Joel VandenBrink is likable for several reasons. The 27-year-old South Lake Union resident is immediately approachable, polite and soft-spoken. His axiom for work and play is stitched on his ball cap: "Take some time." He's always smiling, or looks like he's just about to smile. On weekends, he goes hiking with a big dog, Willis, that's as friendly as he is.

"I make hiking a requirement," says the part-time commercial painter and former pastor. "One day every other week. It helps keep me sane."

And he makes beer. Darn good beer, too. His Two Beers Brewing Company, currently based in a small Fremont warehouse space, is likely cooking up fresh batches of Immersion Amber Ale, Crooked Belgian Wit, 20:20 Blonde Ale, Jive Porter and Echo IPA even as you read this. I probably could have led this piece with that bit of information and you would have liked Joel VandenBrink right away. Dude, you had me at 'He makes beer.'

But that's the thing: The way in which VandenBrink makes and sells his beer is directly rooted in his character. Even the name of the brewery, Two Beers, is a dearly felt philosophy.

"It's how I want to live my life; a slower pace of life," says VandenBrink. "It takes about two beers to sit down and have a good conversation with a friend."

VandenBrink was a home brewer for several years before he decided to "give it a shot and go commercial." Though the operation is small-scale -- he's on a half-barrel system, with four fermenters -- he works diligently all week long and produces enough beer to supply the patrons of Park Pub and Nana's Soup House, to fill kegs for parties, and (come July) to top off growlers.

In the near future, he hopes to open a small tap room and, eventually, a brewpub -- but that's not why VandenBrink became a brewer. "There's two aspects to why I brew beer," he says. "One of them is the relational aspect; people gather around beverages. I love making a product that allows people to gather around, have conversations and connect with friends."

The other reason is kind of unexpected. Two Beers Brewing Co. actively supports programs for recovering alocholics. "Like most things in this world, (beer) can be used for good and it can be used for bad; alcoholism, domestic violence, drunk driving," he says. "I couldn't go into business just to be a business; I had to make the world a better place. This seemed like a natural fit."

And VandenBrink seems a natural fit for brewing. He's selective in his ingredients -- the malt comes from Wisconsin, the yeast from Oregon, and he's even managed to weather the current hops shortage through "a great relationship with a hop farmer over in Yakima" and "a bit of bartering." Beer occupies his thinking, but he doesn't run around with beer goggles on; most nights he just watches a Mariners game, or goes to bed early.

"I never knew, going into this, how much work it actually is," he says. "Everyone has the pipe dream -- in fact, a couple of weeks ago CNN said that the best job in the country that still pays the bills is to be a brewmaster. I chuckled to myself when I heard that. It's a great job; I love it. But it's a lot, a lot of work."

You'll be well-rewarded to sample the product of that hard work. You can enjoy it on tap at the aforementioned Park Pub and Nana's Soup House, get a keg of it directly from the brewer, or get a taste at the local beer events at which Two Beers is becoming a fixture.

It's at these brewers festivals that Joel VandenBrink really enjoys his chosen profession. "It's fun when somebody who's never heard of me takes a swig and they go, 'Oh, that's good. That's really good,'" he says. "It's even more gratifying when they come back and say 'Can I have another?'"

He smiles. "That warms the soul."

Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company