Brewer: What is the cost of hiring?

Why hire a brewer?

A brewer will take their love of beer and knowledge of brewing processes to create unique beers for your business. They also regularly develop new recipes to provide the best and most exciting beers for new and existing clients.

Contributions of a great brewer:

• Expert knowledge of brewing process
• Passion for beer and beer-making
• Ability to develop new flavours

What are the different types of brewers?

Brewers can work for larger beer companies or small craft breweries. They will be experts at safely creating flavourful beer so that it can be served and sold to the public. Some brewers will also make their own independent beers, only making one-off batches and selling to friends or families. The following is a list of different types of brewers.

• Craft/independent brewer: Brewers who make unique small batches of beer.
• Brewer for a brewery: Brews beer for a large brewery.
• Brewing expert: Will brew beer for a specialty beer company.
• Assistant brewer: Will help the brewer with making the beer and cleaning the machinery.

Where to find a brewer

To find the right brewer for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

• Referrals: Asking friends, family, and colleagues for referrals is a great way of finding a brewer. A lot of brewers work independently, so it’s a good idea to check with the people you know when looking for a qualified candidate.
• Networking events: Bars and restaurants often have events for people working in the business. Attending such events is a great way of finding brewers who might be looking for a new place to work.
• Professional associations: Local professional associations for brewers are a great place to find experienced brewers. Members will have qualifications, meaning you will find a quality candidate for the brewer job you are hiring for.
• Post your job online: Try posting your brewer job on Indeed to find and attract quality brewer candidates.

Skills to look for in a great brewer

A great brewer candidate will have the following skills and attributes as well as work experience that reflects:

• an expert knowledge of brewing process and the ingredients required
• being creative and highly trained in taste profiles
• being personable and reliable
• great communication skills and the ability to explain brewing to both the public and non-experts
• an expert knowledge of cleaning and safety protocols
• the ability to maintain accurate records and inventory

Writing a brewer job description

A thoughtful description is important for finding qualified brewer candidates. A brewer job description includes a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities, and the required and preferred skills for the position.

When writing your brewer job description, consider including some or all of the following keywords to improve the visibility of your job posting. These are the most popular search terms leading to clicks on brewer jobs, according to Indeed data:

• brewery
• brewer
• beer
• brewing
• craft beer
• head brewer
• microbiology
• production worker
• craft brewery
• craft expert

Interviewing brewer candidates

Strong candidates for brewer positions will be confident answering questions regarding:

• Experience with customers, including difficult ones
• Ability to explain taste profiles to the public
• Ability to maintain accurate records and inventory
• Experience creating unique beers
• Expert knowledge of cleaning procedures and public safety measures

Need help coming up with interview questions? See our list of interview questions for examples (with sample answers).