Ian Crane ’08, second from right, and Andy Boyd ’05, left, are passionate about beer. Particularly the unique, hand-crafted variety.
After years of home brewing, the friends – with assistance from brew master Nathan Jackel fs ’05, right, and their wives Sumer Crane ’05, and Emily Boyd ’04 – took their hobby to the next level.
They purchased an old Wichita warehouse and opened Central Standard Brewing in 2015. “I’m an entrepreneurship grad, so I’ve definitely applied what I learned,” says Boyd.
Crane, Boyd and Jackel create a wide range of seasonal, Belgian, IPA, Barrel Aged, Sour and Wild/Brett beers.
In October, they shared some of their brews at the annual Great American Beer Festival in Denver, one of the most prestigious of such events in the world.
For their oak-fermented tart Grissette, they won a silver medal in the “Other Belgian-Style Ale” category. “It’s a pretty big deal in the beer world,” says Boyd. “It’s a tough competition.” This was the first time a Wichita brewery won a medal there. “We’re proud to bring it back to Wichita,” says Jackel. Do these brew masters plan to keep winning? “Oh yeah,” he says. “We’ll be back for sure.”
