Meet Ryan Colvin

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Colvin.

So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I feel like I was born with an overwhelming drive to create with every breath. I have always had this curiosity that pushed me to see what is on the other side. I have always been active in the arts like cooking, being a musician, writing and being a maker. I see beauty in everything from the sweeping powerful monsoons that engulf our valley to the depression and despair I feel from the hatred and injustice of the world.

When I was young, I enjoyed painting and coloring like most kids but sometimes I would get in trouble by taking apart the family stereo or my father’s lawnmower well because my curiosity got the best of me and I was curious as to see what made these machines work. As a young kid, every growing season my mother and I would plant a vegetable garden together and while most of my friends were off riding bikes I was learning something important about mother Earth and digging my hands into that soil to feel what it was like to connect with nature.

In my teenage years, I grew up skateboarding and causing havoc in the mean streets of Tempe, Arizona AKA Hipster Compton where I was born and raised. I have always had a deep love for Tempe and Arizona in general. When I got a bit older to trade the skateboard for a driver’s license I jumped into building classic trucks and hotrods as a hobby and I dove deep into it. I would heavily modify every vehicle I owned from a built engine on my 72 F100 to air ride suspension on my 03 Silverado. I was sure this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life so I naturally got into metal fabrication and it became a quick passion and soon after I got into metal art and custom furniture building. Through the years, I have been a part of many art collaborations like designing and building the Hope Memorial Garden sign at McKemy middle school to building trophies for car shows. I have helped in custom furniture builds for high-level celebrities, pomade companies, tattoo shops, barbershops to patio furniture for breweries like The Shop Beer Co in Tempe. My metalwork is in and around the valley like little puzzle pieces of my life. On January 29th, 2016 my life along with many others was changed forever. I became a murderers son. My father took the life of his girlfriend who was a loving mother, sister, aunt and grandmother. Moments after committing the murder my father then tried to commit suicide but survived his wounds after hours in the operating room. The thought of the very man who taught me how to ride a bike as a young child committing an act like this crushed me. January 29th and the following days were among the darkest in my life. Life literally felt like a nightmare. My wife stayed by my side every moment she could and lifted my spirits to a point where I decided to do something with all of my negative feelings and seriously I don’t know where I would be without my wife, she saved me.

As an artistic release, I began to brew beer. I had dabbled in homebrewing in the past but it never stuck with me as a full-time hobby. So one day I took my depressed ass out to the garage and went to work on some old beer kegs I had laying around and cut the tops off to make giant 15 gallon pots. I then I took some old scrap metal I had laying around and welded up a beer brewing stand with propane burners. After I got all of my equipment built and put together I began to homebrew like nobody’s business. After a few bad batches I eventually got to a point where I built a following with my beer. Just recently on my first major competition entry I won a silver medal for my cider from the Arizona Society of Homebrewers. My brewing is now getting to a level where other professional brewers and brewery owners are telling me that my recipes and beer are something very special. I am currently on a board of 12 homebrewers from Arizona Society of Homebrewers who are collaborating with The Shop Beer Company to make a very special beer to release later this year and a recipe I had written was chosen for use as our base beer recipe in the collaboration. Other brewers around the world are now seeking my advice on a regular basis about brewing techniques through Instagram and Facebook. I have built a small following on social media as a result of it. Brewing beer, cider and mead is now my absolute passion.

Has it been a smooth road?
I am someone who faces challenges head on and very methodically. My road has never been smooth but I don’t sweat the small stuff and go with the flow. I feel like this attitude has helped me over some pretty huge obstacles. I have learned life is too short to be angry or negative all the time. The one and only thing I know for sure is I will always keep moving forward and learn as much as my brain will let me before I depart this Earth.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Metalworking: As of lately, I am known for my metalworking and beer brewing. Most of my metalworking can be seen on my Instagram page. I specialize in MIG welding mild steel and I make just about anything for people like wrought iron gates, custom tables, benches, lamps, chandeliers, wall art, custom brackets, custom manufacturing and anything artistic. I get commissioned for furniture pieces a few times a year and would love to do more. One of my favorite memories was when I was a part of an art installation where we took the front of a 1959 Chevy school bus and turned it into an outdoor fireplace. We put exhaust stacks in the hood so the flames would shoot out.

Brewing: It all started with a Mr. Beer kit many years ago. I recall my first Mr. Beer kit experience being great and I was honestly surprised that I made this great tasting magical drink so I bought a refill kit to make a second batch. My second batch wasn’t so great with an instant infection so I bought some reading material and went back to the drawing board. I found out real quick that the majority of beer making is not the actual act of making beer but the act of properly cleaning and sanitizing everything that you use in the brewing process to prevent bad microorganisms from spoiling your beer making science experiment. After getting all Bill Nye, I brewed a few more successful batches on the good ol Mr. Beer and felt it was time for a big boy kit soon after. One of favorite early day brewing stories is when I brewed and bottled a 5 gallon batch of watermelon hefeweizen that turned into many little explosive devices in my kitchen on a Monday morning at 3am. It woke up my wife and I who thought we were getting shot up in a drive by shooting. Luckily I listened to an old-time brewer friend who told me to put all of my freshly bottled beer into a Rubbermaid container for at least two weeks after bottling in case of the bottles exploding from infection or over carbonation, glad I listened.

Now I have moved on to kegging my beer and have four beers on tap at all times in my garage. I write my own recipes and build water profiles with salts and minerals to mimic different regions in the world. I have captured wild yeast and bacteria out of the night air and brewed with it. The science and art behind beer is what intrigues me. The old brewers saying is “The brewer makes the wort and the yeast make the beer”.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My wife Serena has been my number one supporter since the day we met and she is the first person I go to with metal art ideas or beer flavor ideas. She never steers me wrong and always keeps me moving forward. She is my rock. Thank you my love!

My mother Pamela for helping grow my curious and artistic brain to what it is today. Thank you Mom!

Gram for always giving me the wisdom I need when I need it.

All of my siblings Reyes, Hayden, Shania, Zach, Geoff and Brandy for always being there and helping with metal projects or sampling my beer. I would be nothing without all of my brothers and sisters.

Marcus Pina for always talking beer with me and helping me become a better brewer homie. Brewery602 por vida!

Brad Boddington for selling me my first true homebrew kit and being a good mentor/friend for many years.

Jake Shelton of Jake’s Chop Shop for giving me the drive to become a maker. It was awesome learning from you Jake.

Dave, Mikel, Jason, Dillon, Gus and the crew over at The Shop Beer Co for taking the time and talking to home brewers like me to help us hone in our skills. I am truly grateful to have gotten to know you all. Also, thank you for trusting me to do all of the new metalwork in and around the brewery.

Contact Info:

• Email: azhomebrewing@gmail.com
• Instagram: @azhomebrewing

Suggest a story: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.