The Brewery

Our brewer, Tyler Smith, began his curiosity in beer as an avid consumer. Intrigued by breweries that not only push the boundaries into new styles, but also look to the past for inspiration, Tyler started brewing from home, turning his intrigue into obsession. After a decade of brewing in a garage and with 9 beers on tap, Tyler Smith decided to turn his passion into his dream, find a much bigger space, and open Cooperage Brewing Company. 

Focused on variety, he loves to experiment with different yeasts, hops, bacteria and barrel types to develop unique and compelling libations. He is strongly influenced by the lambic producers of Belgium and loves the idea of wild and spontaneous fermentation.  He strives to produce a distinctive beer with each batch.

Tyler grew up in Orange County, CA and moved to Sonoma County in 2008 to be with his now wife, Stephanie, who enticed Tyler with trips to Russian River Brewing Company while he visited. After years working on the retail side of a beer bar and honing his craft of the production side at home, he finally put the two together and created his own space. If Tyler isn’t found at the brewery, you’ll most likely find him drinking beer somewhere. Maybe while camping, maybe while hanging out with his wife and their pup Abbie, maybe down at Russian River Brewing Company. No matter where he is, he’ll probably have a beer in hand (or maybe a gin and tonic).