Meet Lost Worlds Brewery Founders, Dave & Allison Hamme
Dave & Allison connected 20 year ago over, you guessed it, homebrewing.
It’s one thing to brew great beer and entirely another to open a full-scale brewery. With the winning combination of their business backgrounds and love of homebrewing (they were both homebrewers before they met 20-years ago), Dave and Allison Hamme are in the midst of opening Lost Worlds Brewery in the town they call home.
The concept of Lost Worlds aligns with their curiosity and sense of adventure as they build a basecamp for likeminded adventure seekers -- and those who just want to kick back in a biergarten with their dog and enjoy an amazing craft beer on a sunny Carolina afternoon.
The Hamme’s look forward to getting to know all their customers, and in the meantime, here’s a little bit about their background -- their story, style and most critical move yet…
How long have you lived in the Lake Norman area?
We have lived in the Charlotte area for the past 20 years and settled in the Lake Norman area roughly seventeen years ago. Although we’ve bounced around different parts of Lake Norman, we can’t imagine ever leaving here. We love Cornelius, and couldn’t think of a better place that aligns with adventurous opportunities with the lake and all of its amenities.
Describe the moment when you both agreed to go for it and open your own brewery?
It took time. We entertained the concept of opening a brewery for quite a few years, but there was always something that kept us from moving forward. Gradually the roadblocks dissipated, and a plan was built. However, we didn’t fully commit until Dave met DG. At that point, we knew we’d found that missing element – an outstanding Director of Brewing.
Why was hiring DG such a critical move?
Craft beer is at an inflection point. Years ago, a couple of homebrewers could get together and concoct something drinkable and it would sell. Today, it is becoming a much more professional industry. The large breweries are taking notice of the growth of craft beer and offering more styles to stave off the competition. Quality is imperative to grow in the industry.
What are you offering the Lake Norman community that you felt was missing?
Whenever we have house guests, we struggle to find that iconic destination we HAVE to take our guests to. Of course, what constitutes that destination is arguably different for everyone. Our goal is to build a destination for people like ourselves who love travel, exploring, history, and being out and about.
When did you fall in love with home brewing, and how did you learn?
We were both homebrewers before we even met. Back then it was generally done in big pots on the stove – very different than the slick techniques available to homebrewers today! Sadly, one of the lasting impacts of prohibition was the dominance of “Big Beer” and extremely limited choices. Homebrewing allowed us to brew unique styles that simply weren’t available commercially. Like many others, we learned the art through experimentation and through the book The Complete Joy of Homebrewing by Charlie Papazian. From our perspective Charlie’s book launched the homebrewing movement – which in turn eventually morphed into the Craft Brewing Industry.
What your favorite style of beer to brew?
We honestly don’t have a favorite. We enjoy trying new recipes and discovering how we can tinker with them to make a new concoction. Recently, we brewed a Kolsch for the first time and it disappeared astonishingly quickly during a small family gathering. Now, we’re primarily experimenting with unique recipes for Lost Worlds.
How many days a month will you brew? Or any specifics around brewing you want to add; kinds of beer?
We are initially going to offer six beers at our opening. We will have a solid variety covering lighter ales and darker ales with some surprises tossed in. Based upon our market, we will slightly tilt to deliver more sessionable beers. Over the last several years, the trend in brewing has been to create higher alcohol, unfiltered beers. However, you have one and you’re done for the day. We intend to craft more drinkable beers that allow you to spend an afternoon talking with friends and enjoying multiple beverages that satisfy but don’t leave you feeling bloated and ready for a nap.
What do you feel you need to succeed in the beer industry?
The key for any brewery is to deliver outstanding beers. We feel we checked that box when we hired David Gonzales. Beyond the beer, you have to create an environment that guests enjoy. For us, that entails being creative with our location and building a community of raving fans.
What are a few things you love about the craft brewing industry?
Wow… there is so much we love about the craft brewing industry. Here’s the short list. Collaboration – we love the spirit of brewers helping other brewers. We’ve worked in quite a few industries as consultants and in none of them were other players as helpful and welcoming. Creativity – the craft brewing industry is rapidly changing. There is a major opportunity for those who are creative and persistent to leave their mark on the industry.
Any words of advice for someone thinking of entering this industry?
Ask questions, make friends, and start brewing!