Starr Hill Crew
Mark Thompson
Founder & Master Brewer
Hometown:
Charlottesville, VA
Favorite Starr Hill Beer:
Beer & Food Pairing of Choice:
The Love and spicy Thai food
Favorite Song / Band:
Life Is A Carnival by the Band and Grateful Dead
Favorite SH Event / Festival / Memory:
Two things come to mind. The first memory is selling the very first keg of Starr Hill ten years ago to C&O Restaurant in Charlottesville and being able to go there today and still enjoy Starr Hill on tap. The second is watching co-founder Kristin Dolan sell beer in the early days. She would always say that great beer is such a gift. That saying turned into our mission... The Gift of Great Beer.
Kristin Dolan
Co-founder & Senior Pro
Hometown:
Boulder, CO
Favorite Starr Hill Beer:
Beer & Food Pairing of Choice:
Double Platinum and Nachos
Favorite Song / Band:
Kings of Belmont
Favorite SH Event / Festival / Memory:
There are so many... Starting out with an ugly broken down van and one really cool dude--Ross van Brocklin--to deliver beer and believing with all our hearts in the Gift of Great Beer.
Melanie Rhodes
Office & Tasting Room Manager
Hometown:
Charlottesville, VA
Favorite Starr Hill Beer:
Beer & Food Pairing of Choice:
Grilled Bratwursts soaked in Festie
Favorite Song / Band:
Two Step by Dave Matthews Band
Favorite SH Event / Festival / Memory:
I was in the lounge at John Paul Jones Arena for the Dave Matthews concert in November. I remember looking around at all the people in there and realizing that the majority of them were sporting some sort of Starr Hill logo--on hats, beanies, t-shirts and hoodies. It made me appreciate just how interconnected our fans of the brand really are--like one big happy family.
Brian McNelis
VP of Brewery Operations
Hometown:
Williamsburg, VA
Favorite Starr Hill Beer:
Beer & Food Pairing of Choice:
Beer & Pizza; Beer & Hot Dog; Beer & Seafood; Beer & Mexican food
Favorite Song / Band:
Too many to list them all but Bob Marley, Bob Dylan, U2, the Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen are some at the top!
Favorite SH Event / Festival / Memory:
In the summer of 2010, I traveled to Crozet for a meeting with Mark Thompson, the founder of Starr Hill and its family of great American craft beers. I walked into the brewery to hear Bob Dylan's "Tangled Up In Blues" playing throughout the facility. I thought it was some kind of sign because I have been a major Dylan fan since 1974. This guy comes riding up to me on a forklift after loading beer in a truck and says, "Can I help you?" I said, "Yes, I'm looking for Mark Thompson." The guy says with a laugh, "Look no further, that's me." Mark and I hit it off from the start, and a year later, he called to ask me to join the Starr Hill team. The right Dylan song, at the right time, is always a good sign.
John Bryce
Manager of Brewery Operations
Hometown:
Richmond, VA
Favorite Starr Hill Beer:
Beer & Food Pairing of Choice:
Jomo and Wayside Chicken
Favorite Song / Band:
Andrew Bird
Favorite SH Event / Festival / Memory:
A couple highlights... going to shows at the old Starr Hill Music Hall; La Tomatina reenactment (Aug. 2006); Nate tricking Matt Reich into eating onions; driving the world's most precarious reefer truck from Starr Hill to Starr Beverage; delivering beer with Ross (Starr Beverage) in 2006; company field trip to Blue Hole/Peach Orchard; firing up the bottling line for the first time.. It's been great to watch this brewery grow, and I think the Starrs are perfectly aligned for a bright future.
Ross van Brocklin
Team Lead - Packaging Technician
Hometown:
Charlottesville, VA
Favorite Starr Hill Beer:
Beer & Food Pairing of Choice:
The Love and anything
Favorite Song / Band:
Ween
Favorite SH Event / Festival / Memory:
Working with Andy every day.
Allie Hochman
Junior Pro
Hometown:
Merrick, NY
Favorite Starr Hill Beer:
Beer & Food Pairing of Choice:
Double Platinum with Mexican or Thai food
Favorite Song / Band:
Coheed & Cambria
Favorite SH Event / Festival / Memory:
Watching fireworks on the Fourth of July at Floyd Fandango.
Crystal Wesch
Business Analyst
Hometown:
Eastern Shore, VA
Favorite Starr Hill Beer:
Beer & Food Pairing of Choice:
Burgers and beer
Favorite Song / Band:
Avett Brothers and Grace Potter
Favorite SH Event / Festival / Memory:
At FloydFest, seeing one of my friends walk through the crowd with a giant Starr Hill balloon tied to his backpack.
Levi Duncan
Team Lead - Brewer
Hometown:
Las Cruces, NM
Favorite Starr Hill Beer:
Beer & Food Pairing of Choice:
Northern Lights with Enchiladas or Dark Starr and a bowl of ice cream
Favorite Song / Band:
Nutshell by Alice in Chains and Black Label Society
Favorite SH Event / Festival / Memory:
I love the smell of the brewhouse! I will never forget the first time I worked in the brewhouse and how excited I felt. For me, that feeling is forever connected to the smell of brewing beer... Awesome!
Price Miller
Brewer
Hometown:
Tarboro, NC
Favorite Starr Hill Beer:
Beer & Food Pairing of Choice:
Pale Ale, classic Italian lasagna, and a good salad
Favorite Song / Band:
Tangerine by Led Zeppelin
Favorite SH Event / Festival / Memory:
Everytime I mash-in Dark Starr Stout--the aroma is amazing.
Levi Erickson
Brewer
Hometown:
Belen, NM
Favorite Starr Hill Beer:
Beer & Food Pairing of Choice:
Green Chile Chicken Cheese Enchiadas and Festie
Favorite Song / Band:
Anywhere from Deftones to Mstislav Rostropovich
Favorite SH Event / Festival / Memory:
Tasting the first batch of Monticello from the fermenter right before bottling. The culmination of beer research and development.
Timmy Green
Brewer
Hometown:
Charlottesville, VA
Favorite Starr Hill Beer:
Beer & Food Pairing of Choice:
Chicken wings and any cold beer--like Pale Ale or Northern Lights
Favorite Song / Band:
Lovin' It by Little Brother
Favorite SH Event / Festival / Memory:
Dumping water on Matt Briggs on his birthday!
Robbie O’Cain
Brewer
Hometown:
Asheville, NC
Favorite Starr Hill Beer:
Beer & Food Pairing of Choice:
Double Platinum and Spinach & Ricotta Pizza
Favorite Song / Band:
Otis Redding
Favorite SH Event / Festival / Memory:
Working with Timmy and Trey everyday.
Trey Cherry
Brewer
Hometown:
Charleston, SC
Favorite Starr Hill Beer:
Beer & Food Pairing of Choice:
Dank fish tacos with fried plantains and Dark Starr Stout
Favorite Song / Band:
Sublime
Favorite SH Event / Festival / Memory:
Working with Timmy and Robbie everyday.
Dio Fazlali
Team Lead - Warehouse Technician
Hometown:
Tehran, Iran
Favorite Starr Hill Beer:
Beer & Food Pairing of Choice:
Jomo and Pizza
Favorite Song / Band:
Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd
Favorite SH Event / Festival / Memory:
Just having the Gift of Great Beer end of your shift is the great memory of yesterday.
Skip Roberts
Warehouse Technician
Hometown:
Charlottesville, VA
Favorite Starr Hill Beer:
Beer & Food Pairing of Choice:
Pale Ale and Pizza
Favorite Song / Band:
Roygbiv by Boards of Canada
Favorite SH Event / Festival / Memory:
The end of the summer party--good beer, good food and good people.
Aaron Gatlin
Packaging Technician
Hometown:
Charlottesville, VA
Favorite Starr Hill Beer:
Beer & Food Pairing of Choice:
The Gift and Torta Brava
Favorite Song / Band:
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Favorite SH Event / Festival / Memory:
All Good 2011!
Mike Presley
Packaging Technician
Hometown:
Macon, GA
Favorite Starr Hill Beer:
Beer & Food Pairing of Choice:
Festie and pizza
Favorite Song / Band:
Allman Brothers Band
Favorite SH Event / Festival / Memory:
I had a great time at the 11th Anniversary Party.
Bruce Peepers
Packaging Technician
Hometown:
Akron, OH
Favorite Starr Hill Beer:
Beer & Food Pairing of Choice:
Northern Lights and Steak'n'cheese
Favorite Song / Band:
Disco Biscuits
Favorite SH Event / Festival / Memory:
I get to work with Rod Stewart every day.
Rodriquez Stewart
Packaging Technician
Hometown:
North Memphis, TN
Favorite Starr Hill Beer:
Beer & Food Pairing of Choice:
Tacos and Jomo
Favorite Song / Band:
Curren$y
Favorite SH Event / Festival / Memory:
I get to work with Chuck Nasty every day.
Pete Barry
Manager of Operations Maintenance
Hometown:
Arlington, VA
Favorite Starr Hill Beer:
Beer & Food Pairing of Choice:
Oysters on the half shell and Dark Starr Stout
Favorite Song / Band:
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Favorite SH Event / Festival / Memory:
Still makin' 'em.
Mike Andres
Market Manager, VA & SC
Hometown:
Roanoke, VA
Favorite Starr Hill Beer:
Beer & Food Pairing of Choice:
Double Platinum and Steak (medium rare)
Favorite Song / Band:
Dirty Work by Steely Dan
Favorite SH Event / Festival / Memory:
When Nate remembered my name at DelFest after meeting him countless times before.
Emma English
Market Manager, MD, DC & NoVA
Hometown:
Chicago, IL
Favorite Starr Hill Beer:
Beer & Food Pairing of Choice:
Dark Starr Stout and Dark Chocolate Desserts!
Favorite Song / Band:
That’s tough... “If you only knew” by Shinedown is definitely a favorite
Favorite SH Event / Festival / Memory:
Working at the NOVA Beer Fest with a volunteer who couldn’t stop shouting, “We have LOVE for you! Come share the LOVE! Come ask me for some LOVE! Free LOVE over here. Who needs some LOVE?!”
Reed Harrison
Market Manager, TN & WV (aka "Beer Fairy")
Hometown:
Nashville, TN
Favorite Starr Hill Beer:
Beer & Food Pairing of Choice:
Eggs, Bacon, & Amber Ale--good morning!
Favorite Song / Band:
"The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth" by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Favorite SH Event / Festival / Memory:
So many fuzzy memories to choose from! Watching Robert Plant drink from his third Pale Ale on stage and All Good 2010 in its entirety!
Alisha Ames
Market Manager
Hometown:
Sterling, VA
Favorite Starr Hill Beer:
Beer & Food Pairing of Choice:
Boxcar with Porter Cheesecake (great job Black Bear Bistro)
Favorite Song / Band:
Right now I am really feeling some Zac Brown Band
Favorite SH Event / Festival / Memory:
First time I went to the brewery on Main Street back when I was in college living behind the Corner. I never knew seeing that local band live there and drinking my first Starr Hill Jomo was going to change me so much! But that is what Starr Hill is all about. As Mark would say, his hope is that everyone tries a Starr Hill for the first time listening to a local band, and that is exactly how my journey started. I am sure that there will be many more to come, and I look forward to seeing several others try their first Starr Hill beer the same way!
Rachel Early
Sales Representative, Northern VA
Hometown:
Calabash, NC
Favorite Starr Hill Beer:
Beer & Food Pairing of Choice:
The Love with pretty much any type of seafood
Favorite Song / Band:
Incubus is my all-time favorite, but I love me some country, too!
Favorite SH Event / Festival / Memory:
I’d have to say my best experience is the first time I had a Starr Hill beer. It was when I was still living in NC, and it just happened to be The Love that stole my heart. Now here I am, 4 years later, part of the Starr Hill family!
Kara Egber “Kegber”
Sales Representative, DC & MD
Hometown:
Fairfax, VA
Favorite Starr Hill Beer:
Beer & Food Pairing of Choice:
The Love with nothing. I drink my meals! Just kidding…The Love paired with seafood
Favorite Song / Band:
Anything by Beyonce
Favorite SH Event / Festival / Memory:
Trying Starr Hill for the first time and learning not only is the beer brewed in Virginia but the company is heavily involved in the music scene. Talk about a perfect marriage of all my worlds.
Brian Morse
Assistant Tasting Room Manager / SH Ambassador
Hometown:
Live in Afton, VA now, but grew up in Lexington, NC
Favorite Starr Hill Beer:
Beer & Food Pairing of Choice:
Rauchbier and barbecue or anything smoked
Favorite Song / Band:
Pearl Jam/Eddie Vedder as well as The Pollocks
Favorite SH Event / Festival / Memory:
Tastings, duh!
David Foky
Tasting Room Guy
Hometown:
Ardmore, PA
Favorite Starr Hill Beer:
Beer & Food Pairing of Choice:
Soft pretzels and Starr Light Pilsner
Favorite Song / Band:
Bach to bluegrass and Pink to Pink Floyd.. Everything.
Favorite SH Event / Festival / Memory:
Walking into the brewery and being greeted by the smell of a new batch being cooked. Amazing still.
Bill Rockwell
Tasting Room Staff
Hometown:
Union, NJ
Favorite Starr Hill Beer:
Beer & Food Pairing of Choice:
Northern Lights and Mexican food
Favorite Song / Band:
Rock bands of the '70s
Favorite SH Event / Festival / Memory:
Too early to tell
Gabe Strauss
Tasting Room Staff / Brand Ambassador
Hometown:
Charlottesville, VA
Favorite Starr Hill Beer:
Beer & Food Pairing of Choice:
Salty...
Favorite Song / Band:
Wilco or "No Speak No Slave" by Black Crowes
Favorite SH Event / Festival / Memory:
Working FloydFest 2011.
Meghan Flow
Tasting Room Staff
Hometown:
Chicago, IL
Favorite Starr Hill Beer:
Beer & Food Pairing of Choice:
Dark Starr Stout and Chocolate Lava Cake
Favorite Song / Band:
That Summer by Garth Brooks
Favorite SH Event / Festival / Memory:
Brew Ridge Trail Music Festival--nearby, great venue, awesome music, gorgeous weather and the best beer!
Alan Hagen
Packaging Technician / SH Ambassador
Hometown:
Redwood City, CA
Favorite Starr Hill Beer:
Beer & Food Pairing of Choice:
Jomo and Bratwurst
Favorite Song / Band:
Badfish by Sublime
Favorite SH Event / Festival / Memory:
Working at my first festival and meeting Starr Hill at Bonnaroo 2008. THe hospitality of the van Brocklins and everyone else there made me fall in love with the brand and the people.
Jessie Sauer
SH Intern / Tasting Room Staff / SH Ambassador
Hometown:
Richmond, VA
Favorite Starr Hill Beer:
Beer & Food Pairing of Choice:
Festie and Chinese food
Favorite Song / Band:
Tom Thumb's Blues by Bob Dylan
Favorite SH Event / Festival / Memory:
When Levi was helping me switch a keg in the Tasting Room, and a keg blew, and I accidentally blasted beer and foam in his face.
Hillary Parsons
SH Intern / Tasting Room Staff / SH Ambassador
Hometown:
Richmond, VA
Favorite Starr Hill Beer:
Beer & Food Pairing of Choice:
Festie and Hot Wings
Favorite Song / Band:
Shakedown Street by Grateful Dead
Favorite SH Event / Festival / Memory:
Working at The Festy 2011.
Emily Burfoot
SH Intern / Tasting Room Staff / SH Ambassador
Hometown:
Richmond, VA
Favorite Starr Hill Beer:
Beer & Food Pairing of Choice:
The Love and Indian food
Favorite Song / Band:
"Hurricane" by Something Corporate
Favorite SH Event / Festival / Memory:
On 11/11/11, looking down at the crowd from the balcony and seeing everyone having a good time.
Starr Hill: The Gift of Great Beer

