Ted Rozalski and Scott Scoville, founders of Beers in Sac

With more than 50 craft breweries fermenting in Sacramento, it’s abundantly clear that the farm-to-fork capital also enjoys its beer. So, it’s no surprise to learn that co-founders of Beers in Sac, Ted Rozalski and Scott Scoville, started their partnership with a few cold ones on a shaded porch in Oak Park. Now, in its third year, Beers in Sac hosts beer-centric events with the help of its budding online brewery directory and its Beers in Sac app. Still, Rozalski and Scoville get a real buzz from organizing and hosting events like the Fantasy Food Truck Showdown, or their latest, Brew for a Cure on Saturday, June 11, in which Beers in Sac partners with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation to host nearly 25 craft breweries to raise money for the global organization. The duo took some time to share the company’s history, Sacramento’s place in beer culture and the contents of their own fridges.

What inspired you to start a company based around craft beer?

Rozalski: To be honest with you, we’re just two guys who love beer and love Sacramento. The goal now and our vision is to make Sacramento the beer mecca of the country. I know it’s a lofty goal and I know we have a lot of competition in San Diego and also up in Oregon with its densely populated breweries, but I think Sacramento can do it. So, whatever Scott and I and our team can do to make that happen, whether it’s having an up-to-date smartphone app with all our events, unique beer-related content on our website or being a part of killer events like Gather, we’re in.

What beer is in your fridge at the moment?

Rozalski: Right now, I’m drinking anything barrel-aged. I’m looking forward to drinking Device, they just tapped their Brits in Moscow Imperial Stout, but they put it in barrels for the first time. So, I need to go before they run out of it. I don’t know if it’s something that they’re going to do just one time, but everyone seems to be going over there to try it out.

Scoville: It’s hard to narrow it down to one, but some of the beers I’m really enjoying are also coming out of Device, their Double and Triple IPA I could have every day for the rest of my life. I also love the beers coming out of Track 7. It’s not just the consistency of their beers, but at the same time, they’re both not afraid to try new things and experiment.

How do you source beer for events?

Scoville: We’ve developed relationships with a lot of brewers. We go direct to the brewers for most of our beers and it’s built off relationships. We always try to have a heavy local focus and we want a range of style as well. So, we’re not going to have six IPAs on tap. We’re going to have a little bit of everything like a saison, a porter, a pilsner, a pale ale and also cider.

Does Sacramento love its beer?

Scoville: Yes. Everyone has this inclination with something that’s locally crafted and beer is connecting to a wide range of demographics and that’s what’s so exciting. When you see 3,000 people come out to an event, they want to drink craft and they want to drink local and Sacramento has 50-plus breweries in-region. For us, our goal is to be that support for the bars, restaurants and breweries that are focused on craft. We want to let people know what’s going on, especially people who aren’t from here, because they’re coming here for the beer.

Tell me about the homebrew scene in Sacramento.

Scoville: If you look at every commercial brewery in Sacramento, the majority started out as homebrewers. A lot of them would shop over at [Brew Ferment Distill], they shop at the Brewmeister and years later they have successful breweries. We wouldn’t have 50-plus breweries in Sacramento if it wasn’t for the homebrew community. They have a wealth of experience and knowledge, especially the Underground Brew Squad. They have club meetings, they do a lot for the community and they’re very organized and participate in a lot of competitions.

How has the local craft brew scene inspired Beers in Sac?

Scoville: How it started for us and how we partnered for this company, was over beers on my porch. Our partnership started on my porch with a couple of beers and talking about how we both love craft beer and Sacramento; that’s where it began. That’s what craft beer is all about. It’s sitting on the porch, drinking beer, talking about life, talking about what you’re passionate about and dreaming.