BREWING A PASSION FOR BEER
Confluence is defined by our respect for tradition, a passion for innovation and a relentless commitment to quality.
In 1991, a farm boy from rural Imogene
found himself fascinated by the endless combinations and possibilities of Iowa’s bountiful grain crops. That teenaged Iowan was John Martin, and that year he and his high school buddy, Sean McClain, tried to make a drinkable raisin almond beer… and failed. However, that attempt sparked a passion in John that would forever alter the trajectory of his professional life. John’s fascination with beer grew over the years, and he began researching ways to make truly drinkable brews. John wasn’t interested in beer for the stereotypical college experiences; John fell in love with the craftsmanship and creativity involved in brewing.
John’s wife Katie appreciated his passion and quickly became his brewing enabler; the newlywed couple even picked up supplies for home brewing while on their honeymoon in 1995. That equipment helped John produce his first quality home brewed beer, an Oktoberfest Marzen, which continues to hold a special place in his heart to this day. That Oktoberfest in turn led to many years of hobby brewing and a growing interest in the professional side of the craft. John would eventually meet home brewer and co-founder Ken Broadhead, whose persistent encouragement helped to convince John to take the big leap from amateur to professional. In 2012, John left his career in construction management behind, and with the assistance of investor Greg Schultz and many hours of hard labor, turned Suite A at 1235 Thomas Beck Road into a full time production brewery.
In those days, the craft beer movement was still a relatively new phenomenon in Iowa, and word spread pretty quickly about the quality beer being produced by the new kid. As it’s done for the entirety of its existence, Confluence started to attract some great people, and those people helped in expanding output and reach. Pretty soon the demand outpaced John’s ability to sell and deliver beer out of the back of the family Suburban, and the addition of a delivery driver morphed into our sales and distribution department for a full self-distribution model–an integral part of what Confluence Brewing is all about. Our sales and distro team deliver the beer, interact with our customers, troubleshoot issues, face and restock shelves, clean draft lines, and share an integral role with the rest of the Confluence team to ensure the highest quality beer gets from our kettles to your glass. We take pride in the amazing reality that other craft breweries across Iowa have entrusted us with distributing their beer as well. Like our founder, we’re all craft beer people here at Confluence, and getting to help bring the greatness of Iowa Craft Beer to Iowans all over the state–well… that makes us pretty darn happy.
From its humble beginnings in Imogene to our current spot on Thomas Beck Rd, Confluence has always been about bringing good things together. The bounty of the land, the hard work and innovation of our team, the love of craft, and the camaraderie of community are integral to who we are as a company. What began as a single vision has grown into a collaborative effort from the entire team, and we invite you to come down to our taproom or pick up a 4-pack, and join in our story. Cheers!
Diverse talents make for a strong team
John Martin
President, Co-Founder & Head Brewer
Joined CBC in 2012
Katie Martin
Brewery Administrator
Joined CBC in 1995 : )
Mark DaVid
Taproom Manager
Joined CBC in 2012
Josh Maxson
Production Manager
Joined CBC in 2015
Greg Schultz
Maintenance
Joined CBC in 2012
Sam S
Lead Bartender
Joined CBC in 2014
Justin B
Lead Bartender
Joined CBC in 2015
Jesse S
Taproom Server
Joined CBC in 2015
Sean M
Cellarman
Joined CBC in 2015
Toll M
Distribution Driver
Joined CBC in 2015
Derrick M
Lab Technician
Joined CBC in 2015
Ann J
Taproom Server
Joined CBC in 2016
Jeff W
Distribution Manager
Joined CBC in 2016
Gary D
Distribution Driver
Joined CBC in 2016
John H
Sales Representative
Joined CBC in 2016
Jacob S
Brewer
Joined CBC in 2016
Bill C
Taproom Server
Joined CBC in 2016
Josh "Juice" C
Lead Cellarman
Joined CBC in 2016
Jeff S
Brewer
Joined CBC in 2018
Danielle S
Taproom Server
Joined CBC in 2018
Brandon L
Distribution Driver
Joined CBC in 2018
Nic L
Taproom Server
Joined CBC in 2019
Emily W
Taproom Server
Joined CBC in 2019
Rebecca L
Taproom Server
Joined CBC in 2019
Eric L
Distribution Driver
Joined CBC in 2019
Chris L
Sales Representative
Joined CBC in 2019
Ashlie C
Cellarwoman
Joined CBC in 2020
Ross A
Cellerman
Joined CBC in 2021
John W
Sales Manager
Joined CBC in 2021
Whitney K
Sales Representative
Joined CBC in 2021
Darrell M
Brewer
Joined CBC in 2021
Jess H
Distribution Driver
Joined CBC in 2021
Matt J
Cellar Dweller
Joined CBC in 2021
Troy D
Sales Representative
Joined CBC in 2022
Peter M
Sales Representative
Joined CBC in 2022
Brandon P
Distribution Driver
Joined CBC in 2022
Tedi L
Distribution Driver
Joined CBC in 2022
Joe M
Warehouse Supervisor
Joined CBC in 2022
Stacia S
Office Administrator
Joined CBC in 2022
Mitch F
Taproom Server
Joined CBC in 2022
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Interested in working at Confluence? That’s great! We would love to hear from you.
If you see a job that sounds up your alley, send us your resume. Don’t see your dream job in the mix? Follow us on the usual suspects, because new jobs will be announced via social media often. And if you apply and don’t make the cut this time, just remember ‘no’ doesn’t mean ‘never’. Come out for our releases and events. Get to know the Confluence culture and try some of our great beer. You just might be the perfect fit for our amazing team.
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IN THE NEWS
Community Involvement
We are Southside Des Moinesers, and we are immensely proud of our city and our state. Like most craft brewers, we didn’t set out to conquer the global beer market, we just wanted to make great beer that our community can be proud to call its own. We genuinely believe in bringing good things together. It’s why we work with local businesses to source great local ingredients for our beers, or why the majority of our brewery collaborations are with other Iowans. It’s why we’ve partnered with the Iowa Waste Reduction Center to develop a pathway to become a more environmentally sustainable business in order to protect the natural beauty of our home. And it’s why we started our Local Cause series, dedicated to giving back to areas of need within our community. The state of Iowa and the city of Des Moines have embraced us with open arms, and we couldn’t be happier to be your neighbors, and your brewers.
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South of Gray’s Lake
1235 Thomas Beck Rd
Des Moines, IA 50315
515-285-9005
Mon–Wed 4–10pm
Thurs Noon–10pm
Fri Noon–11pm
Sat 11–11pm
Sunday 11–8pm
