EP4 - Craft Beer + Hiphop = BierWax

In today’s episode Marcel Gomez is joined by Chris Maestro, principal owner of BierWax in Brooklyn, New York. BierWax is home not only to craft beer, but also to over five-thousand vinyl records.

Chris has always loved music, from metal to hip hop. During his time as a teacher, Chris also travelled the world frequently. It was in Hong Kong he discovered his passion for craft beer which led to the start of a blog dedicated to it, learning to how to homebrew, and, eventually, becoming a bar manager.

Soon enough, Chris had the idea to merge his two passions and BierWax was born. The first bar of its kind in Brooklyn, BierWax houses thousands of vinyl records and regularly hosts spin sessions by some of the top hip hop talent in the world.

Right now, inside service at BierWax is closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, but they are able to keep the outside patio area open. Through the pandemic, Chris and BierWax have seen revenue losses through the roof. Still, Chris is willing and ready to pivot in any way necessary to keep the bar open and recoup some losses. Celebrating the three-year anniversary of the bar in 2020 was definitely a different experience than he had planned. The anniversary was held the same week as indoor dining restrictions were announced, but luckily, they were able to host a small celebration before the new guidelines came into effect.

The patio area itself is covered by tents and is also where Chris has wine grapes growing. This is strategic because Chris and BierWax have partnered with Rooftop Reds in Brooklyn. Rooftop Reds has a non-profit program called Village Vines where they source Brooklyn grown grapes to create local wines. Chris is also excited about an upcoming collaboration with Big Alice that should be coming to fruition soon.

Chris tells Marcel that he built on the concept of BierWax through passion. An honest love of both music and craft beer is what drove the conception of BierWax and is what continues to drive any changes. When he thought of the idea, he realized there was nowhere else around that married both of his passions. There is a careful curation of all aspects of BierWax, and any guest DJs are only allowed to spin vinyl – no digital. Chris has put in a lot of work to cultivate an inclusive and comfortable atmosphere as well as an intimate music venue.

Some of the most famous and influential people in hip hop have been through the doors at BierWax. We hear about Chris’ relationship with Bobbito and Stretch Armstrong. Chris has a small cameo in the documentary Radio That Changed Lives, where he reads a letter that he sent to them when he was 19 which called them sellouts. Bobbito had kept the letter for all those years. This started a relationship between the two, and Bobbito would even give talks to Chris’ students. Chris had asked Bobbito if he would do a set at BierWax, but he was non-committal. That is, until he checked the place out - then he was the one asking Chris if he could spin there.

Talking about some of the founders of hip hop culture leads Marcel and Chris to discuss the current culture surrounding it. For Chris, it’s gone from a rebel culture in his youth to something global. It would be the kind of music that parents would tell their kids to turn off, whereas now the parents are the ones listening to it. In the time of COVID-19, the past year has been hard on artists. Touring has been off the table for nearly a year, and for lesser-known artists, that is a huge hit for revenue.

Given his love for craft beers and his stance on supporting independent breweries, Marcel asks Chris which big brewery he would write an angry letter to now if he was that 19-year-old. Chris probably wouldn’t do that now. Being an entrepreneur in the industry has let him see another side of things and he can understand the position of other business owners making decisions. On the business side of things, BierWax will always only support independent brewers, but from a personal stand point, Chris can empathize with people that want to sell to larger companies. 

Before the pandemic, Chris was considering franchising BierWax. Marcel asks what the plan was; how does Chris plan on keeping that brand integrity that he has built over the last three years? Chris explains that the idea was just beginning to be thought about before the pandemic. It’s always a worry being the full-time operator and having to pull back and have your hands in multiple things while still maintaining quality. There’s no rush on the expansion front for now, because it’s more pressing to get through COVID.

Marcel and Chris go on to discuss how Chris learned leadership. Chris has an MA in Business, but you can’t learn everything from books. Lots of his knowledge has come from his experience in education, where he learned to be compassionate but to hold others accountable. With the lack of governmental support for the hospitality industry during lockdown, Chris has worried that he’s been too transparent with his employees about the situation but believes that communication is necessary to keep the trust.

During the summer, things were a little bit easier. A program called Open Street was implemented, where streets would be shut to traffic over the weekend and restaurants could lay out tables. That program is paused for winter, but Chris hopes if they make it through spring, they can do it again. BierWax is offering beer and food to go but it is a drop in the bucket. Chris says he will continue to do it to keep his staff employed. They are also offering merch and selling some of the vinyl to bring in revenue. Chris and his staff will continue fighting and trimming the fat where needed to survive this unprecedented year.

Find out more about Chris and BierWax here: https://www.bierwaxnyc.com/about