OUR TEAM
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Aaren Simoncini
PRESIDENT
aaren@beerdbrewing.com
Having grown up in Southeastern Connecticut, Aaren longed to return to his coastal community upon the completion of his Bachelor in Finance at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Securing an accounting position in Mystic afforded him the opportunity to hone his business management skills while also working to expand his brewing experience via homebrewing and some volunteer work at a local brewery. In 2012 Aaren and his wife Precious opened The Beer'd Brewing Company as a Nano brewery in Stonington, producing 100 barrels in year one. In 2019 a second facility was opened in Groton, and the company produced 6,500 barrels of beer for distribution throughout CT, MA, and RI. In his spare time, you can find Aaren shredding some pow, chasing birds with his pointing dogs, or sharing a beer with friends.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MIKE LARSON
Vice President
MIKE@ALVARIUMbeer.com
Mike is the Operations, Mechanical Engineer, and all-around brewery MacGyver for Alvarium Beer Company. They’re comprised of three amazingly hard-working and talented individuals who want nothing more than to melt your face with some killer craft beer. Nestled in the industrial center of New Britain, Conn., ABC was founded on the principal of revitalizing a historical city with the mighty power of some kick-ass beer. Their brewery is not focused on mass production. Instead, they want to create an ultra-communal taproom where people of all types can unite under the flag of "righteous craft beer." Drink up, baby!
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jobina Miller
Treasurer
jobina@epicurebrewing.com
Jobina Miller grew up Chaplin, CT and received a Bachelor degree in Economics from Eastern Connecticut State University. She now resides in Canterbury, Connecticut. Her love for travel had her visiting many breweries with her husband and friends which lead to the idea of having their own brewery. She is one of the shareholders of Epicure Brewing in Norwich, CT which they opened in 2017. An Epicure enjoys the finer things in life, typically a term reserved for food and wine but why not beer. She has been the co-chair for the Pink Boots Society Connecticut Chapter for the past 2 years. It has been a great opportunity to meet other women in the industry and network with them. The Connecticut brewing community has been such a supporter of our endeavors with Pink Boots it has made her love this industry even more.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Heather Wilson
Secretary
heather@hopculturefarms.com
Heather Wilson is the Co-Owner and Head Brewer at Hop Culture Farms and Brew Co. She resides in Colchester CT where her farm brewery is located. She has had a vigorous passion for beer, and while homebrewing became infatuated with the agricultural side of beer, specifically hop production. Along with her husband and in-laws she purchased a 40 acre farm, where they began growing hops with the intention of using in her brews as well as to help supply other breweries with local hops. As their business evolved, her passion and role shifted to becoming the sole brewer for their operation. Her ultimate goal is to create an agritourism destination where you take beer from farm to glass. She not only wants to use their own hops and ingredients from the farm, but also wants to highlight ingredients from other local farms and artisans. She truly envisions creating local community epicenters through craft. As a female brewer she also feels passionate about introducing and helping more women become interested in the production side of brewing. In her spare time she may be found wrangling her three little girls (the future women of craft beer she hopes!) and drinking all the stouts she can get her hands on.
BOARD MEMBER
Mike zaccaro
mike@toxbrewing.com
Mike Zaccaro is the Co-Owner/Founder, Head of Brewing and Operations of Tox Brewing Company in New London CT - While growing up in the area and hanging out with his good friend Dayne, Mike spent a lot of time playing in bands and exploring many interests before discovering craft beer, no sooner than the ripe age of 21 of course. His love of craft beer pushed him towards brewery tourism and intense homebrew experimentation. He graduated from UConn in 2009 and bounced around a few corporate supply chain jobs prior to opening Tox. He still lives in the area with his wife Lily, son Theodore, daughter Olivia, and dog Berkeley. When not making beer or participating in guild events, Mike is likely trying to perfect his back porch Neapolitan pizza, begrudgingly exercising, indulging in travel and eating experiences, or in sweatpants on the living room floor playing with with legos and toy trucks... sometimes with his kids. Mike has always been a believer and champion of the CT beer industry and Brewer's Guild and is excited to dig in and get to work.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Ryan Galligan
ryan.galligan@tworoadsbrewing.com
Ryan, an Analyst in the QA Lab at Two Roads Brewing Company and Area Two, has been passionate about quality craft beer for more than a decade. She first started homebrewing with her husband in 2008, which quickly changed from just a hobby to a new career path. Focused on ensuring quality craft beer, Ryan has been an active BJCP judge more than a decade. She recently achieved the rank of National Beer Judge, which currently makes her the highest ranked female beer judge in the state of CT (and is always happy to "study" beer with willing participants).
Ryan is also an active member of the CT Pink Boots Society; an organization that strives to assist, inspire, and encourage, women and/or non-binary individuals in the fermented and alcoholic beverage industry to advance their careers through education.
Prior to joining Two Roads Brewing in 2019, Ryan was the manger at a small Central CT brewery for several years, learning a lot about day-to-day operations in brewing and sharing her passion for craft beer with everyone she met.
In addition to all things quality, Ryan enjoys spending time with her husband and visiting all of the amazing breweries that CT has to offer! You've likely even seen her crouched down on the ground petting the nearest dog with a pint in hand. Ryan enjoys drinking Munich Dunkel, Festbiers, and complex barrel aged stouts and sours. When you see her in your local taproom or pouring at a beer fest, say hi and give her a crisp high-five!
BOARD MEMBER
PETER COWLES
PETER@ASPETUCKBREWLAB.COM
Peter is the Founder/CEO/Chief Beer Scientist at the Aspetuck Brew Lab, where there is no shortage of excellent, award-winning beers. With 17 years of amateur brewing experience, Peter has racked up medals in some of the most prestigious and competitive brewing competitions in the US. A student of the style guidelines, Cowles has won medals with over 40 different styles of beer, mead and cider. Accomplishments include 15 medals from the NHC first and second round competitions and numerous Masters Championship qualifiers, including a gold medal in the 2013 finals for his BarleyHopper Barleywine. His black IPA was selected as Best-in-Show in 2011 by the Heartland Brewing Company, resulting in a commercial brewing collaboration, and Sir Blackheart flowed from the taps of three of Heartland's New York City restaurants for a month. Along with 25+ years of marketing and business strategy experience and an MBA from The Stern School at NYU, he brings a creativity and energy to the Lab that will result in some of the most creative, flavorful and well-made beers available. Anywhere!
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MIKE TEED
MIKE@BLACKPONDBREWS.com
Mike started brewing in January 2010 with now co-owner Cory, because they both love beer. It didn't take long before the act, the ideas, and the processes of brewing began to take over their lives. Shortly thereafter they dubbed themselves Black Pond Brews, after a pond where they had some fun and memorable times in Woodstock, CT. Within no time they were entering their beers into homebrew competitions and they were met with immediate success. Spurred by this success and by the constant clamoring of their friends and family to make more beer, they really began to ask themselves: how do we turn this passion for producing beer into a commercial reality? Their project is not only valuable to them, but to the community in which they operate. Their beautiful, quiet town of Danielson, CT is a destination for anyone who loves beer, be they local or travelers. Who doesn't love beer? Further, who doesn't love MORE beer to try?!
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
David Wollner
david.wollner@willibrew.com
David began homebrewing in 1980 while attending The University of CT and getting a bachelor of arts in Medical Anthropology. With a passion for photography and beer he attended many of the Brewer’s Association CBC’s while continuing to homebrew. In 1991, he opened Main Street Café as a gourmet coffee, ice cream, deli restaurant in the abandoned Capital Theater in Willimantic. After three years he moved to an existing restaurant and began serving craft beers and a full menu. In 1996 he teamed up with a local business and began to renovate a historic U.S. Post office which had been vacant since 1967. February 8th 1997 Willimanitc Brewing Company was born. Former Vice President of the CT Brewers Guild for a couple of terms, he continues to support the livelihood of CT craft beer…and in his spare time plays disc golf.