple kraut. It’ll be comfort food…heavy cheese sauces, mustard, cream…everything you crave”. Adam was right about that. The Oktoberfest bowl is an absolute culinary delight. Perfect for those crisp fall days when you’re craving a hearty and flavorful dish.

Since taking over the role of Kitchen Manager, Adam has already helped facilitate the introduction of five new menu items, including our most recent burger addition, the Aslan Bison Burger. This burger features our signature bison patty topped with Beecher’s cheese curds, HOSA aioli, Batch 15 caramelized onions, and arugula, all sandwiched between two sesame buns. An ingenious twist on some of our staple ingredients. To say we’re excited to see what he comes up with next would be an understatement.

Welcome to the team, Adam! We sure hope you’ll stay a while.

Don Trosset: “The Glue” of Aslan

Say hello to Don Trosset– better known as “DT” by the Aslan family. DT is a rock in Aslan’s foundation. When we’re falling apart at the seams, he’s always there to put us back together

…Literally!

DT helped build Aslan and has been our primary head of construction since the early days– when we were brewing out of a garage.  With over 43 years of experience doing construction, he led the remodel of the McBeath Building; turning it into what we now know as the Aslan Brewpub.

When asking Don’s cohorts how they would describe him, one of our staff members answered it best–

“The glue”

Don is the glue. And without him, things just don’t stick right. 

Originally from the East Coast, DT moved out West back in the 70’s, after graduating from Syracuse University with a degree in business and finance.

Don measuring out a sheet of drywall for Aslan’s new conference room

“[During] my senior year of college, I took a ski vacation. I fixed up an old British racing car and sold it … I took the money and traveled to Colorado and Utah. I fell in love with the West. I thought [to myself] ‘This is what I’ve been looking for my whole life’”.

From then on, he was hooked. DT and his wife bought a plot of land out in Northern Idaho where they lived out of a tent and carefully began crafting their new home, piece by piece.

“We had a seven acre forest, so I went out into the woods and chose the trees I wanted to cut down to build our house. I’d fell them … and then used a draft horse to skid [the logs] into decks. We didn’t have any power,” recalled Don, “So I’d use a little generator to run my saw and drill … It was quite a process!”

It was there that they had their two kids, Boe and Frank Trosset – now co-owners of Aslan Brewing Co.

Don with his two sons, Boe and Frank–

Co-owners of Aslan Brewing Co.

The boys grew up in Northern Idaho while Don bounced back and forth between work in Eastern Washington and Idaho. “The boys would come to work with me,” stated Don, “and as they got a little bit older I’d put them to work.” As Boe and Frank got older, DT made a gradual relocation to Bellingham, WA.

Some years later, Don’s oldest son Frank took up an interest in brewing and after graduating from college in Florida, he made the decision to move back in with Don and began brewing beer in his garage. 

It was in Bellingham that Frank met his business partners, Jack Lamb and Patrick Haynes. The three of them formulated a plan to open a craft-brewery and eventually were able to relocate Frank’s small brewing operation into the McBeath building, where Aslan currently resides. This move marked the beginning of Aslan Brewing Co.

Over the next nine months, with the aid of the three hopeful business owners and son Boe Trosset, Don tirelessly helped put Aslan together. Together they tore walls down, built them back up, drilled through six inches of concrete slab, and installed the original fifteen barrel brewing system.

Don with his two sons, Boe and Frank

DT was there for all of it, and still is.

And that’s precisely why he has been deemed as “the glue” of Aslan. DT wears a lot of hats around here, and when the going gets tough, he’s sure to be there– leading the way with an open heart and an abundance of positivity. 

Don is nothing if not conversational and can chat with anyone about anything. He offers years of wisdom, advice, and assurance to everyone he crosses paths with and is a living embodiment of unconditional love.

While we could go on and on with our praises- we won’t. Instead, we’ve decided to let our friends take it from here:

“One of the best guys in the world …Deserves a standing ovation every time he enters a room”

-Nicole P.

“In house guru! Love this guy! So grateful for all the wisdom he has shared over the years!”

-Stephanie T.

“The man...the myth...the legend...the glue :-)”

-Cam C.

“DT is the heart of Aslan Brewing. He is a mentor, a father and friend to many of us ... those of us who were there in the beginning have nothing but the utmost respect for his work ethic, heart and constant words of wisdom.”

-Pat H.

”DT is the absolute legend. He also biked with us up to Baker for one of our camp outs!”

-Tyler M.

“A master, legend and inspiration”

- Jordan B.

“Thank you DT for all that you do! Your wisdom and positivity makes this place run”

-Andy A.

“DTiest DT that’s ever DT’d”

-Timmy A.

The Trosset Family

Thank you DT, from the bottom of our heart and from everyone in the Aslan community. You are truly appreciated.