What do you two do at Rhinegeist?

Lauren: I’m the boots on the floor General Manager meaning lot of staff management, details and logistics.

Jon: Yeah, Lauren is the Czar, or ‘Czar-ess’ of this place, and I’m more on the big picture end of things (to which he flashes a bashful smile and a ‘hang loose’).

You two work pretty closely together, what’s that dynamic like?

Lauren: We even sit next to each other.

Jon: We’re light but serious and want to get it all done. We want everything done the right way and try to be lighthearted in our approach, because who wants to be serious all the time?

If friends would use three words to describe you, what would they be?

Jon: Excitable, competitive, and sophomoric. My mom has called me sophomoric forever.

Lauren: Loyal, blunt and nurturing.

What are some of the challenges that get thrown your way?

Jon: Living up to the expectation that people have. Not just trying to meet that expectation, either, but to exceed it. We want to be coming up with new stuff and different ways of doing things rather than keeping a bland standard.

Spirit animal?

Lauren: Elephant (pointing to her latest tattoo), they are very nurturing yet still hold their ground.

Jon: Hawk, I have a bunch where I live and I get to see them all the time. They float around effortlessly and have a serious ferocity.

Do you have a famous lookalike?

Lauren: Not really, but I got a lot of comments when the last Star Wars movie came out that I look Daisy Ridley who plays the character Rey.

Jon: Ron Livingston.

Lauren: Who is Ron Livingston (as she searches it on her phone)? Oh sh*t, the Office Space guy!

What’s your favorite Rhinegeist beer?

Jon: Fiction is my all time favorite. I also really love the soured variants we've done of the beer. It’s one of the more unique beers that I have had in the pale ale category.

Lauren: Uncle, because I met my boyfriend over that beer in the taproom.

Do you have a best dish in the kitchen?

Lauren: I make some mean homemade cinnamon rolls.

Jon: I like making sauces, Romesco, Hollandaise, Pesto, you name it. I’m a Saucier!

Lauren, you’re a big baker aren’t you?

Lauren: Oh yeah, when I was younger my Mom baked a lot and I was all over the Easy Bake Oven. I really like things in a certain order and am a bit of a control freak. Exact measurements and knowing how things are gonna turn out in combination with my sweet tooth is a perfect storm for baked goods. I’m spending a lot of money on butter these days.

Where does the beauty of the brewery lie for you?

Jon: I haven’t had a bad day here. I’ve had stressful days, but no bad days.

Lauren: The sense of community between employees. We go out together. I play volleyball with some on Monday’s. It makes it, even on tough days, all the better.

What do you look forward to doing most every day?

Jon: Whether it’s events, merchandise, or different things around the brewery, planning new stuff is a blast.

Lauren: For me it’s a lot of the community outreach stuff. Getting community groups in here through Charitable Suds. It matters to us what happens around the city. To be a part of it is awesome.

Any nicknames?

Jon: Coleslaw and probably a bunch more I don’t know about.

Lauren: Lo or Lo-Lo.

Do you have a favorite person at Rhinegeist?

Lauren: Kristen Oliphant (Sales). She's so opposite yet we’ve developed a really great friendship.

Jon: For looks, Luis Gallardo (Marketing). But for real, Dennis Kramer-Wine (Distribution), 100%. He’s a dude who gets it done and is very inspirational to what we have here.

What’s your slogan, catchphrase or mantra?

Lauren: 'Look with your eyes and not your mouth.' It’s effective. Also, my dad used to say ‘Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do but doesn’t get you anywhere.’

Jon: ‘This too shall pass.’ I like the mindset of not getting too worked up about things.

What’s something about you most people don’t know?

Jon: I can’t burp. It’s pretty crazy, right?

Lauren: Unfortunately I’m kinda an open book…

Last question, what's your favorite TV show?

Lauren: Bobs Burgers, easy. Close second is Game of Thrones! Love me some Jon Snow.

Jon: Who doesn’t? For me it’s Breaking Bad and Chopped. I hate all shows like that… except for Chopped.