March 14, 2017

Meet Doug Lukach of Beer From Here Brew Tours in Decatur

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Doug Lukach.

Doug, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Like many students coming out of school, I wasn’t certain what I wanted to do with my life career wise. I graduated from Florida State University with a double major in management and international business operations, mostly thinking that would combine travel and global exploration with work.

After 6 months of interviewing for “entry level” jobs that all seemed to require prior experience I was hired by an international logistics company in the transportation industry. Transportation logistics is a fast-paced, demanding field. Seconds count when one decision can impact a chain of events that determine success or failure.
It was a great job to start off with. I learned a vast amount about the industry, personal and team leadership, the sacrifice it takes to meet objectives, and just how vital communication is to drive results. I’ve always been a goal driven over-achiever and goal driven and welcomed additional responsibility.

After growing as much as I could with that company, I looked elsewhere and was fortunate to land a highly coveted job with CSX, one of the top 4 major railroads in the U.S. The job required me to leave Jacksonville, FL for Chicago for a year, then onto New Jersey for 18 months, and finally to Atlanta in the fall of 2010 when I received a promotion to manage at the CSX Intermodal facility in Cabbage town.

The move to Atlanta was a great fit for my wife and me. We made the most of our time while living in Jersey by taking frequent trips into NYC and exploring the Northeast but Atlanta just seemed like the perfect place for us. We still had all the big city stuff we had gotten used to in NYC but with a nice change of pace and a bigger sense of community down here. With both of us being born and raised in Florida we really missed some of the simple things the South can offer you, like having the cashier at the grocery store acknowledge you and say “hello.” Maybe if there had just been a Publix or two up there!

We both loved that in Atlanta you can basically choose your own adventure at all times, whether it’s concerts, dining, drinking, festivals, and so much more. You can head to Midtown, Downtown, or Buckhead for the city feel or you easily go explore one of the many neighborhoods or towns in the Atlanta area that all have their own subculture and feel. This city really is the best of all worlds. There’s so much diversity and great people here that it’s no wonder why there are so many transplants here. I know I’m one as well but it’s very easy to call this city home.

I’ve always loved the social aspect that came along with alcohol and yes, maybe some great times at FSU contributed to that a little bit. There were very little options or budget for craft beers in my college days so the big producers all played their part. Maybe a handful of Natty Lights for a game day or maybe an Amberbock or Yuengling for a fancy night. Bud, Busch, Miller, and Coors were the standards. None of these really set any expectations for how a beer should taste so they were basically just a means.

The first alcohol I developed a true appreciation for was wine. I closed out my college experience by studying abroad in Spain and that’s where the love affair began with vino. I had very little exposure to wine prior and being in a place where a good bottle of Tempranillo was just one Euro more than a tall bottle of water it was an easy decision as a college student. Upon returning, I began trying more and more varietals from different countries and quickly became enamored in learning all I could about wine from the vine to the bottle.

This is the same feeling that came over me when I started trying new beers while in Chicago and New Jersey from 2008 – 2010. It was incredible to try all new beers that I hadn’t been exposed to before, and this is when I was slowly inching my way towards being obsessed with visiting breweries. Once I moved to Atlanta it was “game on” and I was ready to explore some beer.

I feel attached to the metro Atlanta brewery scene because I’ve been an eager outsider looking in for a while now. In 2005 I was bringing Sweet Water back to Florida after any trip up here since it wasn’t distributed there then and their 420 was starting to really catch on. I remember the anticipation of waiting for Three Taverns and Wild Heaven to officially open up since they’re right down the road from me. That’s what I hope for others. I hope at some point they have some anticipation for that brewery that’s getting opened up nearby. It’s happened in many cities and it continues to happen here in Atlanta.

A brewery can bring a lot to an area. Areas that were highly industrialized slowly convert to spots where a community begins to form. New businesses build around a lot of these brewery cornerstones and create a new identity for the area. There’s been a lot of growth in the Atlanta market in such a short time. Considering we had only 8 breweries at the beginning of 2013 and now we’re at 24, I think it’s safe to say Atlanta is quickly becoming a craft beer destination. We’re slowly taking over the film industry, why not the beer industry? Well, having some of the strictest beer laws in the country doesn’t help but we have had the increase in breweries despite the stifling environment currently operated by the State. The country is seeing a widespread surge in craft breweries. In just the last 5 years we’ve gone from approx. 2400 breweries to the over 5000 we have now, with the U.S. expected to eclipse 6000 in 2017. If I was going to change industries it only seemed to make sense to move toward one with growth potential.

Life seemed on cruise control for a bit. Work, play, work, try local beers, work, work, beer, beer. But then I found out I had cancer in 2014. It required surgery, which had complications and made a 3 week recovery a 3 month recovery. That is a lot of time to reflect and contemplate some life decisions. Upon my return to work I still carried out my job to my usual high level but I was seeking more. In the meantime I kept trying new brewery after new brewery and kept thinking of ways to do something in this burgeoning industry that I was passionate about.

It took another year but in the fall of 2015 I left my great, secure, well compensated job to pursue a new challenge. When you spend that much time at a job, especially when it’s 12 hour days, your coworkers are your family too. I still miss my old job from time to time when I drive past the terminal or hear some trains passing through Decatur but I know I made the right call to pursue something I created. It’s taken a great deal of sacrifice to get to where I am at now and I’m still just a very young business early on in its path to growing. At least for now I can take satisfaction after each tour when I see how much fun people have. At the beginning of a tour it is very easy to tell who knows who on the bus but by the end, those walls come down and it’s an entirely different experience. There’s something special when you get to see a group of strangers all end up having fun together. I aim to ensure that everyone has a great time on my tours and hopefully they walk away with some great memories and retained some knowledge on our area’s brewery history and current local beer happenings.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I sought out a new challenge and I definitely got one. I feel like no matter how well you think you’re prepared there’s still a good 8 pages of a to-do list to tackle once you get started. I quickly learned why many people don’t go out and start their own business—it’s really hard work. But somehow just knowing that you created your own gig helps keep the engine going during the trying moments.

I think there has to be some blind faith to keep trying and constantly promoting your business. There’s also some blind faith in the State of Georgia that’s playing a big part in the local craft beer industry, and hoping that some much needed changes in our legislature happen this year. All signs seem to point to Senate Bill 85 passing, which will give breweries across Georgia a chance to reach their full potential. Under the current system–which required a massive amount of effort from the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild and many other supporters to be where it’s at now–you as a patron cannot go to a brewery just to drink a beer. In order to enjoy a brew you are required to pay for a tour at a brewery (usually in the $12-$15 range) and it allows you to consume up to 36 ounces on-site. Many consumers see this as a hassle, especially if they’ve been to a brewery in just about every other state, where you can simply pop in and buy a pint of beer without going the roundabout way of paying for a tour first like we do here. The thought isn’t that craft beer fans are clamoring to be able to drink more than their allotted 3 beers (36 ounces), it’s more along the lines of letting each brewery fully create their ideal business model.

The 5000+ breweries we have now seems like a high figure but when you look back and see that there were over 4000 operating 140 years ago it tells a tale of where we’ve collectively come as beer drinkers. Even more indicative is that there were only 89 less than 40 years ago. The Temperance Movement and Prohibition pretty much reset the progress that was achieved with so many small businesses in the U.S. and post-Prohibition Americans switched to a more macro level of beer consumption. The big companies were the only ones that could come out of that with any momentum, and over time they gradually acquired and consolidated many of the smaller guys to get the total down to less than a hundred operating breweries. Pioneers like Sierra Nevada, Bell’s, and Samuel Adams introduced beers to the States that knocked down walls for what beer could taste like.

The notion for supporting local has largely driven the number of breweries in the last decade. That’s what SB 85 is really trying to achieve–to allow breweries to be a small business with less hurdles to overcome to achieve success. The bill, if passed, will go into effect September 1, 2017 and allow you to stop at any brewery and be able to order a beer by the glass, whether it’s 1 or 5, and be allowed to take up to 288 ounces to-go (a 24 pack’s worth). Right now local spots are only open Thursday-Sunday for the most part and the latest a couple of them stay open till is 10:00 pm on a Friday. This makes planning tours harder than it needs to be at times as it reduces the options you can work with but that’s also part of the fun. Maybe that’s just the logistics side of me shining through.

Georgia and Mississippi are in a close race for being last in the country in regards to beer laws and their conduciveness for creating an opportunistic working environment. This change in legislation we have ahead of us will give these businesses a chance to increase their tasting room hours and be open on days they were never open on before. It’ll create numerous jobs as each continues to grow after working in an economically limited manner for such a long time. The reason there were 4000+ breweries back in the late 1800’s is that they were all communal watering holes. A place for people to gather and socialize. I pass Three Taverns and Wild Heaven on my way home and there’s been so many times I wish I could just stop for one beer and take a quick after work break. It’s hard to believe we live in a state where that’s not possible but we’re close. The opportunity for growth is there and we have a bunch of excellent breweries waiting to fully capture it. The one thing every business strives for is regulars and this law change will help their chance for getting that repeat business.

The main costs I incur on my tours are transportation and customers’ admissions to breweries. It’s really hard to have a lower price-point with this type of service, which is why no matter where you look here in Georgia a multiple brewery tour will cost you anywhere from $60-$75. There’s not much profit in the tours right now because of the nature of our local industry having to work within specific legal parameters so I have to fall back on that blind faith a bit for some much needed change.

Besides the current operating climate being the biggest obstacle for the growth of my business I would say the other challenge I face is getting customers to see things in relative terms. People get sticker shock when they hear they have to pay $12-$15 to get into a brewery. Even on the high side, 3 beers for $15 is a steal compared to any bar in town, and there’s nowhere else you can get beer that fresh. You could conduct your own brewery tour but safe transportation is the key. With one brewery stop you can still drink responsibly and head out, but no one should be driving after 2 or 3 stops. If you use Uber to get around yourself and pay for your tours on your own you’ll be spending well over $75 so why not do it on a safe and fun bus tour? Two years ago I went to Burnt Hickory’s anniversary party and my Uber bill from Decatur to Kennesaw was $65. I think that was a defining moment in the creation of this venture.

In regards to other challenges that I’ve encountered thus far it’s been inspiring to have such a helpful group of people working in craft beer. I’ve been actively participating in the industry for years but never in an operating capacity so to be a new comer and receive so much assistance from people who didn’t know me was fantastic. Not just locally either. I’ve made friends with beer tour companies in Portland, Tampa, and Jacksonville that have been very supportive and were open about the challenges they incurred themselves.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
We welcome all levels of beer drinkers aboard for the ultimate Georgia craft beer experience. We proudly serve the metro Atlanta craft beer scene with tours full of fun, great brews, and a solid head retention for beer info. We believe a little education leads to appreciation. We offer both public and private tours and ensure you’ll have A Crafted Experience that will have you coming back to explore all the area has to offer. Most tours include a combination of 2-3 brewery stops and the Thursday tours require a brewery and a brewpub stop to work around limited operating hours in town. Luckily there’s no shortage of top notch brewpubs here either.

Standard public tours typically have 20–30 passengers and our fleet can accommodate private rentals ranging from 10 people to 55 people on a single vehicle. Our private tours can be arranged on any day but currently there is considerably more effort needed for scheduling on off-days since most breweries aren’t open Monday – Wednesday and just a few are open on Thursdays. It costs more to get a brewery to accommodate on their off-days but it can be done. So far we have had private tours for birthdays, anniversaries, and company outings but we welcome any reason to do it. I wish this had been an option for my bachelor party back in 2009. I would’ve loved to have done something like this, just a fun day out drinking beer with my boys. Though a bar crawl in Key West was fun too.

I’m currently working on plans for a group of 50-100 in May which would be the first multiple bus tour, it’s been exciting to work on. There’s so many local options to work with and if beer isn’t your thing (we hope we can change that!) we can always arrange outings to visit local distilleries, cideries, and the North GA wineries. Beer, cider, wine, or spirits we encourage you to drink local proudly. Even if you don’t want to incorporate alcohol we can still provide the same competitive transportation rates and high level of service on our private tours. Even if the event isn’t for a special occasion every event on board should get special attention. We can work with you to create a crafted experience that meets your requests and cover your transportation needs.

We’re also a resource for scheduling beer related group events. From lots of networking we can easily arrange for a tasting at a place of your choosing or we can line up several options for you to choose from. It can take place at a package store, growler shop, bar, or even your neighborhood community center. We just want to get you appreciating some local beverages.

In addition to tours Beer from Here Brew Tours is your source for local beer news, brewery and brewpub events, beer festival info, and recs for area restaurants and package stores with great craft selections. Our main goal is to promote the quality offerings we have here and for people that attend my tours I want them to leave with a good impression and buy local the next time they have a purchasing decision to make. I believe that by spending my efforts promoting the local breweries it will have a trickle-down effect in the long-term, but hopefully shorter! The beer quality is there to match a great community of people in this industry and I’m confident that if I can motivate others to go and try out a few of the breweries, they’ll definitely want to explore more. Enter Beer From Here.

What was your favorite childhood memory?
My heart is usually on the sleeve so it seems difficult to think of any specific event. I’ve always tried to get the most out of life and sometimes to a fault because sometimes you just need to let the moment just be. I spent countless hours playing with Lego’s and inventing my own games to entertain myself. The rest of the time was spent hanging out with neighborhood friends, some of which I still talk to today, and riding bikes everywhere. That was childhood freedom at its finest. I sound like an old man saying it but I’ve so thankful I grew up in a time without smartphones.

There’s a few memories that stand out from the others so let’s call this just one of the several favorites. This memory just seems so much more vivid than the rest. I can pretty much still remember the majority of the day except for the car ride. Clearly, because it was only a 70 minute ride, but felt like forever. I was off from school and going on a trip with my grandparents from Jacksonville to Marineland. I imagine I was around 6 or 7 but incredibly I can remember the whole day with them, so for that I’m thankful. I remember walking around the park, and looking back now I wish I could thank them for waiting so patiently as I watched the otters play for what had to have been quite a long while. I can even remember setting the alarm on my watch to go off and then proceeding to stick my arm in the water of the dolphin exhibit. It took no time at all for a dolphin to swim over and investigate. I’m not sure I can say that is my favorite memory but it was a great day. Life is there to be filled with lots of great days. It’s just the older you get, the harder you have to work to appreciate things to try and live a healthy life.

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