Say Hi To Zarah

Meet the first mate of BrewDog…

Every day at BrewDog is all hands to the deck. So it’s just as well we’ve got Zarah AKA the BrewDog boatswain. From taking #BrewPix to organising merchandise, training barpups to sending e-newsletters, Zarah is blazing the way for future scamps on the BrewDog Graduate Scheme. Who’d have thought a degree in Jewish and Islamic history could lead to a career in craft beer…

“I first became aware of BrewDog when I moved to Scotland to do some travelling. A friend – who knew I was into craft beer – showed me a BrewDog beer mat and told me I had to check them out. Whilst at uni in Sydney I’d worked in a craft beer bar so when BrewDog Glasgow was set to open I was champing at the bit to work there. Sadly I just missed out on the recruitment phase, which was just as well because I ended up going for the Graduate Scheme instead – it’s bizarre that a degree in Jewish and Islamic History, two cultures not known for having an affiliation with alcohol, could have helped me land the job!”

One of Zarah’s most important jobs is looking after our shareholders. An eclectic bunch who aren’t afraid to voice their opinion about the company or our beers, Zarah is responsible for organising shareholder meets and generally making sure everyone gets their voice heard:

“The shareholders are a fantastic bunch, united by their passion for BrewDog and determination to join the craft beer charge. The shareholders aren’t short of an opinion or two which is great for keeping us on our toes. They are fresh, relevant guardians of the vision and very much part of the BrewDog family; kind of like a favourite uncle or aunt.  

“Last year we also ran the Equity for Punks tour which was an awesome whirlwind that took in nine of our bars right across the UK. I can’t wait to plan this years tour, which promises to include more exclusive updates for our shareholders to get excited about!”

And it’s not just the Equity for Punks Tour 2013 that Zarah’s got to look forward to as there’s plenty of other stuff in the BrewDog calendar as well:

“This year is going to be non-stop. In a few months’ time we’ll be holding our shareholder brew day which is a precursor to the BrewDog AGM – expect more awesome food and music as well as the launch of the exclusive shareholder beer which will be created on the brew day. In May we also have Brew at the Bog and sometime in between all of this happening I’m going to hop over to Sweden to meet Magnus and the rest of the BrewDog Stockholm team at our new bar.”

Despite having a packed diary, let’s not forget about the beer! A craft beer diehard to the core, Zarah is in her element. So what beers are rocking her world at the moment?:

“Jackhammer is fantastic and a great beer to have in anticipation of summer since it’s drastically bitter and has a brilliant fruity hop nose. Beer drinking for me is really weather dependent. I’m still enjoying winter beers like rich, dark, decadent porters. I’m also enjoying Birra Del Borgo’s Old Antonia which is an Imperial IPA that’s matured in pear liquor casks and smells like autumn, dark evenings and comfort food such as stewed apples and cinnamon.”

OK, so before we leave Zarah to do what she does best (running in and out of the brewery and the warehouse pretty much all day long) let’s get one final thought – Zarah’s weirdest BrewDog experience:

“My weirdest BrewDog experience was at the Salone Del Gusto food festival in Italy. We have a lot of avid fans over there and this particular festival was jam-packed with small brewers who were exhibiting beers inspired by BrewDog. There was a language barrier the entire trip but via hand signals, gestures and a common love of hops we understood each other perfectly.

“One evening I ended up on stage with one of the bands. They called security but people in the crowd told them I was with BrewDog at which point the band members all asked for BrewDog temporary tattoos. I spent the rest of the night tattooing people and dancing on stage. Very bizarre.”

Want to say hi to Zarah? Tweet her @BrewDogZarah