Independent
Brewing
Think Tank

Tim Nelson
CEO & Director of Development

Tim Nelson is a transformative figure in Minnesota’s craft beer scene. After obtaining his MBA, he co-founded Fitger’s Brewhouse in 1995, Duluth’s oldest and one of Minnesota’s most award-winning brewpubs. Nelson led the company for 20 years, spearheading growth through five new successful venues in Duluth: Burrito Union, Redstar Lounge, Tycoon’s Alehouse & Eatery, The Zenith Rathskeller, and the Endion Station Public House. Nelson was also an establishing member of the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild, serving two terms as board director.

Bev-Craft’s affiliate breweries benefit from Nelson’s considerable indie-beer business acumen and entrepreneurial experience. His focus is on all aspects of new accounts, from business planning to staffing, brewery design, and construction.

Dave Hoops
Consultant

While most recognized for his 16 years as brewmaster for the acclaimed Fitger’s Brewhouse, Dave Hoops has three decades of industry experience. He was a founding member of the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild, writes a column on beer for the Duluth News Tribune, is a national beer judge, and has won multiple medals at the Great American Beer Festival.

He began his career in the mid 80s as a wine buyer. In the early 1990s, he moved to San Francisco to work as a wine maker and Sommelier. While there, he was exposed to the burgeoning West Coast craft beer scene, got hooked on homebrewing, and instantly knew that was his path forward would be.

After studying brewing at both the University of California at Davis and the Siebel Institute in Chicago, Hoops landed a job at Pyramid Brewery in Berkeley. Hoops worked for several years as lead brewer at Pyramid before returning to Minnesota in 1999 to lead Fitger’s brewery.

Bev-Craft’s affiliate brewer clients have access to Hoops’ proven brewing ability—from brewhouse design to recipe creation to ingredient selection to best-practice SOPs and more.

Frank Kaszuba
Project Manager & Brewer

Bev-Craft’s Project Manager and Brewer, Frank Kaszuba, orchestrates the development of breweries in planning and helps propel their growth as an ongoing operational consultant.

Kaszuba’s beers have won myriad awards at national competitions including three medals at the Great American Beer Festival and numerous medals at Chicago’s Festival of Barrel Aged Beer. He was elected by his peers to serve on the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild Board of Directors in 2014 and 2015.

After earning a biology degree at Beloit College, the home-brewing Chicago native moved to Duluth to pursue a master’s degree in biology. He simultaneously began an apprenticeship at Lake Superior Brewing Company, launching what would become a 20-years-and-counting career in brewing. A year later, Kaszuba followed his passion for brewing to Anchorage, Alaska where he worked at the Borealis Brewery and later Cusack’s Brewpub. In 1999 Kaszuba moved back to Duluth and began brewing at Fitger’s Brewhouse. During his stint at the iconic brewpub, he held the positions of Shift Brewer, Lead Brewer, and eventually Head Brewer.

Brad Nelson
Director of Brands

Brad Nelson helps businesses find their identity and voice, and build community around them. In his former position, he developed brand personas for Fitger’s Brewhouse, Burrito Union, Redstar Lounge, Tycoon’s Alehouse & Eatery, Zenith Rathskeller, and Endion Station Public House.

Nelson began in publishing. He created and ran the independent Duluth alt-weekly, The Ripsaw (1998-2005). A stint as a beertender at Fitger’s Brewhouse gave him deeper knowledge of beer and craft beer culture. He became hooked on the industry and loves to tell the story of craft brewers.

Bev-Craft’s affiliate brewers will have the opportunity to work with Nelson on developing their brand in a way that will resonate with craft beer drinkers in their respective communities.