The Circle Of Pals: Zac Terry
Zac Terry – Brew Assistant, Pals Brewing Company
1. How do you contribute to the Circle of Pals? “My biggest contribution to Pals is my dedication to the brewery, I take it very seriously but have fun with it as well. On the other hand, I’m the jack-of-all-trades, so I help out with serving and events as well, or anywhere else they need help.”
2. What events in your life led you to the brewery/North Platte? “I’ve lived most of my life in North Platte. At the time Pals was getting ready to open for the first time, my wife and I were living in Portland, OR, and we were actually trying to move back to North Platte because we were expecting a child. I worked at Pals for a few weeks once we moved back but moved on to construction until that slowed down for winter. I came back to Pals part-time as a server but soon found myself much more passionate about working in a brewery than doing construction. The following summer I found my chance to weasel myself into helping in the brewery as well as the taproom. One of the brewers had gotten injured in a non-work related incident and I used that as an opportunity to escape construction and start learning the trade of craft beer by offering my help at the time. Now I’m a full-time Brew Assistant.”
3. What is your favorite part of working at the brewery? “My favorite part of working at pas is the atmosphere and the teamwork mindset. I like how we try to include all our staff in everything. We’re like a family outside of our real families and I’m a very big family man.”
4. How do you see Pals contributing to the community? “It seems that Pals tries to get involved with as many community events as possible. They try and get the locals involved with everything Pals has going on. Pals has also contributed by introducing the community and the communities surrounding North Platte to craft beer.”
5. What is your favorite Palsbrew & food item? “It’s hard to say what my favorite Palsbrew is because we’re always making new, delicious beers so it changes from time to time. At the moment it’s probably “Strawberry Fields Forever”. The mix of strawberry and passionfruit is amazing. Favorite food item? Probably a tie between the nachos and the twisted buffalo pizza. That nacho pizza was really good too.”
6. What is the Brewery/Taproom atmosphere really like? “Teamwork makes the dream work. If it wasn’t all-hands-on-deck from all the staff the brewery would fall apart. The fact that we use teamwork and treat each other like family is what helps create our warm, comfortable atmosphere.”
In the hustle and bustle of the daily brewery life it’s easy to get caught up in the hurried tasks of the day and forget why we started a brewery in the first place! When we take a moment and step back, we see the true meaning of community through the incredible human connections and contributions that make Pals happen. These individuals, whether they are vendors, employees, owners, or customers, contribute to the Circle of Pals. So, the next time you raise your Palsbrew glass, take a moment and step back, remember all the individuals including you, who contribute to our craft from grain to glass. That’s the Circle of Pals!