Photo by Pat Jarrett
Brewery: Basic City Beer Co.
Brewer’s Name: Jacque Landry
How long have you worked at the brewery?:[I] first toured the site with Bart in the summer of 2014 and worked with him and Chris on designing the system, specifying equipment, planning workflow, refining the business plan and designing the initial beer menu over the next two years while the initial renovations to the building were made. [I] began full-time work on the build-out in July 2016, and we opened our doors on October 15 of the same year.
How did you get involved in brewing?: I was doing pharmacology research in the Psychiatry Dept. at Emory when I learned that a colleague across the hall made his own beer. We ended up home brewing together for three years. When my wife finished her degree in 1996, we moved to Denver so I could start professionally. In 1998, I helped open the South Street Brewery in Charlottesville where I stayed until it was sold in 2014.
Tell us something people don’t know about your brewery: Our brew kettle defies the laws of physics, and Wendy would actually prefer you call her Lorrie.
What’s your favorite food and beer combo?: Basic City Beer Co.’s Our Daily Pils and boiled crawfish.
What’s your favorite thing to do in the Shenandoah Valley?: I ride a motorcycle to work (from Earlysville) as often as possible, often taking one of many long ways there or back. Enjoyed a few on and off-road rides with my trail mates from Devils Backbone.
What’s the best way to spend time in the outdoors in the Shenandoah Valley?: Hiking with my daughters. It doesn’t happen nearly often enough.
