Name: Amanda V. Gibson
Age: 35
Title: President & CEO, Beast Brewing Company; AKA MamaBeast
Married/Single: I’ve been married to the Beastmaster, James Gibson, since June 23, 2007.
Kids: Yes. Our first 2 children are furry little guys named Pugsley & Brody or sometimes Thing 1 & Thing 2. Rhys the Beast was born in 2010 and was a big inspiration for our company and our most recent addition is Elliott Merrick, whose name was inspired by singer/songwriter Elliott Smith.
City you live in: Bisbee, AZ
A typical day in my life includes…
I don’t really have a typical day. At Beast I wear many hats – from strategic planning to event planning to brewing to cooking to branding/marketing to sales to managing the staff. Each day is fast paced & challenging. I am above no task. Jim and I make the biggest decisions for the company, but we also clean toilets & hang fliers on poles in Old Bisbee.
I was born…
on January 19 at 11:59 pm on the cusp of Capricorn & Aquarius; however, I consider myself a Capricorn.
My favorite thing about Arizona is…
the ecological diversity.
I’m listening to…
locally – the Upper Strata (Phoenix) & the West Texas Millionaires (Bisbee). Internationally – Muse (UK) & Wolf Parade (Montreal).
My family…
is sometimes like a circus show.
If I could have dinner with anyone, it would be…
with my husband (alone!).
One thing I cannot live without…
locally crafted beer, of course.
When I was younger, I wanted to be…
a medical doctor.
I’m inspired by…
nature.
The one person who motivates me is…
it’s my kids so I really can’t pick one. There was a lot of adjustment for all of us over the last year & a half. We moved 3 times in 6 months (one of those moves being our cross country journey from Rhode Island to Arizona), renovated a facility & started a company with a 3-month & 3-year old. We brew 30 bbl batches of beer for distribution as well as 10 gallon test batches to test the market in our taproom. We also serve a small, high quality food menu in our taproom on weekends. Typically, every weekend is different and we like to incorporate as many local & organic ingredients as possible. No matter the challenge – I am motivated by the innocence and happiness of my two amazing boys and my desire to give them an amazing life.
If I could change anything in the world, it would be…
the way we chose to view it. So many people still need to change the way they think about their purchases and supporting local businesses; about ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle. I strive to reduce my carbon footprint & to increase what I have to offer while I am here on this planet. I love taking the kids around the neighborhood to pick up trash, to discuss the environment, the birds & animals around us and the impact we can make. I, of course, put this discussion in Lorax terms, thanks to our friend Dr. Seuss.
The perfect day would be…
a challenging morning hike with my whole family, followed by a picnic lunch and a growler of my favorite brew, which right now is our relatively new to the market – Sandman Pecan Porter. It’s an Estonian-style porter, midnight black in color, nutty & smoky. This comes predominately from the 45 pounds of organic candied pecans from local Green Valley Pecan Orchard (Sahuarita, AZ), the world’s largest irrigated pecan orchard. After relaxing at our beautiful local AZ hiking destination, we complete our trek back, freshen up & head out for a relaxing dinner at one of our amazing accounts (you can find them listed under Brew Finder on our webpage).
My first job was…
working at Southwick’s Zoo in Mendon, Massachusetts.
My favorite escape is…
more of a mental escape, but I think about the view of the beach from our treehouse at the resort we went to for our honeymoon in Mexico.
My life…
is an adventure.
I’m currently working on…
wrapping up revisions to my company’s short & long term goals as well as our planning for this year’s calendar of events. I am also helping Jim to fulfill an order from our distributor.
Always…
look both ways before crossing the street.
Never…
will I catch & release – bugs that is! Gross little (or in AZ quite big) beasts!!
Favorite Quote…
“The Mountains are calling and I must drink beer.” Rhys the Beast. He is the youngest member of the Beast team, but is my right hand man when it comes to marketing. His official title is Marketing Director.
Biggest Dream…
I’m living it! Jim & I quit our corporate jobs to pursue our dream of starting our own business – Beast Brewing Company. While I was pregnant with Elliott, we decided it was time. Why wait, we thought! We began our nationwide search in September 2012 & a year later were headed to Bisbee, AZ. We absolutely LOVE Arizona!!
My Pet Peeve(s)…
haters, negative haters.
Beast Brewing Company will be featured at the 15th annual Strong Beer Festival, set for Valentine’s Day at Steele Indian School Park in Phoenix. Sweethearts and singles alike can enjoy a broad variety of the state’s strongest signature suds at the event widely recognized as “Arizona’s Best Beer Festival.” Tickets are available for purchase at arizonabeerweek.com.
