Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike Morrison
Mike and Seth Gibson are the founders of Madewest Brewing Co.
MadeWest is the result of two lifelong friends and California natives seeking to share their passion for quality handmade craft beer with others. A diligent home brewer for over a decade, Head Brewer Mike had always imagined turning his obsessive interest in craft beer into a full-time venture. When he joined forces with his lifelong buddy Seth Gibson, whose background in business gave him the experience needed to bring a production brewery to life, Mike’s vision was realized, and MadeWest was born.
With a dedication to growing the business up from the roots of their own community, they set about raising capital among friends and family—and today an overwhelming sentiment remains among the company’s investors: they not only invested in a product they believe in but most importantly in the two individuals whose personal stories and shared vision continues to shape and grow MadeWest Brewing Company into a full-scale production brewery and a brick and mortar space that reflects the heart of Ventura.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
What began as a decade-long backyard brewing project that produced 10-gallon batches of homebrew, is now a full production brewery putting out 1,000-gallon batches on a 3-vessel, 30 BBL brewhouse. Scaling at this capacity was, of course, no easy task.
Thankfully, we had the good fortune of having the guidance of a number of our heroes in the industry, who helped make the transition smooth, bringing MadeWest Brewing Company to a place where we are producing award-winning craft beer just a year after opening.
Opened in January 2016, our tasting room is the community watering hole and creative space that we long dreamt of creating for our hometown. From regulars grabbing post-workday pints, to group celebrations and live music shows, to visitors catching island views from the patio, we provide a place for the enjoyment of common interests in quality craft beer and quality time spent.
MadeWest Brewing Co. – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Our vision is inspired by the spirit of our home state — a spirit of adventure, creative thinking and a healthy respect for the great outdoors — and by our passion for good beer, good design, and overall good life experiences.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
When Seth and I started MadeWest in 2015, we had one goal in mind, and that was to share quality craft beer with our community.
We had no idea what kind of response it would get and to be honest we would have been just as happy with ten customers as we were 1000.
It’s been one heck of a ride and truly amazing to see the response from our community. We are humbled and incredibly thankful!
Contact Info:
- Address: 1744 Donlon St. Ventura, CA 93003
- Website: madewest.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madewestbeer/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/madewestbeer/
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
