Vine Street Brewing Co. Welcomes Dez Jones to the Brew Crew
In the heart of Kansas City, where the echoes of jazz legends still bounce off the walls, Vine Street Brewing Co. is stirring up something special. In the mix of hops and dreams, we’re jazzed to welcome the latest addition to our crew, Dez Jones. Grab a pint and pull up a chair as we chat with Dez about her excitement about joining the team and how she's blending her unique background into the craft beer scene at Vine Street.
1. Could you share with us a bit about how you got into brewing and what inspired you to take this path?
Oh yes! So, initially, making pickles and kimchee was my intro to fermentation. I was fascinated by the idea of preserving food. I also liked the idea of being able to dial in the flavor/texture of my pickles and kimchee to my palate. Versus just accepting whatever store-bought brands were available.
But I really didn’t start thinking about brewing beer till I started working at a local gastro pub here in KC that had a mandatory monthly beer class.
In those classes, I really learned how to taste and differentiate different beer styles. I learned what foods and flavors paired with specific beer styles. But most importantly, for me, I was being taught the history of beer, as well as the innovations of the craft beer movement in North America.
In 2015, I bought a home brew kit from Northern Brewing, saw yeast flocculate for the first time, and I never looked back.
2. What aspects of brewing are you most excited about now that you’re joining the Vine Street Brewing Co. team?
I’m excited about being part of a team that loves beer and community as much as I do. I’m looking forward to collaborating, getting to know one another, and telling our stories through beer.
3. As a black woman brewer, joining Missouri’s first black-owned brewery is significant. Could you tell us what this means to you and how you hope to make an impact?
Being asked to join the Vine Street Brewing team has been nothing short of incredible. The gravity of what Vine Street Brewing opening means to KC isn't lost on me. As well as the craft beer industry nationwide.
The fact is, there aren’t many folks who look like me, Woody, Elliot, Kemet, and Annie in this industry. It’s growing, for sure. Vine Street Brewing's opening in the historically black 18th and Vine district in Kansas City is powerful and inspiring.
I never got into beer to make an impact, honestly. I just loved beer; it’s a community and a tether connecting us to our ancestors.
But representation matters. Kansas City Black History matters. As a Queer Afro-Latinidad woman, I am so honored and humbled to be given the opportunity to be a part of that landscape.
Not only for my love of beer but for those who will come after me, who look like me, and can see themselves pursuing this career.
4. What new ideas or innovations are you looking forward to bringing to our beer offerings here at Vine Street Brewing Co.?
I’m fairly new-ish to writing recipes in a professional setting. So, I’m mostly looking forward to learning as much as possible about that from Elliot and Woody.
Given the opportunity, I’d love to bring my love of tangible adjuncts and maybe even do some barrel aging. My favorite style of beer is an American Pale Ale. It’s so accessible to the palate. So easy to manipulate. So crushable. Yet willing to be versatile if that’s your desire. It can be as interesting or straightforward as you like.
5. Do you have a particular moment in your brewing career that stands out as a testament to your passion for this craft?
I think the testament to my passion is that I’ve never let my setbacks or tough days on the job discourage me from moving forward in this industry.
Just like any other career, there are growing pains. Plenty of mistakes to be made. Back-breaking tasks. Lessons to learn.
But, my love for fermentation and making beer has never wavered through the ups and downs.
Whenever I’ve been discouraged, it’s that love of the craft that keeps me coming back again and again.
It’s crazy to think that I went most of my life not making beer. Because after home brewing my first one, I was hooked. Even then, I knew I wanted to do it professionally someday. And even now, if I couldn’t do it professionally, I would still continue to homebrew.
6. Your background in music is very interesting. How does this influence your approach to brewing and creativity at Vine Street Brewing Co.?
As a creative, artistic person, I have a deep curiosity for how things fit together.
Whether it’s music, visual arts, making fermented beverages, or cooking dinner, my creativity always links back to curiosity. And my curiosity always takes me to new discoveries. Which inevitably continues this cycle of creation that I seek.
Curiosity is a fundamental of invention. So, in addition to experience and skill, what better to bring to a place of creation than your curiosity?
7. Vine Street Brewing Co. is a central part of the local community. How do you plan to engage with our patrons and the wider community in your new role?
In addition to being a part of the Brewing team, I’m super excited to also be behind the bar at Vine Street Brewing. With that I’m really looking forward to engaging with customers and educating them on our products, basic beer knowledge, and getting feedback on our product and vibe, overall.
It’s that feedback that lets me know the temperature of a community—its concerns, wants, likes, and dislikes.
I’m not entirely sure exactly what’s in store for my future at Vine Street, but I’m looking forward to being accessible to our customer base as well as the Brewing community as a whole.
Ultimately, I’m really proud to be a part of the first professional black brewing team in KC. I really enjoy making beer. And if I can do that, in a way that speaks to you, and possibly even the community at large, I will feel I have done my job.
