What's New1 Year Old and 40 Years Old

First Street Brewing Company is officially 1 year old and I am officially 40!

It’s hard to believe that it has already been a year, and at the same time… it really feels like it has been a year.

So far, we have:

• Created a space where people can come together over a beer, talk, learn, stretch their perspective and above all, enjoy each other.
• Brewed beer that I hope every person in Hastings is proud to call their own and spread that beer across the state of Nebraska.
• Built powerful partnerships within Hastings and in the ever growing community of Nebraska Craft Beer that will make us all stronger as we move forward
• Built a team of amazing people that make it possible for all of this to happen

To our First Street team I’d like to say thank you. I don’t think I can ever express that enough. You all make First Street the place it is so much more than any beer I could produce and I am so proud to have you all as part of our First Street family. I can’t wait to see how we grow together.

As you can see, with great age comes great sappiness.

At 40 years old I feel like I have been many versions of myself. This current version has taken up golf, loves to listen to and play music, brews beer for a living, occasionally rides a skateboard to work and has been married to the woman he loves for over 10 years.

I’m pretty sure 13 year old Nathan would be pretty damn proud.

I think my father would be too.

This time of year has been bitter sweet for a long time now, because as I get older I reflect on how my father didn’t get to see any of this come to be. This week, it has grown even more so, as we say goodbye to Jessi’s father, John Ensign.

John left us on Tuesday night after 7 years of battling cancer and he is greatly missed. I don’t know that I’ll ever feel like I got to know him as well as I should’ve, but I like to think John always embodied everything we hope to express when we say Be First Class. He put others before himself, always. He was kind and honest. He told his family how proud he is of them and he reminded me during every step of starting First Street Brewing Company that my father is proud too. I hope right now the two of them are somewhere sharing a beer and fishing, because I know that is where they both found great joy. I miss them both.

So, with First Street Brewing Company turning one and me turning forty, I’d like to ask a gift of each of you.

Reach out to someone you love and tell them. Better yet, take them out for a beer or coffee, or tea.

I’ll be doing the same here all weekend.

Sincerely,

Nathan Hoeft