Three Questions for Garth Beyer ’14

Name: Garth Beyer

Title and Organization: Owner, Garth’s Brew Bar; Marketing Manager, Encompass Technologies

Graduation Year and Degree: 2014, B.A. in Journalism (strategic communication and multimedia journalism)

Garth Beyer’s passion for craft beer started long before he first opened the doors of Garth’s Brew Bar. While at UW-Madison, he immersed himself in the craft beer world, launching the Badger Herald’s craft beer column and finding any opportunity to write about beer in his SJMC classes. When Beyer opened Garth’s Brew Bar on Monroe Street in December 2019, he couldn’t have predicted that only three short months later, he would have to pivot carry-out sales only. However, dubbed the “Greatest American Beer Bar” in 2020 by CraftBeer.com, Garth’s has proved to be a community staple and is still going strong four years later.

When it comes to Garth’s Brew Bar, what are you most proud of?

My pride is two-fold: first, it’s the fact that we built a place that our team members want to visit when they’re not on the clock and the second part is the positive comments I hear about the place when I’m sort of undercover, hanging in the bar as if I were a guest.

What’s the best advice you have for a student who wants to do what you do?

Keep your hopes up high and head down low.

What is your favorite SJMC memory?

When Professor Baughman told me I could deviate from his curriculum and do all my assignments on the topic of beer (because that was my passion).