EP-142 Rick Muschiana of Sovengard

You’ll sometimes hear people describe craft beer as a sort of zeitgeist all
its own, coming out of nowhere to upend a century-old domination of the big
corporate brewers, rising like punk rock to legendary status by following
its own rules, and changing people's expectations for what beer can be in
the process.

And a lot of that’s true, though it didn’t happen in a vacuum. Way back in
episode 18 with Gary Fish of Deschutes, you hear a much more contextual
perspective. Which is to say: craft beer, at least in its current form, is
part of something much bigger that’s changing about the way we eat and
drink. The slow food movement that has transformed so many of the world’s
dining experiences from city to city, bringing things like "farm to table"
into our common vernacular. Phrases like "know your farmer," which sounds a
lot like "know your brewer." And "locavore," which sounds a lot like "drink
local." All these things were setting a stage that craft beer now dances
on. It just happens to be a part in the play where beer is stealing the
show a bit.

And that brings us to today’s guest, Rick Muschiana. I first met Rick when
he was working at Brewery Vivant in Grand Rapids. Back in episode 10, we
talked to founders Jason and Kristen Spaulding about their unique community
and sustainability-focused brewpub. Rick helped them grow that operation,
playing roles in marketing, sales, and operations.

He then went on to lead Michigan sales for Virtue Cider in Fenville,
Michigan.

And then he took the plunge into his own concept, focused on a sort of
Nordic style of cuisine alongside great beer, wine, and more in a
restaurant and garden concept called Sovengard in Grand Rapids. It's there
you’ll find the culmination of Rick’s former professional experiences, but
also something more fundamental—the influence his parents had on his
perspective on food, beverage, and hospitality. They remain an influence to
this day.

The result is a place in Grand Rapids unlike any other.