Doug Booth treasures a letter from a local woman, whose son has Friedreich's Ataxia, a form of Muscular Dystrophy.
Booth's company, Buckbean Brewing, raised $28,000 at an event in Las Vegas for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The woman wrote to Booth and co-owner Dan Kahn to thank them for their generosity, explaining her son's condition, and how much it meant to her that people get involved when they don't have to.
"How can I not give back when I get letters like that?" Booth asks.
Giving back has long been a tenet Booth knew he'd follow. The son of an entrepreneur, Booth always wanted to start his own business. How that business became Buckbean Brewery is a little fate and a lot of hard work.
In 1988, Booth was a college student, visiting his brother in Oregon. For fun, the two went to the Oregon Brewers Festival, and Booth was blown away by the variety and flavors of beers. He'd never heard of a microbrew before, but was instantly hooked.
He went back to school in California, eventually heading to Missoula, Mont., for graduate school. There he discovered Big Sky Brewing Company.
Combining his new love of microbrews with his desire to give back to the community, Booth knew he'd found what he wanted to do.
But school was first. After a stint with the Peace Corps, working in Guatemala, Booth headed back to Montana to finish school. During a trip to Reno, he was contacted by a woman he'd known at Reno High School. The two began dating, and Booth moved back to Reno, but not before telling his future wife, Amy, about his plans for one day owning a brewery.
"I knew I didn't want to get into a long-term relationship if she couldn't support the business idea," he said. "Amy gave the idea two thumbs up."
He worked in the Reno area as a wildlife biologist for the Forest Service. One day, while taking a walk through his neighborhood, he expressed some frustration to Amy. Her advice was simple: "Time to start the brewery."
While he was hugely excited, Booth also was nervous. But he knew he couldn't let Amy down. He told her it would take at least two years to start the business.
It took five, during most of which Booth continued working full time.
Booth faced challenge after challenge while trying to get Buckbean off the ground. It took more than a year to find the right partner in Kahn. The two then raised the money and searched for a location.
But Booth always knew his dream was going to happen. He knew the partners had a solid business plan and the support of financial advisors and investors who also believed in the dream.
Buckbean opened just 14 months ago, and since that day, there's been a donation application on its Web site for the use of non-profits. In the first nine months of operation, Buckbean gave away more than $15,000 in product and sponsorships.
"I can give back to the people who buy my product by giving back to the community," Booth says. He knows, too, that giving the product to charitable organizations and events helps him in the long run. "As soon as we get beer in their mouths, people love it!" he says.
"See, my goal everyday is to make my wife laugh or smile. And we want to make people happy. Beer is a fun, social part of life. We don't want people to abuse it. But if I can put a smile on people's faces by doing that, it makes my day."
About that goal of making his wife laugh or smile daily, Booth is sure she'd say he is doing very well. After seven years of marriage, with a baby coming in July, Booth can't say enough about how important his wife is to him.
"I wouldn't have this brewery without her. She believed in me, she supported my dreams. I want to get to a place where I can support her in whatever she wants to do, be it work or play."
The basics:
Who: Doug Booth
What: Co-owner and President, Buckbean Brewing Company
Family: Wife, Amy; first child due in July.
During grad school: Went to Guatemala to work while in the Peace Corps.
He says: "My goal everyday is to make my wife laugh or smile."
