Trevor Nearburg, Brewmaster at Uncle Billy’s – Austin, Texas

Last month, I attended an event at one of the growing number of craft breweries in Austin. Uncle Billy’s is located just south of downtown on the famous restaurant row on Barton Springs Drive. Their specialty, barbecue and beer. And while they are not the most famous of the competitive barbecue restaurants in town, Uncle Billy’s did a great job. Their standout, however, is their brewed on premises, craft beers.

I haven’t been a big beer drinker, especially when I was young, since I equated beer with the standard Budweiser and Millers of my youth. What I’ve discovered is the remarkable variety that is now available from around the world. Uncle Billy’s distinguishes itself by infusing local ingredients — unexpected things like pecans and cucumbers — in small batches, which create noticeably different flavors. I had a flight of beers, in small glasses, to sample the unexpected variety.

The highlight of the night was a tour of the compact brewing operations within the restaurant. Trevor Nearburg, the head brewmaster, passionately spoke about the craft brewing process. Later, I asked if I could make a portrait, sitting among his tanks of brewed perfection. Luckily, I had my compact Ricoh GR to create this portrait in dim surroundings. Incidentally, I’ve featured Uncle Billy’s before, when I tested a fisheye lens, after a night of photography with friends.