Today we’d like to introduce you to Kyle Hurst
Hi Kyle, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
It started with a friendship. A veteran friend, who is an avid homebrewer with 25 years of experience, moved to the area. Since he was living in an apartment at the time, he asked if he could setup his homebrew equipment in my basement, and in turn, teach me how to brew. After three years and hundreds of gallons of beer, we decided to professionalize our hobby. We wanted to create an old pub feel, exposing the historic character of the 200-year-old building in the historic downtown of Havre de Grace. In May 2021, we accomplished our goals of creating a veteran-oriented nano-brewery that is an active member in the community and celebrates local veterans and service members. We have several public outreach events such as a run group, hosting community events, partnering with local businesses, and brewing an annual veteran lager with proceeds that support a veteran charity.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
One of the biggest challenges when we opened in May 2021, was hiring and building a team while still coming out of COVID. Early on I recognized that due to my family and Active Duty commitments, I needed to build a team that I can trust and that can operate independently without constant oversight. Using many of the leadership skills and experiences from my military experience, I sought a select group of young professionals with varying goals and I invested in them. I invested time to train them, to teach them about beer and the brewing process, in business practices, and in their educational pursuits. Since opening, we have had almost no turnover of our employees, and everyone says they work at Battery Island Brewing Company because they love the team, the customers, and the company and that they believe in it. They believe in what we produce and what we stand for.
As you know, we’re big fans of Battery Island Brewing Company. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Battery Island Brewing Company is a veteran-owned nano-brewery located in historic downtown Havre de Grace. Battery Island Brewing Company features 12-taps in a cozy, pub-like setting. We offer a variety of beer styles to include hazy IPAs, sours, lagers, as well as other historic beer styles. We pride ourselves in focusing on quality first, ensuring that each step in the process is as closely controlled as possible, with the goal of making the best beer possible.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was interested in everything growing up. I was always thirsty for knowledge, so if I found a book on something, no matter how mundane, I would read it with interest. In high school, I was extremely driven: working two-jobs, playing sports, being elected to student government, and continuing to find interest in every class I took. This all led me on the path to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point, departing two-weeks after I graduated High School.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.batteryislandbrewing.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/batteryislandbrewing/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BatteryIslandBrewing/
