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.

A Message from Us

Happy Friday, friends. At Dorćol, we’re all about sharing good brews and great experiences. Viruses, not so much.

Jokes aside, we’re taking several precautionary measures to ensure guests of Dorćol continue to have an amazing time while here.

         Aside from handwashing and sanitation rules we already follow, we’ll be relocating bitters, garnishes and straws from our bartop. We’ll be increasing our sanitation procedures on all areas of the tasting room and patio. And we are encouraging guests and employees, who feel unwell, to stay home.

         There will be no change to regular business hours on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, but we will continue to monitor the situation around COVID-19.

         We’re open, and we hope you continue to support us and the bars and restaurants that carry HighWheel and Kinsman, like you have the past six years.

         If social distancing is your vibe, don’t forget to pick up your favorite HighWheel brew to while away the hours. Pick up your growlers, or HighWheel Betty cans and Kinsman bottles to enjoy at home from our tasting room at 1902 S. Flores.

— Boyan, Chris, Randy + the Team

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!

Hop To It: Our Amber Ale Meets Apricots

This February, Randy brewed up HighWheel Small Batch #32. An Amber Ale brewed in a German Alt-style, this beer is malty, with a clean hop bitterness and has been a tap room favorite since its release.

But we turned things up a notch this March with a limited amount of the brew. Randy added apricot puree to the Amber Ale and added a few sherry soaked oak chips in the mix. The result is a malty brew with a hint of fruit and robust sherry notes that leaves you wanting more.

Come try it this Thursday, March 12 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. while it last.

IBU: 29, ABV: 6.1 %, SRM: 13

It Started with a Still

When Boyan and Chris set out to open Dorćol Distilling Company (we weren’t brewing just yet), the first step was easy. The guys needed a still, and a coppersmith was practically extended family.

They connected with Nenad Poparić, a family friend and still maker based out of Novi Sad, Serbia, a city just an hour north of Boyan’s boyhood home in Belgrade. 

Nenad, a second generation coppersmith has been making stills all his life. He crafted similar still used by Boyan’s paternal grandfather (known as deka to the boys) and was commissioned the task of creating Dorćol’s hand-crafted, direct-heat copper still. 

Just as Dorćol Distilling was a family endeavor, so was crafting its still. Nenad made the 400-liter traditional European copper still alongside his son Igor, a third generation still maker. Dorćol’s still became the first of its kind to bare both still makers’ seals at its head. 

Tools of the trade found inside Nenad’s Novi Sad shop…

The still left Novi Sad in December of 2012 and made it to the port of Houston a month later in January 2013 with short stops along the way in the Croatian port city of Rijeka and Egypt. Since then, the still’s been responsible for distilling 17,000 liters of low-wine of our first product, the award-winning Kinsman rakia, a delicately balanced spirit filled with character and aroma. The small still is responsible for another 40,000-plus liters of grape-brandy and single-malt whiskey that’s yet to be put on the market. 

Given Kinsman’s popularity, and our passion for creating amazing spirits, a second still was commissioned to the Poparićs in April of 2017 and was completed in October of the same year. The 750-liter still No. 2 made it to the States in January of 2018, complete with a few custom design tweaks that accommodate our production process. 

Boyan, Nenad, Chris, Nick Kenna and Igor in Serbia, September 2017.

This 2019, we’re banking on two stills being better than one!