Brent first discovered his passion for beer in college while scrubbing kegs and working the bottling line at Drake’s Brewing Co. in San Leandro, CA. That experience inspired him to swap his Economics degree at UC Santa Cruz for a Bachelor’s in Food Science & Technology with a focus on Fermentation at Oregon State University (yes, that’s a real thing).
After graduation, he returned to the Bay Area to join Trumer Pils, where he spent five years mastering the art of lager. Rising from shift brewer to lead brewer and eventually head brewer, Brent helped perfect what he still calls “the best pilsner on earth.”
In 2021, Brent and his wife Sara founded Vacancy Brewing in South Austin. As Head Brewer, he leads all brewing operations and has built a reputation as an award-winning lager brewer, with medals from the World Beer Cup, the Great American Beer Festival, and the Texas Craft Brewers Cup.
When he’s not brewing, you’ll find Brent hanging with his pup Queso, experimenting in the kitchen, or cooling off in his cowboy pool on a hot Texas day - with a beer in hand, of course.
