The people (and cats)
Brewers, taproom crew and the three felines who run the place.
Matt holds a Technical Systems Management degree from the University of Illinois. After the Marine Corps he trained at a centuries-old brewhouse in Germany and earned his German brewmaster certification. He oversees beer production, sales and distribution.
Darin graduated from the University of Illinois in Computer Science and from the UC Davis Master Brewers Program. He worked at an Anheuser-Busch brewery in California before coming home. He focuses on process automation, maintenance, packaging and farming.
Lance joined us in 2021. Trained as a meat cutter, he brings years of food-safety experience to the brewhouse. He went from taproom regular to production team.
Ken joined us in July 2022 after a career in lab research. He holds a PhD in microbiology from the University of Illinois and started homebrewing in graduate school. Outside the brewery he enjoys games, travel and cooking, and lives with his wife and three cats.
Ethan joined us in May 2024. After a few years working as a CPA he decided brewing was the better calling. He enjoys cooking, camping, hiking and music with his wife, dog and cats.
Andrew joined us in late 2024. He grew up in Houston, fell for craft beer in 2014 and spent about ten years at Saint Arnold Brewing Company before moving to central Illinois. He spends his free time with his kids, his pets and a cornhole board.
Caroline grew up in Germany, where she studied business. She manages the taproom and the office, and handles human resources and bookkeeping.
Whitney was raised on an Illinois grain farm, graduated from the University of Illinois and came back from Texas in 2021. She joined us in February 2023 and helps wherever she is needed, from taproom service to beergarden upkeep.
Abigail joined us in 2020, just before the pandemic, and helped carry us through curbside service and canning. She works in the taproom and schedules our food trucks and live music.
Matt, Emily, Charlotte, Mark, Zenobia, Dee, Owen, JaQuan, Mike, Dunkles the cat, Abigail, Ethan, Whitney, Darin, Caroline
We’re always looking for talented people to join our team. If you are interested in working in the brewery or taproom, send a resume to info@riggsbeer.com.
Three beergarden cats with their own Facebook page.
The original brewery cat. Calm and friendly, Dunkles enjoys long walks around Southeast Urbana and a good cuddle.
Our athlete. Nugget patrols the food trucks and keeps the mice away, and is unusually good at conversation.
The princess of the group. Millie likes warm heated blankets and stealing food from the boys.