As we’ve done in years past, over the next few weeks we’ll be introducing you to those who work behind the scenes to ensure that your Boulevard experience is top-notch! Just as the clocks fall back, you’ll find our beloved Nutcracker Winter Warmer on shelves with a little beer elf’s name on the neck of the bottle. Each week we’ll feature a Boulevardian that keeps our brewery, well, brewing along!

Dr. Michelle Williams - Quality Lab | Microbiologist

Yeast, it’s everywhere. And yeast is the name of the game for microbiologist Michelle, who diligently cultivates and tests the yeasts used to make our products. By ingesting sugar (for our use, namely grain and water aka wort) yeast give off by-products like flavor, aroma, carbonation, and of course, alcohol. They are the powerhouse of fermentation, and we rely on our lab and Michelle to keep those yeast cultures happy and doing what we want them to do. Tank 7 and Unfiltered Wheat both have their own strains that we maintain in-house, giving them their unique flavors. Michelle also helps us test and develop new strains for test beers, gradually building them up to be used in full-size batches.

Kansas City native Michelle attended Missouri State University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and an accelerated master’s degree studying yeast cell biology. After her master’s she earned a PhD in Biological Sciences from the University of Missouri studying underlying principles of bacterial cell growth and division. She then went on to a post-doctoral research position at McMaster University, Canada investigating Streptomyces biofilm development before joining us at Boulevard in 2021.  She also loves crossword puzzles, playing with her dog and cat, and the science of beer!

Laura Swanson - General Manager | Central Sales Division

They say if you love what you do it’s not work, and that rings true with General Manager of our Central Sales Division, Laura Swanson. After 19 years, she is still as passionate about a fresh pour of Unfiltered Wheat Beer as day one. A St. Louis native, she helped spread the Boulevard word on the other side of the state for 16 years as a remote employee, and just three years ago moved to KC to manage the 14 people across 4 1/2 states (Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and part of Illinois) that sell Boulevard products. What she really loves about her job is working with people; getting to be a part of their creativity and helping them grow.

She’s seen a lot of change in the industry over the years, with an exponentially larger portfolio of products, people, and states, but all for the better. Boulevard has always felt like home to her, and the past three years that she’s spent living in Kansas City has only confirmed that this is home.

Drew Schrum - Cellar Technician | Barrel Program

Homebrewer, musician, cellar technician. This is Drew Schrum, beer aficionado and all-around great guy. You may have seen him earlier this year as a guest on our Q&A for Dark Crator, which he helped create and that recently won a gold medal at the Festival of Barrel Aged Beers in Chicago. A St. Louis native, Drew spent many years in Los Angeles in the music scene but felt home calling when he and his wife felt like settling down. He’s been a fan of Boulevard beers for a long time, especially the barrel-aged beers, so he’s happy to be able to use his talent and passion for brewing at a place he loves. When he’s not brewing at work, he’s brewing at home. Drew has only worked at Boulevard for a couple of years, but has already learned so much and been able to contribute to our incredible lineup of barrel-aged beers. Thanks for all you do, Drew!