From Beverage Sales to Master Brewer
Growing up in Texas with a large family, Shae Vaughn has fond memories of gatherings where good food was plentiful, and beer and wine followed freely. But like many, his first sip of beer wasn’t his fondest. “It was golden, fizzed with carbonation and was ice cold. I remember every sip because it tasted...TERRIBLE,” he said. “With each new beer I tried, I learned more and more, and began developing my palate. No longer did every beer cost, taste, look or smell the same.”
As Shae’s palate expanded, so did his interest in how beer was made and developed. “I went from zero knowledge to a great understanding of my palate as well as what beer is and the industry,” said Shae. “I started off small with light mainstream industrialized American beer, then onto imported old world beers and have worked my way up into the craft beer movement.”
After educating himself on brewing, Shae knew he wanted to make a career for himself in the brewing industry. He became a Cicerone Certified Beer Server and wrote the book, Beer Snobs Are Boring: 6 Steps To Decode Your Palate And Feel Smart About Beer Without Being Bullied by Beer Snobs. He spent 15 years in beverage sales, and eventually landed a job as a sales rep for a craft beer distributor. “With each step of my beer odyssey, I grew more invested in beer and wanted to become a brewer,” said Shae.
He recently completed the in-person UC Davis Master Brewers Certificate Program and has since been hired as a brewhouse assistant at Storm Peak Brewing Company in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
Why did you choose the UC Davis Master Brewers Certificate Program?
Anyone I spoke to in the industry always talked about UC Davis and spoke of it highly or as the “Mecca” of brewing higher education – the “Harvard, MIT or Yale of brewing.” I told myself that if I was going to do this, I would go big, go to the best school and be trained by the best instructors. If I want to be the best, I have to learn from the best.
What were your goals going into the program and did you achieve them?
My goals were to learn about brewing science and engineering – mission accomplished. Meet industry leaders and professionals to build a network of people to contact when I have questions or need help (or potentially a job) – double check. And lastly, make new friends for life as fellow brewers – triple check!
Was there anything about the program that was unexpected or surprised you?
The sheer volume of information surprised me. I knew I would learn a considerable amount about brewing science, but what I didn’t expect to learn was everything else that is involved with brewing like packaging, distribution, equipment, kegs and cans, sustainability, quality control, ingredients, recipe design, brewing law, running a business and future applications. There is a massive world out there in brewing that’s not just about the beverage itself.
How do you feel the program helped improve your skills and knowledge as a brewer?
It gave me a foundation of knowledge that I did not have from my self-learning. I arguably have more knowledge and understanding about brewing now than some brewers with greater experience than me. I know that I have a strong foundation to work upon, and along with numerous textbooks, I have my instructors and classmates to call upon if I need help.
Learn Brewing from the Best
If your beer odyssey has you wanting to become a master brewer, the UC Davis Master Brewers Certificate Program can help. Contact an enrollment coach to learn more about our in-person and online options.
Would you recommend the Master Brewers Certificate Program?
Absolutely! This is the best experience probably of my lifetime so far. If you’re trying to get into the brewing industry, this is hands down the best program in the world to do that. I cannot speak highly enough about it.
What advice do you have for someone just about to enter the program or considering it?
Be curious. You’ll have a multitude of professors with decades of experience in the industry as well as numerous guest speakers. So be willing to get your hands dirty, be in the front row, ask questions and live without fear because this is a moment for you to learn and soak up all the information you can get. You’re coming to this program because you want to be here, and you want to learn and make the best beer possible.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
I plan on getting my “Ten Thousand Hours” of proficiency in brewing at Storm Peak Brewing, then moving on to learn new brewing techniques in Europe, Australia or New Zealand. I'd love to travel the world, as I have never left the US, and why not do it while studying, working and drinking beer.
I’m also interested in the vendor side of the industry, so I may get back into sales to sell ingredients like malt and hops to better understand the agricultural side of what fellow brewers look for in ingredients. Then once I feel I have a firm grasp on my brewing skills, I plan to start my own brewery, brand and business. Hopefully, one day I will win a Great American Beer Festival award and some World Beer Cup medals.