A Heart to Heart with Lift Bridge Brewing's Matt Hall

G: Where is your favorite place to put one back?

MH: Around a fire with friends and cool bar that has clean tap lines, glassware, and good beer.

G: What is your favorite part about Stillwater?

MH: The historic nature, people, proximity to the cities, and the quality of life.

G: What is the biggest misconception about your line of work?

MH: That it’s always unicorns and rainbows.

G: What is the most gratifying part of your job?

MH: The communal nature of beer and a compliment from a complete stranger.

G: Is there a beer that changed your perspective on what craft beer could and should be?

MH: I know I’m going to catch flack for this one, but off the shelves it’s probably Budweiser of a few years back. Can’t say it’s my favorite style or even recall the last time I had one but whenever I have, it’s been fresh, consistent, well-made, and met my expectations.

G: What’s the philosophy of your brewery?

MH: We brew what we like to drink and hope you agree.

G: Any new recipes you are working on?

MH: Pretty excited about the upcoming hop harvest. Kicking around doing a DIPA.

G: What do you see as the “next big thing” in the craft beer world?

MH: Localism. Craft beer for the most part is best enjoyed fresh and we’re getting to a point where you can find locally brewed world-class beer.

G: What about beer means so much to us as a society?

MH: That it brings people together and has for quite some time.

G: Favorite beer and food pairing?

MH: Fresh-caught fried walleye and a Pathway Pils.

G: What are you reading right now?

MH: Depends on which daughter’s turn it is to pick. It was Harold and the Purple Crayon last night and I have On Food and Cooking at my bedside.