Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Rigoulot.
Chris, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
So, I started out as a homebrewer and grew up watching my dad homebrew as well. So, it is kind of a family thing. After years of working for other people and feeling like a number rather than a contributor, plus a family health scare, I decided that life is short and I should at least attempt to do what I wanted with my life!
I had always had an idea to open my own business, more specifically a brewery. Watching my dad brew and helping him out was always something I looked forward to and something that he and I shared. So, I always had this idea of starting a family business, and here we are doing just that.
I went to brewing school, American Brewers Guild shout out! This is the same school Michael Peticolas and Wim Bens went to as well, so I feel like I am in some pretty good company there. I volunteered and worked for other breweries while taking brewing classes, all the while knowing that one day I would open my own. And it took a little longer than we planned… with a lot of setbacks. We went through 2 or 3 different buildings before landing in the Design District.
We opened in 2015 as a keg only operation, by 2016, we were in cans and were noticed by the sharp eyes of Neodif in France. With our growth here in States, we have also begun sales of our beer in France and by the end of the year look to launch other European markets as well. A lot of recognition of our brand comes from the can designs themselves. Our designs initially attract people to our beers for the creativity in the design, what keeps people coming back is for our creativity and pursuit of greatness in each of our beers!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has never been easy. Went through 2 to 3 buildings before landing where we are, issues with our build-out, a tank implosion, supplier delays which lead to production delays, and an ever-changing market. This is a fun industry and I really love what I do, but it has never been an easy road to travel on.
Noble Rey Brewing Company – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Well, we make beer and damn good beer at that! We started off with 4 core beers, added seasonals, and now we do quarterly beers that rotate every quarter in order to keep up with the changing demands of different seasons. As for “what we are known for?” I would have to say that we are known for our Strawberry Rhubarb Sour Saison called “Bridesmaids’ Tears”> I originally made the beer for my wedding and the name was inspired by actual events from the wedding… so yeah, that was fun.
I would say that what I am most proud of here would be the people that have helped make this company what it is today. My head brewer has been with me since day 1 and I have a lot of guys on my team that has worked for years. It’s been pretty cool to see them grow into specific roles here and really own what they do.
Our cans definitely set us apart from other breweries, and is what we are known for… on top of killer beers! We create some pretty out there beers, come up with a crazy name, and then, see what our designer gets inspired to illustrate for the can art.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I would say notoriety would be one measuring tool. How we are perceived in the industry and not just among the beer drinkers, but fellow brewers as well.
We look for things like online reviews on Untapped or Facebook to see how we are stacking up in an arena of public perception. This allows us to talk about what we are doing well and where we might need some improvement.
But if I am being 100% honest here, all businesses measure success by profitability and whether or not they are making the funds to continue growing.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2636 Farrington St
- Website: www.noblereybrewing.com
- Phone: 972-677-7612
- Email: info@noblereybrewing.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noblereybrewingcompany/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NobleReyBrewingCompanyLlc/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/NobleReyBrewing
Image Credit:
Danika Dobson, Cindy Long, Charla Storey Anderson
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