From Bell’s:
After 21+ years of service with Bell’s and a year helping to lead a successful integration with New
Belgium, the craft beer icon is taking a break
COMSTOCK, MI , Jan 11, 2023 – Bell’s Brewery today announced that VP of Brewing & Quality, John Mallett will step down in late February – after 21 years with the brewery during which he built an unparalleled legacy of achievement, to enjoy well-deserved time with family and pursue his many other interests. His departure comes after a year spent helping to lead a successful integration with New Belgium Brewing and preparing his team to uphold the company’s industry-leading standards for brewing quality, innovation, and safety.
“John’s contributions to Bell’s, and to the entire craft beer community, are truly impossible to measure or even say out loud,” said Carrie Yunker, Executive Vice President of Bell’s Brewery. “He’s a brilliant brewer and a visionary operator who brings a strong sense of passion and a willingness to bust through constraints to every beer he makes and every life he touches. We will all miss John's humor, wit, and steady presence in the brewery, but his legacy isn’t going anywhere. We wish him the very best.”
In his 21+ years with Bell’s, Mallett has been a driving force behind the commitment to both quality and safety that the company is known for today. He worked for several years to establish robust teams and processes focused specifically on best-in-class quality standards and safety-always protocols. As volume growth continued to demand numerous expansions and buildouts of the Comstock, Mich., brewery,
Mallett remained committed to growing manufacturing capabilities responsibly, with a focus on protecting our resources for generations to come. Most recently, Mallett played a vital role during a year of transition for Bell’s – focused, as always, on building operational excellence for the future.
Mallett first joined the professional craft beer community as a brewer over 35 years ago, when less than 100 craft breweries existed in the United States. After numerous roles in the industry, including head brewer of Boston's Commonwealth Brewery, Brewmaster at the Old Dominion Brewing Co. in Ashburn, Virginia, and founder and President of SAAZ, a brewery equipment and service provider, he moved to Southwest Michigan in 2001 to spearhead operations at Bell’s Brewery as we broke ground on what is now the company’s main brewing facility in Comstock, Mich., just a few miles from its Kalamazoo birthplace and home.
Bell’s honored Mallett’s 20th anniversary with the brewery by establishing the John Mallett Scholarship, a scholarship awarded to an individual looking to further their studies through the courses offered by the Master Brewers Association of the Americas. With a focus on helping the next generation of brewers, the endowed scholarship debuted in 2022.
“John brings a wealth of experience, knowledge, and incredible passion to all that he does,” said Steve Fechheimer, CEO of New Belgium Brewing. New Belgium and Bell’s announced plans to join forces in November 2021 and have since been focused on bringing the two businesses together. “John has dedicated decades to operations, quality, and safety at Bell’s and recently, across the broader organization. He has been an invaluable leader, teacher, friend, and coworker to all of us, and he will be greatly missed.”
While at Bell’s, Mallett also continued to dedicate his talents to the industry writ large. He has served on numerous brewing technical committees and boards, including roles as President of the Master Brewers Association of the Americas, Board member and Technical Committee Chairperson for the Brewers Association, Chairperson of the American Malting Barley Association, and President of the Hop Quality Group. In 2002, he was the recipient of the Institute for Brewing Studies Russell Schehrer Award for Brewing Innovation, and in 2021, he was awarded the Recognition Award by the Brewers Association.
“As I reflect on my 20+ years of working out of Comstock, the brightest point by far is the relationships I’ve built with coworkers, beer fans, farmers, researchers, suppliers, tradespersons, students, the media, publicans, design professionals, educators, distributors, regulators and fellow brewers,” said Mallett. “I can say without hesitation or doubt, that this has been an experience beyond my wildest dreams. The brands and breweries we’ve built together are impressive, but the people and teams behind these achievements deserve a far greater spotlight. Leading these teams has been a true honor for me professionally, and I know the leadership and all the coworkers at Bell's remain steadfast in their commitment to always making world class beer.”
Mallett is a graduate of the Siebel Institute of Technology, where he taught for many years. He has authored many technical resources including Malt: A Practical Guide from Field to Brewhouse, Mallett is the proud father of two children, a volunteer ski patroller, a passionate sailor, and he is the only individual to have served professionally on every one of the World Beer Cup’s blind tasting panels.
John Mallett’s many accomplishments pale in comparison to the mark he has left on the culture and spirit of fun that exists at Bell’s. His legacy will live on as Bell’s continues into 2023 and beyond, and many a Two Hearted will be raised in his honor.
ABOUT BELL’S BREWERY
Bell’s Brewery began in 1985 in Kalamazoo, Michigan, with Larry Bell, a quest for better beer and a 15- gallon soup kettle. Since then, Bell’s has grown into one of the largest craft breweries in America, thanks to its iconic brands such as Two Hearted IPA, Oberon Ale and Hopslam Ale. Bell’s believes that business – and beer – can be powerful tools to renew our trust not only in each other, but the world around us.
Bell’s ‘Inspired Brewing’ philosophy represents our collective responsibility to create meaningful change by resourcing responsibly as stewards of our environment, byre-igniting and celebrating our distinct senses of creativity, and by re-energizing the common belief we can come together to make good on the promise of a more prosperous future for all.
Bell’s distributes its best-in-class beer to 44 states, in addition to Puerto Rico and Washington DC. It currently brews more than 20 beers for distribution out of its Comstock, Michigan brewery as well as many small-batch beers that are served at the Eccentric Café in Kalamazoo, Michigan. For more information, please visit BellsBeer.com.
0 comments (click to read or post):
Post a Comment
Please leave a comment...I do moderate each comment so it may not appear immediately...and please be nice! You can also comment using Disqus (below) or even comment directly on Facebook (bottom).