Hey guys! I’m sorry I missed writing to you last week. Like most of you, we’re living in the cycle of no real news but also everything could change in a minute. It’s a hard place to be, and it is extremely hard to wrap our heads around. I’ve been having a hard time communicating my feelings and emotions which makes it difficult to write. I opened the computer to write last week and honestly thought, “I don’t really have anything new to say.” And really (spoiler), I don’t have a whole lot that is new to say this week; but what I do have is a need to connect with you all. We’re building this brewery on the premise of building and supporting the community. And it’s hard to be in community with you, without being WITH you, and so I’m writing just to check-in. Because this is the best way that I can be with you right now.

The first thing John and I want to make sure that we get out there into the world is that we are GRATEFUL. We feel the love from all of you. Thank you for continuing to go out of your way to support us during this time. We appreciate more than you can know that you’re still coming in to grab carry-out from Trek. It has been a wild ride, and every week is new and unpredictable. We’re grateful that you think of us when you decide where to eat. We’ve gotta say, thanks to all of your awesome reviews, Bryon’s burgers are really starting to change the conversation about the best burger in Licking County.

Last week we had an incredible small-batch brew on tap, the Orange-Vanilla Canteen. I don’t think we’ve EVER blown through a beer so fast. John and I were absolutely blown away by you all, and we’re thankful that we’re able to experiment and push out new beers at this time. Thank you for coming out to try them!

In the last few weeks, John applied for every small business grant known to man. He was a paperwork machine. Many of you have asked if we received any of the grants, and we’re happy to say that we did get the Paycheck Protection Program grant. We’re grateful to be able to bring our team back to Trek. All of our bartenders are getting some hours back at the brewery now, and we’re so incredibly happy to have them.

Bringing back our team has allowed John to get back to brewing. He spent yesterday making a batch of the All Together IPA. All Together is a worldwide collaboration IPA brewed to support the hospitality industry during COVID-19. The original recipe was created by Other Half Brewing Co., and they shared with the world. As of the writing of this post, it’s being brewed in 661 breweries, from 43 countries, and in 41 of the 50 states. It seems fitting that this brew is the first one that we brewed during the pandemic. It reminds us that we really are ALL in this TOGETHER, and we’ll ALL get through it TOGETHER. We can’t wait to taste this New England IPA.

I’ll close by saying we miss you terribly. It’s almost eerie to have an empty taproom. We’re looking forward to the time when we can be with you again. We miss our community. We’re thinking about you often, and we hope that you are all well. If there is something that we can help with, please don’t hesitate to reach out! We’re still here because of you. We’re still here for you.

Cheers friends. Be well.