In this episode, I connected with Dru Ernst. Dru is the co-founder and head brewer of Dru Bru Taproom and Brewery, based in Washington state. Born and raised in Merced, California, Dru fell in love with beer when he spent a summer in Germany with his foreign exchange student's family. Dru then attended Gonzaga University on a tennis scholarship where he met his wife and graduated with a BS in Civil Engineering. Dru and his wife moved to Seattle where Dru became an avid homebrewer brewing small batches for friends and family in the backyard of his townhouse. His passion for beer quickly grew into an obsession and he decided to quit his job as a full-time civil engineer to pursue a career as a business owner and head brewer.
Dru, along with his wife (Sara) and two other business partners joined forces and identified Snoqualmie Pass, WA as the perfect location for Dru Bru. They broke ground in the summer of 2013 and officially opened their doors to the public on December 19, 2014. Since then Dru Bru has been awarded 23 medals at regional and craft brewing competitions and opened a second 18,000 square foot taproom and warehouse in Cle Elum WA. For more information about Dru Bru, please visit www.drubru.com.
Dru is a proud father of two and enjoys spending his time exploring all that the Pacific Northwest has to offer.
