Matt McCowan
Head Brewer
Matt McCowan is the Head Brewer for Alter Brewing Company. He oversees ABC’s three locations at the Oak Brook Solera, St Charles Brewery, and Downers Grove Brewery. Each location has its own unique needs, so it takes a ton of effort to make sure each one is healthy and putting out quality beer consistently. Matt takes pride not only in the beer that he and his team create, but also the way in which the team runs. Matt genuinely believes that without a balanced, content life there is no way in which good beer can be made. At Alter Brewing Company, Matt and his team have been able to harness this balance – a balance you can taste.
Prior to Matt’s arrival, he spent five years with Lagunitas Brewing Company as a lead brewer, helping start their Chicago production facility as well as other brew-pubs across the nation. This is where Matt developed the skills to run a large brewhouse, pumping out at least 1,000,000 barrels in his tenure. Before Lagunitas, he spent time as a brewer with Central Waters in Amherst, Wisconsin. He picked up a lot of his barrel-aging chops during his time and brings that experience to Alter’s repertoire.
Matt lives in Lisle, IL with his wife and two sons. He enjoys spending as much time with his family and friends as possible while also squeezing in time to do absolutely nothing.
“Smooth seas never made a skilled sailor.”
– Unknown sailor