Have you ever felt drawn to an abandoned building,compelled to venture down a seemingly innocuous side street at random, or curious why everyone looks mechanical and mindless walking to work?
These curiosities can be explained by psychogeography; how certain environments can shape the way you think and feel. The art of immersing yourself in new and different psychogeographical environments is called a Dérive, or an urban drift; allowing yourself to be conscious of the objects affecting your current surroundings and how they influence the layers and flow around you. This term perfectly describes what the founders of Dérive Brewing Company hope their customers experience while drinking their beer; an impulse in spontaneity, going against the grain, sticking your noise where it doesn’t belong.
Dérive is composed of Luke Sherrill and Peter Steffes of Columbus, and Michael Coates of Dayton. With over a decade of brewing and craft beer industry experience they bring a wide collective of ideas and knowledge. Luke Sherrill is currently completing the Master Brewer Program at the world-renowned Seibel Institute in Chicago. Peter Steffes works in Research and Development at a major
International food company holding a degree in Food Science, and brings a wealth of knowledge around wild yeast and bacteria. Michael Coates has worked and brewed in the craft beer industry since 2010 and holds a degree in Business, allowing the company to utilize effective, low cost marketing strategies to enable grass roots growth so they can focus time and energy on quality and product.
Initially, Dérive will have no brick and mortar, no place to call home. They will utilize the space and equipment of various breweries to produce and package their beer known as “Gypsy Brewing”.
Dérive’s brewing process will allow for a unique experience every time; influencing both the brewing process and the way the beer evolves. Their primary focus will be centered around oak aged beers,spontaneously and oak fermented beers, Saisons and sessions. With contract and barrel brokerage agreements in place, their production will begin to steadily ramp up in November. Dérive’s first two public offerings will at this year’s Festival of Barrel Aged Beers in Chicago, November 10-11th and just recently added to Big Beers and Barelywine in Dayton on November 10th. Due to FoBAB’s rules and regulations, they are legally bound from releasing the names/styles of their submissions at this time. However, the following offerings will be offered up at select taprooms in Dayton and Columbus later this fall including: a 100% Brett Fermented IPA, Salty Saison, Traditional Mix fermentation Saison, Session Pale and a Baltic Porter. For more information please visit facebook.com/derivebeer and please follow Derivebeer on Instagram for regular updates and news.
