29 Oct Journeyman Distillery Sets Sail on a Voyage in the Craft Beer Unknown with Sea Of Monsters
by Mark E. Lasbury for Indiana On Tap
A couple of weeks ago, Walter and I made our first trip to Sea of Monsters Brewing inside the new Journeyman Distillery at the American Factory in Valparaiso. We had waited a while to give them a chance to get several beers on tap – they had been pouring 3 or so beers since opening in July, but now they had eight selections. It was a nice list, everything from a saison to a hazy to a Munich Alt to a fruited gose.
We had a great conversation with Daniel, the bar manager, about the ramping up of beer production and how the brewery fits within the amazing American Factory, the renovated building with restaurants, brewpub, wedding and event center, huge Journeyman store, outdoor spaces, and a rooftop bar.
image credit: Sea Of Monsters Brewing
Walter did some shopping and came back with amazing Orville Reddenbacher Popcorn Bourbon Cream Liqueur, but didn’t bother to pick up any of the Journeyman barrel-aged balsamic vinegar (what I was hoping for), and I was really surprised she didn’t come back with any of the branded clothes, including the socks. However, as interesting as the entire venue was (the factory was several things in the past, including a long time as a wiper factory – we recommend the tour), I really wanted to dive deeper into the story of the brewery, its brewer, and the future for Sea of Monsters beer.
The brewery name comes from the idea of the journey onto the unknown and the fears, both real and perceived, as did those intrepid explorers in the seafaring past. The beer names reflect what must be overcome, the dark things out there. For instance, Whitechapel is a great kolsch, but it evokes the thought of the killing grounds of Jack the Ripper. Likewise, the DDH IPA is called Thalassophobia – a fear of the deep waters and what might be in them. It’s fun to try and discern the reference in some beer names. For example, I had to look up Der Metzgermeister – oh my.
I talked to head brewer Greg Winget to learn more about him, the beers to come, and Sea of Monsters in general. Here are his comments:
Indiana On Tap (IOT): Tell us about your history, both before and in brewing.
Greg Winget (GW): I started homebrewing in 2013; at the time I was working as a copywriter for a website design company in Florida (I have a degree in journalism). When the company restructured and laid me off, I pivoted to my new passion in beer. I was a beer buyer and a sales guy for a distributor while homebrewing on weekends.
After moving to North Carolina in late 2015, I enrolled in a craft brewing certificate/internship program at a local tech school, then used those connections to quickly transition into brewery production. I moved up the ranks within four different breweries in the Raleigh area before taking my first head brewer job at the startup brewery Wye Hill in late 2019. After a few tumultuous years (thanks, COVID), I had built a team and beer portfolio I was proud of, and in 2022 our flagship pale ale Luminous Beings won gold medals at both the Great American Beer Festival and the NC State Brewer’s Cup. By late 2023 I decided that I had accomplished about all I could at Wye Hill and looked for a new challenge, which led me to Journeyman (I’m originally from the Indianapolis area and was also interested in moving closer to family).
IOT: What is your philosophy of beer?
GW: I believe that craft beer’s greatest strength lies in the creativity of brewers, and thoroughly enjoy creating beers that provide unique flavor experiences and/or utilize unexpected ingredients. I brew to my own palate, but also believe that there are few things in craft beer that are sacred. When making more straightforward beers, creativity to me often comes in the form of unusual hop applications, experimental yeast usage and unique barrel-aging techniques. I’m also a huge proponent of using local/craft ingredients whenever possible; currently Sea of Monsters purchases grain exclusively from Sugar Creek Malt House in Lebanon, IN and many of our hops are grown in Michigan.
Union Hall Restaurant at Journeyman Distillery at the American Factory. image credit: Journeyman Distillery
IOT: Tell us about the brewhouse at Sea Of Monsters, and future additions.
GW: Our system is a brand-new steam-fired Sprinkman 2-vessel 10-barrel brewhouse. We use RO water to build a unique mineral profile from scratch for every single beer we make. Our cellar is currently a hodgepodge of five fermenters, one brite tank and barrels of varying sizes and spirits. We’re hoping to add more tanks before long, including horizontal lagering tanks and of course many, many more barrels (and maybe a foeder or two!). Currently most beer is packaged in 1/2bbls with limited sixtels and service at only our two bars & events (no distro for now); we’re also filling twist-top crowlers for to-go beer, but also plan to start small scale canning and bottling sometime next year.
IOT: Is it a help or a challenge to open a brewing in a well-established distillery?
GW: It’s certainly more a blessing than a curse. In the scope of my career, there has never been a more challenging time to open a startup brewery, but having the name and infrastructure of Journeyman attached has made our entry into the market much smoother than beginning as a completely new entity. As with any new brewery operation, we have many lessons to learn, but we’ve got a sturdier foundation from which to learn those lessons than most. And as a huge fan of barrel-aged beer, I can confirm that we are already planning many barrel-aged releases for 2025, with a few small barrel/small batch beers slotted for winter 2024.
IOT: How is it to be brewing in NW Indiana?
GW: The beer community here in NWI (and Michigan) is tight-knit and I can’t express enough gratitude for how kind local brewers (and patrons!) have been. As someone who grew up in Indiana this has always felt like a bit of a homecoming, but I know the folks in the scene would’ve been welcoming no matter what—that’s just who they are. Shoutout in particular to the incredible folks at Blockhead here in Valpo who have helped me over and over again, and for having such an amazing spot to eat and drink at in general (I live a few blocks away).
The Eyes Saison, from Sea Of Monster Brewing. image credit: Walter
IOT: Will we be able to get Sea Of Monsters beer outside the brewery soon?
GW: Distribution & packaging, we’re looking at a plan to start small-scale canning (and large format bottling for certain products), with intent to launch sometime next year. We’re currently selling Twistee (resealable) crowlers in our retail shops at both locations but would love to upgrade as soon as budget & man hours permit; bottles and cans would be for sale initially in our shops only. The owner has expressed that he doesn’t want to enter wide-scale distribution for at least a couple of years, but those plans could change depending on the market & demand next year. We’re also planning to hit the offsite event/festival market much harder next season now that we’ve got some of our initial growing pains out of the way.
IOT: What else, if anything, would you like people to know about Sea Of Monsters?
GW: We’re bringing a lot of new ideas & experiences to the community with Sea of Monsters—although we’re nestled within the Journeyman brand, we’re looking at this as its own unique startup with all the fun & foibles that go along with that. Regardless of your past experiences with Journeyman, I’d encourage you to come try out what we’re doing here in the brewery and join us for the ride—we’re just getting started and can wait to see what happens in the next few years.
Make sure to find time to make a visit to Journeyman Distillery at the American Factory and Sea Of Monsters Brewing. They are diving into the ocean of craft brewing, without fear and with a goal of discovery. (Added note: Be sure to get tickets for the Indiana On Tap Tasting Society Event on January 24 at the 1899 Venue – Sea of Monsters will be there for one of their first jockey box events!)
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