Staff Spotlight: Bruce Bobitt

Bruce Bobitt, Brewer

Bruce has been with us from nearly the beginning, starting out as a Cellarman. Now, as one of our Brewers, Bruce accomplishes a myriad of tasks in the brew house each and every day with surgical, military-esque precision and unparalleled work ethic. Where does that work ethic come from? Well, partly from the military. Bruce served as a Navy SEAL and could probably kill each one of us with his bare hands in all manner of excruciating ways, but luckily for us he’s a relatively calm, well-adjusted family man. Relatively. Bruce has become a bit of a mentor around here, and he’s a crucial component of our brew team who we’re lucky to call a close friend.

Q: What sparked your interest in craft beer (any brew in particular that started it all)?

A: I was a home brewer from Denver who wanted to apply my passion for brewing on a larger scale. In my eyes craft beer is an artisanal pursuit, and I wanted the chance to work in that kind of environment. Almost four years later and it hasn’t scared me off yet.

Q: Best (or worst) memory from BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL) training? How did that rigorous experience shape you, and what do you miss most about the Navy SEALs?

A: My best memory is probably passing pool comp (pool competence) in Second Phase. (*Note: The Pool Competence test during the diving phase of BUD/S is the grueling successor to First Phase’s “Hell Week.” Read all about this demanding test of will and endurance here. It does for pools what JAWS did for the ocean.)

My worst memory? Swimming under the wrong ship during a hull familiarization dive. Detail is everything when you want to be “Someone Special,” so that’s what shaped me the most and something that I’ll never have to miss. It has served me well in the brewery as we practice painstaking attention to detail all day–every day–here at Motorworks.

Q: What are your three favorite novels of all time? Anything interesting you’re currently reading or have read lately? (Thanks again for lending us Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian.)

A: LonesomeDove by Larry McMurtry (originally written as a screenplay and later adapted into a TV mini-series), The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov,and Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead. Right now I am diving into American Sour Beers by Michael Tonsmeire.

Q: If you could only drink one style of beer for the rest of your life, what’s your pick?

A: I am a sucker for Pale Ales and IPAs.

Q: What’s the biggest misconception people have about working in a brewery?

A: That there is a smidgen of glamour to it. And by that I just mean that it’s grubby, sweaty work. I’m soaked through to my shoes within an hour each day and it’s a tasking job. You truly have to love what you do; I’m just doing my part to brew world-class beer and inspire excellence each day.

Q: Last but no least, what styles of beer do you typically enjoy? Go-to Motorworks brew?