RICHIE STROM, WRBC Brewmaster
Richard Strom has beer in his blood. His mothers maiden name is “Beer” and his Father was the first craft-beer distributor in Portland, OR. Richie started home brewing back in college when he was 19 years old. He was not old enough to buy beer, but knew he could buy the ingredients to make beer. Richie brewed batches of bad beer before figuring out how to make good beer. His friends then started buying the ingredients for him to brew them beer. This turned into such a production, Richie ended up blowing his entire semester's tuition on brewing equipment and supplies. In doing so, however Richie found his passion, and knew he needed to make a future out of brewing beer. He enrolled at The American Brewers Guild in Northern California, where he graduated 97'. He quickly found employment at Pyramid Breweries in Seattle WA. Richie discovered that he was disappointed with all of the production brewing and luckily slid right into a job in Eugene OR, Oregon Fields Brewery, a brewery he had appreciated for years. After a few years and a countrywide search Richie landed here at Wind River Brewing Company (formerly Bottoms Up Brewery) in Pinedale, Wyoming. “I have always wanted to live in the mountains and here I am. I love making good beer for good people in the small community!”
"Of course the beer I am most proud of is the one that carries my name, Strom Bomb Stout, it also took the Gold at the 06' World Beer Cup. When not brewing, Richie enjoys snowmobiling, snowboarding, fishing, hiking, attending beer festivals and tasting lots of beer.