Bissell Brothers

Hadlock Lager’s ready for this week’s home stand and so are we ⚾️⚾️⚾️ Catch Bissell Brothers on the concourse at Friday’s game, come by n say hi 🍻

Today marks a full decade of working alongside one of America’s greatest one-of-ones: Geoff Ballou.

Before Geoff started at Bissell Brothers in 2016, he was Noah’s college roommate, meaning his thumbprint was on the company long before it was even an idea. For better or worse (often worse in the early days), he dutifully performed as Taster-In-Chief for Noah’s first two years of homebrew; helped rinse bottles in the bathtub; and even split the cost of the security deposit on a stovetop forever lost to scalding wort.

Years later, Geoff’s mechanically-inclined mind made an immediate impact on our packaging operations as soon as we poached him from the “automotive industry” back in Farmington. During his tenure as Packaging Manager, the brewery’s output has more than tripled – Geoff has overseen countless forklift certifications, the installation of multiple new canning lines, private sales of many employees' personal vehicles, and the meticulous and efficient packaging of over 3 MILLION gallons of beer.

He’s very fond of saying “There’s nothing you can do to make beer better at packaging, but there’s a whole lot you can do to make it worse.” Thanks to his leadership, this ethos has become foundational in how we approach packaging beer - be it keg, bottle, or aluminum can. His hatred for dissolved O2 and foam degradation is matched only by his love for angle grinders and zip ties (damn, does he love zip ties), and his patient attention to detail continues to result in some of the most consistently fresh-tasting liquid you can find.

Despite his functional prowess in daily operations, Geoff’s true superpower will never be quantifiable with a dissolved oxygen meter or balance sheet. From last minute schedule changes, to unforeseen mechanical issues, and whatever else hits the fan, Geoff always takes it on with unwavering positivity. His sense of humor and smile are contagious, and buoy the spirits of the entire company. His presence literally makes Bissell Brothers a better place to work.

He might not be able to make the beer *better*, but he sure as hell makes our world brighter, and we’d argue that’s a difference you can taste. We love you, Big Shooter.