Meet the Team – Dave Schiralli

What is your position, or role, at 12 Gates Brewing Company ?

Assistant Brewer.

How long have you been doing that ?

I came on full time in August of 2016. Before that, I was an intern for about five months.

Do you have any type of formal training in brewing or the beer industry? If not, how did you learn?

I am a graduate of the Brewing Science and Service program at ECC. I have also been homebrewing since the fall of 2011.

Can you give us a brief history of that brewing experience?

I started out by helping a friend brew a Mr. Beer kit that he had received as a gift. I remember following along with the video and constantly having to rewind and rewatch each step. It was all so new. I brewed about 3 or 4 times with friends before I bought myself a starter kit from Niagara Tradition home brew store. I began with the premade extract kits and after a few months of learning the process and figuring out the magical world of mashing, I switched to all grain brewing. I have been teaching myself ever since by reading books, watching videos and by trial and error. When the ECC program came along I saw a way to learn more as well as give myself an opportunity to pursue a job in brewing.

Let’s learn more about your personality…

So you went to University at Buffalo, what was your major? Why did you choose that?

My major was film and media production. At the time I wanted to make movies. I really enjoyed learning how to shoot with film. We used 16mm. It was also a lot of fun learning cinematography, sound recording, editing etc. I love movies, although right now it’s the golden age of television.

Growing up in Kenmore, what is your favorite memory you have as a kid?

I would have to say having a large group of friends that did everything together (we still do to this day) specifically the days of playing street hockey and going swimming in my pool over and over again in the summer.

Have you always been a Sabres fan? Who is your favorite player of all time?

I have been a fan since birth. Hasek was my favorite player growing up. Now all I want is a winning team.

Which Simpsons character do you relate to the most and why? Do you still watch the show to this day?

I suppose it would be Homer. We both enjoy our beer and couches, but it kind of stops at that. Homer makes me laugh a lot too. I do still watch The Simpsons, but only the first ten seasons.

A few more questions…

What do you like to do on weekends or when you have free time?

I like to try and keep up on my TV shows. Right now it’s Humans, The Walking Dead and It’s Always Sunny. I like to hang out with my friends and girlfriend, trying different restaurants, searching for new beers, the occasional game of NHL on Xbox.

What’s one thing you can’t leave the house without and why?

Contact lenses or glasses. If I can’t see anything I am not going to be getting too far.

Do you have another favorite alcoholic drink other than beer?

I enjoy a snifter of port at Christmas.