THANK YOU FROM BANDERA BREWERY
As the original owners-brewer, and now owners-partners in the brewery operations, we are writing this message of gratitude. Gratitude is, ultimately, a conscious and intentional process, focusing on the positives of experience. With regard to the brewery, which we’ve recently celebrated its 5th anniversary, there is plenty to be grateful for, and we’re consciously aware of the contributions of so many of you, and our team.
When we started the brewery, first with my brother, David, and my Dad, Dr. Jim, Sr., we sought to create a specific kind of place, wherein everyone would feel welcome, a place which encouraged interaction, a place which could grow and give something back to the community. We sought to create a unique place, not to replace any of the existing venues/establishments in and around Bandera, but instead, a place that would be a part of the larger community. I think we’ve done that over the past 5-years, and I’m grateful for the opportunity, and the hard work of others, that it took to get this started.
Over the past 5-years, there’s been a variety of changes to the brewery, not the least of which have involved various changes in personnel, roles and responsibilities. The addition of our partners, Johnny, Liz, Jason and Kerrye, have taken us to a whole new level, and brought us the success necessary to continue to be a part of the community. We’ve sponsored scholarships, held celebrations of life, marriage ceremonies, and a wide array of benefit programs. Johnny, Liz, Jason and Kerrye made the Uvalde benefit happen. Now that… out together in a couple of days, with the turnout we had…was incredible. I’m so grateful for the team’s hard work, loyalty, commitment and friendship.
During the pandemic, we installed a new, first-class brew system, and our capacity has progressively grown. We started small, very small. We aren’t small any longer. This improvement has allowed for progress in our brewing, as well as capacity for further growth. Johnny O has taken over as the brewer… he’s far better at brewing than I am. Again, we’re grateful for the opportunity… to grow, and further our involvement in this community.
We survived the challenge inherent to a start-up, some difficult times early on with a rough brew system, then a pandemic, and we’re now working through inflation and supply chain issues, etc. We wouldn’t have survived without the combined efforts of John, Liz, Kerrye and Jason, Daniel, Braden, Bailey, Keith, our beertenders…a whole host of people who know how to work together. Not only have we survived, but in fact, we’re starting to flourish. Distribution will start soon, which creates additional opportunities to support our community. A special shout-out to Liz, who is indispensable, in so many ways. And, a special thank you to Carlie, without whom this project never would have gotten off the ground. All of this is, and all these people, are certainly something to be thankful for.
Fundamentally, while we began with a concept, and we now have an incredible team, all while improving our product – in some respects, daily – our success would not have been possible without our community. Many breweries crashed during the pandemic… we actually used this as a reset, with a new brew system, and our community showed up, kept us afloat. Candidly, I was quite humbled by the support. You saved us. We’re actually better now, moving forward, and that’s due to you, our community. We’re so thankful for you, and your commitment to our success. Thank you.
As part of our progression, we’re making a subtle shift in brewing focus, emphasizing lagers, as we develop our ‘lager house.’ We’ll be introducing an array of lagers to the regular lineup, American, English, Czech, etc, in addition to our Mexican Lager, which will soon see distribution. Thank you for helping us make this happen.
To conclude, it is with humble gratitude that I’ve written this statement. Thank you for our success, for helping us become contributors to, and part of this community. We take our community support activities and benefits seriously, and we are eager to expand our scholarship program, and provide employment opportunities.
The brewery reflects our values of quality, community engagement and place for everyone to feel welcome. It reflects the commitment and hard work of our team, of Johnny O and Liz, of Jason and Kerrye, the unsung heroes behind the scenes – you, the friends and family of the brewery.
Our friends and family, our team, have made the brewery their own and something special. Thank you, to everyone who’s played a part in our success.
Jim and Carlie Baroffio