Karl Ockert Headed to Deschutes

This is pretty big news:

04 June 2015 – Bend, Oregon –Deschutes Brewery today announced the hiring of Karl Ockert as Director of Brewery Operations. In this position, Ockert will use his 30-plus years experience in the brewing industry to oversee and guide all functions and activities related to brewing, cellaring, packaging, safety, continuous improvement, maintenance and quality control. Ockert, who spent a total of two decades with Bridgeport Brewing Company, most recently served as an independent consulting brewmaster and the technical director for the Master Brewers Association of the Americas (MBAA).

In some ways, that slightly undersells Ockert's bona fides. He didn't just spend two decades at BridgePort; he was the founding brewer and the man who helped guide the winemaking Ponzis through the process of opening a brewery. He'd just graduated from the brewing program at Davis when he got the job.

After toiling for many years under the quixotic rule of Carlos Alvarez and Gambrinus, I suspect heading to Bend looks like an excellent opportunity for Karl.