Meet Dan Jachimowicz | Brewery Owner & Head Brewer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dan Jachimowicz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dan, why did you pursue a creative career?
I believe that our creativity and imagination is our most important tool in moving forward with our lives and relations. There is a particular joy that comes in watching others enjoy something that you have worked hard to create, even more so when it is something that stands out and speaks to people. This is what originally lead me to brewing beer. In my first attempt, I instantly fell in love with the endless possibilities that brewing provides. With so many ingredient varieties, flavors of beer are really limited only by our imagination and skill as brewers for no other reason than to bring some form of positive experience. This is the core of Longship Brewery. Tying the discovery of these endless possibilities to my love of history, Longship Brewery is named after the iconic Norse ship responsible for taking those brave voyagers on their own adventures across the globe, from Europe the New World and even Asia. In the way that it was their vessel to explore the world, we have made it our vessel to explore beer and everything that it can be. There is plenty of great beer in San Diego, but we strive to add our own take and interpretation, our own creativity, to the mix to further enrich the variety of beer available. Adding to that the ability of beer to bring people together, it is a great feeling to know that you have brought joy, comfort, and calm to someone’s life, if only for a short while.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Longship Brewery has been in business for four great years. In that time we have strived to create a wide variety of new flavors of beer. We pride ourselves in offering uncommon styles and have something that anyone can enjoy. I would have to say that it has been a very challenging road on many fronts, but there has always been a way to learn and grow from each experience. Every step has had its own challenges, from construction and planning, to product development, staffing, and breaking through the noise in marketing. The other day, I realized and laughed at the fact that what used to feel like a gut punch, is now something manageable. The key for me has been a strong base of support from friends and family. That, and slowing down to take some time to think. We have persevered through some interesting challenges, especially now with Covid, but will continue to look forward. Our motto is to “Voyage on”, to continue the pursuit of new beers and continue the journey. There will always be a new challenge, but we will continue to voyage on.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Having grown up in San Diego, I would have to say that there is something for everyone here. We would definitely have to take a few days to do brewery hopping, choosing some of the fellow small breweries in Vista and Miramar. Taking a day to visit the wonderful museums in Balboa Park and possibly the San Diego Zoo would also be on the list. A beach day at either Coronado or La Jolla shores would also be on the list. If they had a dog with them, I would suggest going to Fiesta Island, by far they have the largest and best dog friendly area in town. Our brewery dog, Falkor, would definitely agree. Food would be a difficult decision as well, since there are so many quality restaurants available to us. A trip to Convoy street would be in order to choose from the great Asian restaurants there followed by a visit to O’Brien’s Pub or drive over to Hamilton’s for a beer. Tacos El Gordo has always been a personal favorite as well. I remember going to their small stand, almost a kiosk, in TJ when they were just starting up. There is fortunately so much in town that even a long time resident like myself still has a lot of exploring left to do.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people to thank and praise for keeping Longship Brewery going that it would be impossible to name everyone. Everyone, from my loving family who has been supportive since Longship was merely a concept, our many great employees throughout the years, our wonderful customers who have taken a chance with us and supported us with their visits, and army of friends always wiling to lend a helping hand to work on projects. However, if I am to choose one person it would have to be my wife Lauren. She has been endlessly supportive of this endeavor. Between her understanding of my chaotic and tireless schedule, her amazing ideas, and being the rock to my own sanity, I would not have been able to keep moving forward with the business. Even after having two kids together, and me still working crazy hours, she still supports me in my dream to make Longship something great. Thank you for everything, and I love you very much.

Website: www.LongshipBrewery.com
Instagram: @LongshipBrewery
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LongshipBrewery
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/longship-brewery-san-diego