Greetings,
It is with incredible excitement and a humbling sense of awe that I proudly announce that Dr. David Ryder has joined City Lights Brewing Company as our Chief Innovation Officer as we bridge our way into 2017.
Simply stated, Dr. Ryder is arguably the world's most accomplished brewer.
A native of England, Dr. Ryder obtained his undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences from the University of London and subsequently received his PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Cape Town in Cape Town, RSA and the University of Brussels, Brussels Belgium.
Dr. Ryder was formerly the International Technical Consultant – Global Operations Manager for Stella Artois, headquartered in Leuven, Belgium. He subsequently moved to Chicago and was the Vice President of Technical Services for J.E. Siebel Sons, Inc., including the prestigious Siebel Institute.
After an illustrious 23 year career, Dr. Ryder recently retired as a Vice President from Miller Coors where he was responsible for their brewing, research, innovation and quality operations.
Dr. Ryder and Jimmy the Brewmaster have developed a close personal friendship and a mutual professional respect. Their combination of talent, experience and creativity will undoubtedly produce some incredible brews.
Dr. Ryder holds 23 patents related to brewing and hops. He has been featured in the Wall Street Journal. Despite his extensive scientific credentials, Dr. Ryder possesses a zealous passion for the art of brewing. His first collaboration with Jimmy the Brewmaster at City Lights will be the resurrection of a 300 year-old English recipe for a beer known as “Stitch.” Here is how Dr. Ryder describes it:
"Stitch" is a classic brown ale from the 18th century and our brewmaster loves brown ales and old beer recipes. At about 5.5 % ABV, the unique texture of this beer is characterized by distinct roasted malt notes balanced with hop acids to provide a crisp presence on the palate, sharpening the mouth-feel and a light, constrained bitterness at the swallow. A slight funkiness is typical for this beer as the complex, fruity and tangy flavor characters juxtapose each other in their quest to balance the flavor across the entire palate including the roof of the mouth. The reddish-brown body is typical of the style. “Stitch” is also a mid-winter/early spring style which has been recorded in history for its medicinal qualities to protect its loyalists as the seasons change. Our ancestors loved lusty beers; City Lights is proud that you can now re-live that experience!”
In addition to world class brewing innovations, Dr. Ryder will assist City Lights with further educational outreach on all things beer related, government compliance and regulations issues and support in the implementation of best-in-class brewing and quality policies and procedures.
Dr. Ryder possesses a youthful exuberance, sharp wit, engaging personality, creative mind, passion for excellence and is as nice personally as he is accomplished professionally.
Please join Jimmy the Brewmaster and me in warmly welcoming Dr. Dave Ryder to the City Lights family.
Cheers to David!
Robin