The Brewer’s New Groove

I walked into Zauber Brewing on a Friday night and headed back toward the men’s room – where I was greeted by a partially clothed individual in the process of putting on what appeared to be a Peter Pan costume. He smiled sheepishly while I awkwardly washed my hands.

“You here for the dance?” I asked.

“Oh thank goodness!” he exclaimed. “I was afraid you wouldn’t have any idea what I was doing, and that you’d think there was just some random guy dressing up in the men’s bathroom.”

We exchanged a good laugh before heading even further back into the brewing area itself. Suddenly I was the one out of place, clad as I was in a nondescript t-shirt and khaki shorts. Esmerelda, a gender-bending Jasmine, two Peter Pans, Robin Hood, Indiana Jones, Snow White, Beauty & the Beast’s Candlestick, and Russell (the boyscout from Up) highlighted an eclectic, Disney-themed crowd. A projector was playing The Emperor’s New Groove on the wall. The event was “Fifth Friday Fusion,” put on by local dancing organization Westside Groove. And the host, and creator of Westside Groove, was Zauber’s Head Brewer, Cameron Lloyd.

Photo courtesy Martin Piszkiewicz

The concept of fusion is one that’s infused into both of Cameron’s loves: beer and dancing. His job with Zauber came about because of the fusion of his various brewing influences. “I spent time in Berlin, Germany at Brewmasters School,” he says, “and for a long time I worked at North Coast Brewing Co. in California. So when Zauber was looking for someone to fill the role that I’m in now, my knowledge of – and background in – German brewing methods and experience at a major brewery like North Coast meshed well with their focus on Belgian and German styles.”

In his brewing, Cameron likes to find inspiration in unique places while remaining true to the German and Belgian styles that Zauber is known for. “Sometimes the idea for a new beer will come from me,” he says, “but sometimes it comes from Geoff [Zauber’s owner and former brewmaster]. Others are sourced from regulars at the bar, or I’ll get a goofy idea from something else that I’ll try.” One source of experimentation for Cameron is Zauber’s Mug Club. Among other perks, each month one member of the Mug Club is chosen to provide an idea for a beer that will then be brought to life by Zauber on their 20-gallon pilot system. “For example, a few months ago the person chosen through the Mug Club wanted a German witbier,” he said. “Normally a witbier is done with a specific yeast strain, but I wanted to challenge myself to see if I could approximate it with a blend of our hefeweizen and Belgian yeast strains. It worked really well, and with a couple other small tweaks it became the finished beer.” Another recent small batch hatched from a brainstorming session with a friend that resulted in a session IPA fermented with hefeweizen yeast. “It was unlike anything I’d ever had,” he says. It’s in this blend of traditional brewing methods and experimental forays that Cameron is able to find his voice as a brewer, so to speak.

Photo courtesy Tony Bentivegna Photography

The chosen dance style for the evening is Blues dancing. The night begins with a lesson taught by an instructor from Wheeling, West Virginia, one of several instructors Cameron has brought in from out of town to diversify the range of styles and lessons that are taught. The music, a mix of lilting Disney covers and more traditional blues music creates a bizarre scene as, mere feet away, giant vats of beer ferment. And dancers occasionally wander up to the main bar for a drink, attracting confused glances as a rotating cast of Disney stars emerge from the brewing area throughout the night.

If this mix of interests seems at odds to some, you’d never know it from watching Cameron teaching or dancing. “I’ve been dancing for most of my life,” he says, adding, with a laugh, “long enough to know that how long you’ve been dancing has nothing to do with how good a dancer you are.” First from his parents – avid swing dancers the 80’s and 90’s – then again throughout college and in California, Cameron was exposed to numerous styles of dance. This is reflected in his pet project, Westside Groove, which features Blues, Argentine Tango, Swing, and Fusion Dancing. This last style isn’t defined by a particular cadence or step, but rather by the music. It is, if anything, whatever style or styles most closely match the mood of the music, and that match the interplay between dancing partners, and between the dancers and the music. There’s an improvisational fluidity to the dance, and it’s often unfamiliar to even experienced dancers. “I want to build interest,” he says, “by attracting people who would be into social dancing, but who aren’t going to be drawn in if they’re only starting with traditional, old-school swing music. I also want to expand the idea of dancing for those who are already social dancers, and get it out of their heads that it’s only done to certain kinds of music or in certain styles.”

“A big inspiration for the group was watching the Super Bowl a while back,” Lloys said. “I was watching with some dancers, and Bruno Mars was the halftime show performer. And everyone was jumping around and dancing, but music like that was never played at dancing events. So I wanted to create events that play the type of music people already know and love, music they want to dance to, but that isn’t necessarily traditional.”

Ultimately, much like the experimentation Cameron enjoys in his brewing, that help him both define his style and challenge it, the motto of Westside Groove is to “Find your dance.” This works on both a literal level – do you prefer Blues? Lindy Hop? Tango? Something else? – as well as on a metaphoric level, as the lessons and dances help attendees to find the groove of their personal style. “We just want to strip down the idea that social dancing is a narrow thing, and have some fun doing it,” he says.

Westside Groove dances take place on the second and fourth Fridays of the month. And in months where there are five Fridays, the group holds a fifth Friday theme party, like the Disney-themed dance I attended in July. Lessons and events are beginner friendly, and anyone interested is encouraged to join. For more information visit Westside Groove can on Facebook, or at westsidegroove.com.

Photo courtesy Martin Piszkiewicz