Sitting down with John Winter, local Parker resident and former pilot for United Airlines, proves that passions in life can coincide or change.
“I think once it’s kind of in your blood, it’s in your blood,” John marvels about missing flying. His personal plane, Betty, keeps his love for flying alive while he focuses his enthusiasm on his breweries in Lone Tree and Parker.
“A gentleman that I bought home brew supplies at a home brew supply store said, ‘Have you ever thought [about opening a brewery]?’” John explains. “And I said no, but keep talking and that’s how Lone Tree Brewing came about. He kept talking and I kept listening.”
Now, celebrating their 14th year in Lone Tree this December and having recently celebrated their one-year anniversary in March in Parker, John’s fervor over the brewery’s success is tangible. Interestingly, he stumbled upon it as a means for stress relief.
“I was running the training center for United Airlines,” John explains. “Flying airplanes, you can be as precise as you want to be and brewing is very much a similar endeavor. We’re paying attention to temperatures, fermentation temperatures, yeast count, pounds of grain, etc and it all had some similarity, but the great thing about home brewing is that I never had my phone ring because of it.”
This new endeavor proved to be a source of not only stress relief but also more. John found a sense of collaboration and community filled with selfless individuals who want to help each other succeed in the industry.
“It’s what I believe America was kind of founded on,” John says. “There’d be a new family in the community and there was a barn raising to help them and there was no pay or expectation. And I found most owners in the craft brewing industry are very much like that. They’re always willing to lend a hand.”
He goes on to say, “It’s a very collaborative and functional relationship with everybody and it’s like having extended family everywhere.”
John is part of a group that meets often to collaborate and share ideas on what’s working, what’s not and how to navigate the challenges and successes.
Alongside his partner, Jerry Siote, John is fiercely proud of Lone Tree Brewing and its employees. They are one of the few breweries of their size to offer paid time off, a 401(k) program with a 4% match and healthcare benefits.
Their Hop Zombie, an award-winning beer typically featured in a one-day sale in October, was marketed again for the summer solstice due to its popularity. John’s tap room manager, Candace Peterson, kicked off the Hop Zombie event in June and it was fantastic.
“She [Candace] did a great job in June,” John exclaims proudly. “We had a kind of IPA fruity type of beverage and the zombie was in a flowered, multicolored shirt. So now we’ve got two Hop Zombie events every year.”
The Parker location recently opened a dark, back room, decorated by Candace, to host private events and future dart leagues. Complete with high tables, dartboards, televisions, music and a sliding barn door for privacy, Lone Tree Brewing in Parker has established itself in a prime location for festivities, meet-ups and sipping delicious beers.
John’s favorite thing about his breweries is watching his staff excel.
“It’s kind of slowly passing the torch,” John explains. “It’s easy when you are surrounded by great people to kind of take a step back and support them. It’s amazing how you give them the responsibility, trust them for what they’re doing and they excel and do a great job.”