Meet Karen Hertz | Chief Brewista and Founder

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

Hi Karen, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I often tell myself and our team – “ready, fire, aim”. I think the fear of failure can play into an endless cycle of “aiming” and never “firing”. Once you are willing to take risks, you realize you can always make adjustments but you have to take the leap in the first place. That kind of freedom eliminates a number of limitations we put on ourselves and opens up an understanding that possibilities are endless.

Taking calculated risks is critical as an entrepreneur. I have gotten comfortable trusting my decisions and driving the team in the direction I feel is best. There is always risk involved.

I do think my risk aversion changes in different areas of my life. In business I tend to take risks confidently. In my personal life I am much more cautious. I tend to be very protective of my family, friends, relationships and health. Just because someone is willing to take risks in one area of their life doesn’t mean that has to be uniform throughout all facets.

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?
Holidaily Brewing Company is the largest 100% certified dedicated gluten-free brewery in the US, one of just 17 in the United States. In addition, Holidaily is the ONLY certified women-owned brewery in the country. Our pilot breweries and tasting rooms are located in Golden and Greenwood Village, Colorado. We have a production brewery in Golden where we brew and package our beer for distribution throughout Colorado as well as six other states in the southwestern US.

We have processes in place to ensure safety in every aspect of our brewing facility. We work with our suppliers to ensure their product is safe and has been tested for gluten. Our primary ingredients come from a certified gluten-free facility called Grouse Malt House in Wellington, Colorado. Our inbound process ensures that every delivery made to us is inspected for safety and quality.

Of the 17 dedicated gluten-free breweries in the U.S., we are one of two that are certified gluten-free. In order to maintain our Gluten-Free Certification we are required to test both our ingredients and our final product. We own all of our own packaging equipment and can our beer on-site to avoid cross contamination. There is a whole lot to think through when a company is committed to ensuring zero cross contamination in their products.

Our production brewery is designed around a state of the art mash press, which is the “Cadillac” of brewing systems. These systems have revolutionized brewing as a whole, and have even greater benefits for Holidaily, as it makes it easier to brew with notoriously difficult gluten-free grains. Our mash press is the 2nd one in the entire state. No other dedicated gluten-free brewery in the US uses one.

We brew delicious craft beer that happens to be gluten-free. Holidaily has received awards at the most prestigious competitions globally. Gluten-free brewing has developed in only the past 10 years. Holidaily has proven to expel any notion that a gluten-free beer can’t be a true-to-style, delicious craft beer.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am a Colorado Native! I love hosting friends and family and providing a tour of our amazing state to them. There are so many amazing locations Colorado has to share. Our seasons can definitely impact where I would take people. Their interests and hobbies would also impact what my list would entail. However, I do have some very favorite not to miss locations. First of all, whether you go for music or just to see it, Red Rocks cannot be missed. If you love sports, any of our sports venues and teams are so fun – Ball Arena, Coors Field or Mile High Stadium. I’m a Colorado Buffalo so I LOVE taking people to Boulder to see the Flatirons and the university. If people want to head to the mountains, I do love a visit to Estes and a drive through Rocky Mountain National Park. Further into the hills, my opinion is that Steamboat (do not miss strawberry park hot springs – careful, swim suits optional but I’ve only ever seen one naked person – ha!) and Vail cannot be beat. Winter and/or summer. The last time I left Telluride, I literally cried, I was so sad. That town and mountain are spectacular. And I would be remiss to mention that if you’re in the front range, you’ve got to make a stop at either Holidaily taproom location!!

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?
When I was in the early stages of looking for gluten-free ingredients, I googled “gluten-free grains for brewing” and came across a woman named Twila Soles, owner of Grouse Malt House. At the time Grouse was the only gluten-free malting company in the U.S. This was fate – not only was it another rare woman owned business in the brewing industry but she happened to be just 50 miles down the road from my front door in Wellington, Colorado.

Without Grouse Malt House, there would not be Holidaily. However, I am just as grateful for Twila. She and I are not only partners in business but we have built an amazing friendship. We have supported each other through some of life’s largest challenges and celebrated big wins for both of us.

Website: www.holidailybrewing.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holidailybrew/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/holidaily-brewing-company

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HolidailyBrew

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/holidailybrewingcompany/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/holidaily-brewing-golden-2?osq=holidaily

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMjhWGxaQCCzCxwJJJR0FKw

Image Credits
Trent Ryan B Photography