Page 5 of The Problem with Perfect

It’s the one thing Jackson has nailed down that’s of primary importance: we need to keep as much of the original structure as possible. Apparently old things are much more attractive than new things in the brewery space.

It speaks to the hipster soul.

My eyes nearly rolled right out of my head at that, but I just went with it because my business partner is nothing if not knowledgeable about this kind of shit. I, on the other hand, am focused almost exclusively on the product, on the actual beer we brew. It’s been my baby for the past ten years and is where I tend to focus the majority of my time and energy.

I don’t care what Jackson says about the fact that people will buy anything if you market it right. If I don’t believe in what I’m selling, I’m doing something wrong, and I know without a shadow of a doubt that Cedar Cider is a top-notch, quality craft beer.

“I’m glad to hear that,” says our contractor Nick, a smile on his face as he leads me around to the front again. “We’ve been pushing to make up for the time we lost in March.”

I nod. We had an unexpected dumping of snow in early March that took a few weeks to melt off, and that delayed the project start date. I know construction jobs always come up against hiccups and delays, but I wasn’t expecting to face such a big one right from the jump.

Thankfully, Nick is the kind of guy whoalsoisn’t a fan of delays, and I’ve been pleased to see just how aggressively he’s tried to recoup the lost time.

“What’s the timeline for installing the brewing equipment?” I step through the open doorway to the main space, looking at the long wall where the majority of the distillers will be lined up as a backdrop for the bar.

“By July at the latest. We’re going to stick with setting up the interior in phases, like we discussed, and we need to get the kitchen elements in first before we bring in such large equipment. Otherwise it’ll be a game of ‘will it all fit’, which is just a waste of time for everyone.”

I cross my arms, mulling it over. I communicated that the brewing equipment needed to be in as early as possible so we could begin using it. Ideally, I’d have liked three months with it before we open in September, but I guess two will have to do.

“Alright, well, keep me posted about how things progress.”

We shake hands. “Always.”

I head back to my Chevy, leaving Nick and his crew behind to continue the final window installation that’s happening today. I hop into the driver’s seat and pull out my phone.

Me: Things are going good. We’ll be able to finalize the equipment order in the next few weeks.

Almost instantly, I see the bubbles that mean Jackson is responding.

Jackson: Awesome. I’ll set up the meeting with Harold.

Boyd: Harold’s the guy from BruWorks?

Jackson: Yeah.

Me: And you’re still sure BruWorks is who we should work with? Because I’ve been using Master Brewer for ten years.

We’ve had this discussion a few times, and I’ve asked for him to confirm and reconfirm the reasons behind why he thinks BruWorks is the better company to purchase our new, much larger brewing equipment from.

Jackson: Yes. I am.

I can almost hear his irritation through the text, but I can’t help it. I’m not great with change. I’m not the kind of guy who jumps on the new hot thing that’s changing the game. I’m the guy who sticks with one thing for decades.

Deodorant.

Cereal.

Windshield wiper fluid.

Brewing equipment is no different, and I’ve been using Master Brewer since I first started brewing in my garage, though with a much smaller setup. I did it as a way to distract myself after I moved back to Cedar Point, and now their machinery is so intrinsic to me that switching manufacturers feels like a punch to the gut.

But Jackson is more than just my roommate and college buddy. He’s one of my business partners for a reason, and I trust him. I trust not only his knowledge and experience but his intuition as well. So if he says it’s the right move, I need to trust that, too.

Me: Sounds good. Just let me know when.

Jackson: Will do

I drop my phone into the cup holder, pulling out of the gravel lot and down the dirt road that’s just off the end of Main Street and heading back into town. Today is a lot busier than I thought it was going to be, and I still have quite a few deliveries to make, both here in Cedar Point and throughout several of the small mountain communities nearby that keep Cedar Cider stocked in their convenience stores and restaurants. Nobody told me how much driving would be involved in keeping a small brewing business afloat. Most days I feel more like I’m delivering pizza than crafting beer.

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