Metropolitan Brewing is a production microbrewery-in-planning in Chicago, IL. Click here to see the Executive Summary from Metropolitan Brewing's business plan (pdf file). And here's our swanky 1-sheet.

Doug Hurst, CEO and Brewery Manager - Email Doug

He was once given the choice of writing a term paper or brewing a batch of beer for a botany professor. I’m sure you can see where this is going.

Doug Hurst is an accomplished brewer with 18 years of experience. Formally, Doug earned a Diploma in Brewing Technology from the world renowned Siebel Institute of Technology/World Brewing Academy in Chicago and Munich. But it was his years of informal experience as a homebrewer that made him the unofficial, knowledgeable beer-geek in his classes. Doug is a passionate beer aficionado with a solid understanding of the brewing process as well as the craft beer market. He has been researching, analyzing and studying the brewing industry for more than seven years and dreaming about Metropolitan Brewing for even longer.

But the hard truth is that running a brewery requires other skills in addition to brewing great-tasting beer. Fortunately, Doug’s 16 years of professional career experience include 11 years of small business project and operations management. The skills he obtained while working as an audio and video producer, engineer, and salesperson come in surprisingly handy as Doug tackles the day-to-day duties of running Metropolitan Brewing.

Doug is known for his ferocious DIY ethic. In 1990, he founded an independent musical group which rose to regional status, touring the Midwest until 1995. He sure does miss being in bands, but who knows? Beer and music go hand-in-hand, so maybe he’ll strap the axe on again in the near future. But it doesn’t stop there. Doug also knows a smattering of plumbing, a measure of wood-working, and I can personally attest to his skills in the kitchen. He’s taught me a thing or two about spicy.

Tracy Hurst, President and General Manager - Email Tracy

While at college in the quiet, conservative little burg that is Eau Claire, Wisconsin, there wasn’t much to do other than study and party. I managed to combine the two, doing some of my best thinking while cozied up amidst the din of a pub. My favorite place to hit the books was a grimy little townie joint where I could get glasses of Berghoff Dark for under $1 and a “No Light Beer” neon sign buzzed quietly on the wall behind the bar.

I’d already peeked through the doors to the world of craft beer, but meeting Doug blew them clear off their hinges. Since, I’ve learned more about brewing than I ever imagined I could. Together we’ve explored the craft beer industry on paper, on the internet, and in person. Consummate road-trippers, Doug and I have literally crisscrossed the country attending festivals, conferences, and visiting brewpubs and breweries.

Being in business comes as naturally to me as it has to my family for decades. After studying photography at Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, I took my very technical and scientific BS in Imaging and Photographic Technology and opened a traditional photography studio here in Chicago that I operated for more than 6 years. Meanwhile, I supplemented my income by working as a freelance executive assistant and office manager. Managing these parallel careers made the most of my organizational skills and attention to detail. Over the years, my office-oriented expertise grew to include project planning and management, and cash flow forecasting.

And so the pathways of our lives have converged at Metropolitan Brewing. Beer and business are constantly the topics of conversation over morning coffee, via email, at the dinner table, and as we fall asleep each night. For us, business and pleasure are one in the same and fortunately, it’s all about the beer.