Meet Sara Kazmer | Co-founder of Elsewhere Brewing
We had the good fortune of connecting with Sara Kazmer and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Sara, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
Our current team gradually formed over the last two years! It has been vital for us to share similar tastes and vision with the key members of our organization as we continue to grow and further develop our company’s story. For our beer, it was sharing the same love for great Belgian Ales and German/Czech lagers with our brew master, Josh Watterson. For our food we shared a passion with our executive chef, Tyler Edwards, for fresh, local produce to create light and interesting vegetable dishes that complement our heavier sandwiches and empanadas. For our tap room’s look and feel, we combined beautiful materials and design from around the world in a cozy, homey space with help from our designers, Local Architects. Our branding was incredibly important. We wanted to be inclusive of all genders and backgrounds while maintaining a feminine artistic touch. The Office Brothers were able to translate our vision into a physical brand. And, most importantly, we created a positive company culture that prioritizes employee welfare and happiness, which has resulted in exceptional customer service. So, it wasn’t one thing in particular; rather, it was the slow and intentional combination of many different ideas and people.
Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I began working in hospitality as a host and busser at a small-town restaurant on the Chain of Lakes in Illinois. I worked different roles through high school and bartended throughout college. As I finished up bartending my way through college in Chicago, I met my husband at a bar in Italy. Needless to say, my life started to accelerate in a new direction.
I moved out to Tacoma, WA to be with him and begin my career in marketing. After several months struggling, I found a job in Seattle at a firm specializing in branding. I learned so much about the importance of a strong brand: the story, meaning behind the name, look and feel, and messaging. I started to think more about why I dined at certain restaurants and gravitated towards certain beer brands. Being in brewery mecca, I naturally fell in love with beer and couldn’t help but notice how male dominated the industry was in its branding, beer styles, and taproom design.
It didn’t take long to realize that office life was not for me; and, I was tired of spending four hours a day commuting by bus to Seattle from Tacoma. I noticed a hiring sign behind my house for a reputable brewery that was opening up a second location. I told my husband, Sam, I was going to apply for a managing job there and that I was ready to get back into the industry. I had worked in almost every other type of bar/restaurant, but not a brewery. I wanted to see if the culture was any different.
One month later I was walking across the street to my new job – the best commute ever. I learned quickly just how different the beer industry was. It attracted down-to-earth people who connected over a product that was enjoyable to share during nearly any time of the day. Unlike wine or whiskey, an average strength beer can be enjoyably consumed at lunch, dinner, or even breakfast. The customers were all warm and friendly, and the brewery attracted similar people for its staff.
Meanwhile, my husband was recovering from a parachuting accident sustained while training with the 2ndRanger Battalion. We were questioning what to do with our future. My wanderlust fever still thriving and feeling confident that the craft beer industry could benefit from a female-driven brewery, I thought ‘why not travel the world to learn about beer and come back to open a brewery!’
We traveled through South America and Europe interviewing brewers and brewery owners learning about new businesses and ones that have been open for centuries. I got ideas for what contributes to a pub’s cozy aesthetic and what food pairs well with beer without being too filling. We tasted some of the best beer in the world and figured out how it is that some breweries have beers maintaining popularity for centuries. We took notes every day and arrived in Atlanta at the end of 2018. Sam grew up in Gwinnett County, and when we would visit his parents we noticed that the Georgia craft beer scene was still in its infancy.
After spending 1.5 years in Sam’s parents basement writing up a business plan and making several attempts at uns
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Get outside! Atlanta has so many incredible parks
– The Palisades
– Sweetwater Creek State Park
– Oakland Cemetery
Eat/Drink
– $1 oysters at Beetle Cat!
– Highland Tap (Tuesday for half price burgers and strong martinis)
– Manuels – Icon
– Gus’s Fried Chicken
– Anticos – might as well be in Naples
Late Night
– Clermont Lounge – tip your stripper
– Northside Tavern – live music
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
All the big hearted people that make the brewing industry a fantastic place to work.
Website: https://elsewherebrewing.com/
Instagram: @elsewherebrewing
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elsewherebrewingco/
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/elsewhere-brewing-atlanta
Image Credits
Dessa Lohrey First 4 photos. Beer photo & couple at table petermurrayphoto. Food photo: Ryan Carpenter
Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlanta is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
