Crafting a Better Brew
River City Brewery’s Dan Norton knows there’s more to beer than hops and yeast.
Dan Norton holds a glass of orange-amber beer up to a light and studies its color. He takes a sip and smiles. “It’s like sunset in a glass,” he says. River City Brewing Company’s brewmaster has tried his fair share of brews, so he knows a good glass when he tastes it. He’s created nearly 100 seasonal beers and more than 500 regular brews during seven years at the Old Town brewery. “I might not make a million dollars doing this, but I love my job,” says the 33-year-old beer expert.
Norton’s love affair with beer goes back to his first drink at a brewery in his hometown of Coldwater, Michigan. “I was impressed by the flavors and became fascinated,” says the die-hard Detroit Tigers fan. “It opened up a whole new world.” Norton’s grandfather taught his grandson the basics of home brewing when he noticed his stash was depleted. (The beer later came full circle when Norton’s grandfather tasted his grandson’s first Pale Ale.) Norton’s zeal for locally brewed beers grew, but it wasn’t until he broke his arm in 2000 while playing softball that he came to Wichita to live with his family while recovering. To pay medical bills, he landed a job at River City Brewery. After six months of bartending and serving, Norton became an assistant for the eatery’s previous brewmaster, Caton Orell. When Orell took a job with Kansas City’s Boulevard Brewery, Norton was promoted to River City Brewery’s head brewmaster.
Today, Norton creates seasonal beers every few weeks and rotates about 15 favorites through the menu. The brewery’s staple offerings include Harvester Wheat Ale, Tornado Alley IPA, Rock Island Red, Old Town Brown Ale and Emerald City Stout. He produces about 14 kegs per batch to keep the juice flowing at the restaurant.
Norton’s favorite creations are linked to his greater passion—his family. Baby Bock, a malty German lager created by lacing the inside of the brew tank with Cero’s chocolate, is dedicated to his 6-year-old daughter, Emma. Ace’s IPA, a more recent offering of imperial India Pale Ale, is named after his son, Ace, and the charity poker tournament in which he met his wife, Becky. The beer has more than twice the hops of any other at the brewery. “Creativity and imagination should be counted as ingredients,” says Norton.
Norton’s beers typically sell out in about 10 days. In fact, River City Brewery’s sales have steadily increased during the past five years. “My job is to make sure we don’t run out of beer,” says Norton. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s a labor of love.”
