GUEST BLOG: Cold Beer and Open Arms: Community Minded KinderHill Brew Lab Creates Fine Beer and Spotlights Charity

Laura Hill and Jason Kinderman are an unusually collaborative and innovative couple. Starting with the name of their brewery, Kinderhill Brew Lab – a fun portmanteau of their last names – the pair have dug deep roots into the fertile soil of Bryan while supplying customers with their delicious experimental libations.

“We met while working at other breweries,” says Kinderman. Soon they were dating, and a fortunate move to be near family in Bryan created an opportunity to fill an underserved niche. Hill’s Ph.D. places her squarely into the science and product development side of things while Kinderman’s practical experience with brewing and cellaring (plus a college degree in business and marketing) position him perfectly for sales.

Taking a look over the beer menu, it’s obvious that the wildly experimental duo is great at flavor profiles. There have been 100+ flavors since the Brew Lab opened, and with 1-2 new beers each week, every time you visit, there’s something new to try. In keeping with the innovative theme, even the beers have exotic names like Forbidden Harry Porter, Shiny Planet, Looking Like a Snack with Guava, Secrets of the Stratosphere, Just Another Brunch Spot, and Little Belgian Nightmare.

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Crowd favorites are undoubtedly the IPAs (India Pale Ale). Hill is especially proud of a recent prickly pear sour made from cactus pears harvested from the family’s ranch. They have also brewed a traditional German Oktoberfest style beer, new style cold IPAs, and for St. Paddy’s Day, a true experiment: a green ale colored (and flavored) with pandan leaves, a vanilla-like plant common to Asian desserts. “Pandan has a vanilla and toasted rice pudding flavor, and we used hops with a coconut flavor,” says Kinderman.

The pair just celebrated their wedding anniversary. “We were married in our beer garden,” says Hill. “The ceremony was on a Friday before we opened for the day, but we ended up working as normal because our bar staff was short.” This kind of commitment to their business and to the wider community is just par for the course.

For example, in partnership with Polite Coffee Roasters which shares the property, the Brew Lab even released a pumpkin spice latte amber ale.

Wild Garlic Pizza, a food truck serving piping hot wood fired pizzas, is parked in the beer garden, the other half of the classic “beer and pizza” equation. The organic fruit and vegetable patch onsite inspires both beer flavors and the seasonal pizza menu according to what is fresh and available. In the fall, there’s even a special Oktoberfest menu featuring pretzels and beer cheese (made with Kinderhill beer, of course).

“This is a perfect example of what we like about Bryan,” says Kinderman. “Local businesses working together, helping each other out, collaborating. It comes naturally to this town.”

Another fun innovation also does double duty as partnership and an eco-friendly business model. Kinderhill gives all the spent grains from beer-making process to Popworms, a company raising black soldier fly larvae for chicken treats. “The larvae need lots of sugar when they’re growing,” says Hill. “Instead of going into the landfill, our grain waste is recycled back into the ecosystem.”

But perhaps the biggest indicator of the couple’s willingness to partner is the constant outreach into the nonprofit community. Kinderhill Brew Lab hosts fundraisers, parties, and even drag shows, donating portions of their beer sales to various charities close to their hearts.

Featuring a different charity each month, Hill and Kinderman donate 10% of sales each Thursday and spotlight local charities like the PRIDE Community Center, which provides resources for LGBT+ community; the Down Syndrome Association of Brazos Valley; Brazos Valley Food Bank (bring canned goods and get discounts or free beer); and national nonprofit The Trevor Project, the world's largest suicide prevention and mental health organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning youth.

“We want to bring attention to and normalize things,” says Kinderman. “We want people to feel comfortable and see themselves represented here.”

The ambitious couple is even looking to expand. “Unfortunately, right now we’re too small to be able to sell to bars, restaurants or somewhere like Kyle Field,” laments Kinderman. “We need to be able to bottle or can our beer instead of just serving on tap.” They are looking for a larger, or second location, and have plans to branch out to Houston or Austin.

Despite the size restrictions, Kinderhill Brew Lab is going strong, a thriving business firmly rooted in the local community and doing its part to keep the social fabric of Bryan healthy and vibrant. “We are happy to be in this community and brewing beer makes us happy every day. We are privileged and grateful that this community has supported our dream.”

Kinderhill Brew Lab is open Thurdays and Fridays from 5-9 p.m., Saturdays from noon-9 p.m. and Sundays from noon-5 p.m. Find the current week’s lineup of flavors on Facebook, Instagram or www.kinderhillbrewlab.com.