Hi, Daniel.

Y’all know our distilling and brewing operations are a labor of love, so when we set out to find someone to help us get our products out to our retail partners, we needed to find someone who would handle it with the same care and love that we would. We found Daniel Tilson.

Daniel grew up in Gurley, Alabama, a small town just outside of Huntsville. Even though he enjoyed the slower pace of life (and less traffic - we can’t blame him), he wanted to set out and explore the world. A tour in the Navy first brought him to San Antonio, followed by an internship he landed with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department as he was leaving the military. After taking some time to go to school, it was the amazing cuisine, proximity to camping spots and trails, and of course, the craft beer, that lured him back to make San Antonio his home.

Let’s find out more about this veteran whose past work included measuring the dots on salamanders’ heads (for real).

How did you first hear about Dorćol?

I discovered Big Hops - Shaenfield early on and regularly attended the Pint Nights. Dorćol’s HighWheel Beer was featured on one of those evenings.

When did you first pick up an interest in craft beers and why?

I only started drinking beer a couple of years ago and had previously stuck to hard liquor. I also did a running night on Tuesdays, Ike Tails, at Eisenhower Park near another brewery that did a $2.50 pint night. Not drinking beer at that time, I would drink the ciders, but they were $6. I decided I should start drinking beer and began with the lightest option. Over time, I grew to enjoy IPAs, sours and so on.

What is your favorite HighWheel?

The SA Hefe! I’m a big Hefeweizen fan - I love the banana and clove taste of it. It pairs really well with pretty much anything you eat and is really refreshing after a long hot day. It has more body than a lighter beer but still is refreshing. It’s one of those styles I really enjoy, and our Hefe has Bavarian all over it.

 What drew you to working at Dorćol?

The consistently high quality. The team works hard to make the best product possible, every single time. The Betty for example, will taste the same from month to month and I know it will be really good. I wanted to be part of a team that takes their craft seriously.

What did you learn from your time in the Navy and Texas Parks and Wildlife that you think will be beneficial to this job?

After my military life, I worked in customer relations for a golf course and interacted with customers, making sure they had a good experience. At Dorćol I want to continue the philosophy that we are not just a vendor. I want to continue building personal relationships. I also want to bring a fresh mindset - I did a lot of data analysis in my previous jobs. I had to critically think outside of the box and problem solve, so I think I can use that to improve efficiency of deliveries.

How do you approach customer service? What do you think is most important for this job?

For me right now it’s first impressions. Being a new face with the company, it’s important to explain what we do and why we do it. I’m the one who continues the relationship with our customers, and I’m the face of Dorćol when I go out there. Showing up when I’m supposed to and doing the best I can while I’m there is important. I hope to excel at that.

This is obviously a critical job for Dorćol. What do you think you’re doing well?

I feel like I’m asking the right questions. I’m trying to help the business grow. If I do my job well, Dorćol will grow, which means I will grow as well.

What do you love most about working for Dorćol so far?

It encapsulates the opportunity to explore. I know a little about distilling and brewing - I have some friends who home brew, and it’s interesting to see it on a larger scale. It opens up new views of San Antonio, restaurants, places and people for me. Previously, I stuck to my familiar places.

Which beer would you recommend to someone who has never had HighWheel before?

Betty or SA Hefe - Betty is an easy beer to drink, light and flavorful. It’s a good starter beer for those who are new to beer. SA Hefe is a really high quality Hefeweizen, it’s a really well-rounded beer. And it’s my favorite.

So there’s Daniel, in a nutshell. Say hey to him when you see him around… and don’t be shy about treating homie to a SA Hefe.

Did You Know: Mike's Out Transporting Precious Cargo

The phrase precious cargo hardly seems to fit when we talk about transporting precious HighWheel kegs. That’s why, finding a driver that can deliver customer service with a smile was imperative in our search. When you self-distribute quality brews, we have to make sure our customers are treated right.

Enter Mike Torres.

Mike grew up in the Rio Grande Valley, majored in English and Philosophy from UTRGV, and first dabbled in craft beers in college. We sat down to learn what he loves about craft beer, what drew him to Dorćol, and his mantra on customer service.

When did you get into craft beer?

College was definitely the first start. It’s hard to get into craft beer in the valley, but Roosevelt’s on 7th was great about carrying some solid Texas choices. That was the first place that I got exposed to craft beer. I remember the first beer — a Drifter’s Pale Ale — that had notes of apricot and peach, but was still hoppy.

 What did you move onto then?

I had all the heavy hitters: Stone, New Belgium, some Real Ale, then tried Ruination, and Fat Tire, and thought, oh shit this is different, so I grew an appreciation for it. After college, I started working at Pappadeaux in San Antonio. I started serving, waiting tables, moved up to training, bartending, eventually became floor manager, then kitchen manager, which is where I got more education about beer, liquor, and making cocktails. The first brewery I went to was Karbach in Houston right before they sold out, just as they had purchased that three-story tall fermentation tank. Pappas has a huge connection with Karbach and they’d send the management teams to go taste, watch them brew, etc.

 What came next?

After I left Pappadeaux, I managed at The Granary when co-founder Alex Rattray was still brewing and got to learn a lot more about beer. We had a small tap wall, maybe 10-12 beers, as well as the beers we brewed in house. I learned more about the process and it was my first exposure to all the other brands that were local. Alex tried to keep a good local tap selection with beers from Ranger creek, Alamo, and Freetail. It was a good immersion into the SA beer culture.

 I eventually went away from restaurants and into beer. I ended up working for Big Hops Bitters for almost three years.

 What was that like?

Big Hops has 32 taps and it’s a constantly rotating wall. That’s where I got to build up my palate for Texas beer.

What’s your favorite part of it all?

Drinking the beer…

 What’s your mantra when it comes to customer service?

It’s all about hospitality. Treating people, welcoming them to your home, city, treating them the way you’d like to be treated. I try to do that with anybody in the city whether I’m pouring beer or giving a tour. Me being successful is due to being focused on customer service, making sure people are always first. You don’t get anywhere unless you develop those relationships and invest with people. Being personable, extroverted, engaging, be able to educate, inform, and entertain is key.

What made you want to work at Dorćol?

It’s been my goal to work in a brewery or distillery. I love beer. I’ve homebrewed, helped Community Cultures get started… I was in there helping them making petri dishes and augers. One of the biggest factors was hospitality I received from Randy. What I learned was you have a lot of distribution companies, and the only one I remember was Randy being here every week, asking how we were doing, being friendly. It left a good taste in my mouth. I thought, I wouldn’t mind working there if they have that much care for that account.

Obviously Randy and the guys are trusting you to deliver HighWheel kegs across town, which is its own challenge, but you’re going into very intimate spaces and dynamics. What do you think you’re getting right?

I think one being extroverted. I’m friendly. I want to talk to people. Communication is big for people. Having that background helps you deliver customer service. I know what bar, restaurant, club owners want and they definitely don’t want you delivering during lunch rush, happy hour, night rush, so it’s those little things. If they’re busy, I’ll sit down and wait. Let them do their thing. It’s the little things they appreciate. It helps us sell more beer, makes them more likely to come back to us. It’s one of the best ways to succeed.

 Do people miss Randy delivering?

Very much so! I get asked about Randy about 4 out of 10 deliveries. All the accounts are very established. There’s an insane amount of time to build that relationship.

 What is your favorite HighWheel beer?

The 56 is a great example of a West Coast-style IPA…but there is a keg of the Porter in my living room kegerator right now!

Stop, Collaborate + Listen: Our Ranger Creek Collab!

Brewers have to stick together. That’s why we invited our friends at Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling to join us for a collaboration brew this spring.

After a San Antonio Beer Week meeting at Ranger Creek, Randy and Ranger Creek brewer Holland Lawrence chatted about brews they wanted to try their hands on. Conversations on sours…well, soured, but they turned their attention to Belgium.

Randy and Daniel teamed up with Holland and brewer’s assistant Zach Wolfe this past April to create the latest HighWheel Small Batch release, a Belgian Dubbel using a traditional Trappist strain of yeast and Belgian candy sugar. To put a twist on the classic abbey brew, Randy and Holland infused the beer with a mix of sweet and tart cherries.

Brew day involved an early morning start, breakfast tacos, lots of coffee, pizza, and “studiously watching the brew,” per Randy.

The result is a rose-hued beer with notes of fig and cherry with a nice Belgian funk on the back end.

Find it at Dorćol Distilling + Brewing Co. and select tap rooms across San Antonio.

18 IBU, 7.9% ABV, 22 SRM

Make sure to check in on Untappd and give us a 5-star review!