Jester as King

In Medieval Times members of the Royal Court shared ancestry with—or owed political favor to—the King. The Court Jester was exceptional to this Noble Order. A blacksmith too reflective for life over the anvil or a farmer whose wit exceeded his ability to sow the fields, the Jester was plucked from the Masses to amuse the Court. Access and Privilege afforded the Jester unique Freedom to cast satire without fear of reprisal; his antics were, after all, merely in jest. Creativity, Guile and Cunning set this Wise Fool apart from the Noble Order.

Craft Brewers are the Jesters of Modern Times. Their daring and irreverence contrast with the King of Beer's Commodification and Economies of Scale. The artful, talented jesters at Jester King Craft Brewery are free from commercial restrictions; their minds guide their hands toward imaginative black licorice porters, wildflower wheat ales and port barrel-aged Belgian brown ales. While the Kings of Beer seeks to control the Kingdom, the Jester hops and dances on the Throne!

The Brewers

Jeff moved to his wife's hometown of Austin, Texas in 2006. Prior to the move he taught high school in Chicago and worked for the Public Defender's Office in Boston, all the while frequently homebrewing. After working for THE MAN in Austin for a little over a year, he knew what he must do. To borrow a phrase and idea from Andy Dufresne in the classic movie The Shawshank Redemption, it was time to "Get busy livin', or get busy dyin'." Fear and hesitation gave way to passion and purpose! Jeff founded Jester King Craft Brewery in early 2008.

Michael, Jeff's younger brother, spent his first two years out of college working as an analyst at a large bank. The job doubled as a front-row seat to the spectacle of lunacy and greed which is the US financial system. For Michael, it was obvious that if our financial system was to function correctly ever again—and allocate capital efficiently towards productive enterprise—change would not come from within the banking cartel. In 2009 he decamped for Austin to work with Jeffrey on the creation of Jester King and pursue his dream of creating a company from scratch.

The Brewery

Jester King Craft Brewery is the maker of high-quality, hand-crafted beer that thrives on artistry and creativity. Between skilled renditions of classic styles and imaginative creations that take beer in new directions, Jester King seeks to help restore the 12,000 year-old tradition of full-flavored beer. It is dedicated to helping as many people as possible realize the true majesty of beer that is brewed with artistic passion and creativity, rather than with the mindset of cutting production costs and increasing economies of scale. It also seeks to become woven into the extraordinary and original fabric of its home city of Austin, Texas, and in return have a positive impact on the local Austin community.