For Father Jason Doke, brewing beer is a longtime passion.
He took up the hobby more than two decades ago, studying the process down to its smallest elements. Now, he's finally getting the chance to fulfill his longtime dream of brewing commercially thanks to his friends at Last Flight Brewing Company.
Doke, who serves as pastor of St. Martin Catholic Church, was on hand Monday morning at Last Flight as a guest brewer, putting plenty of experience to use on a beer that is set to go on tap in the near future. He and the brewery have an existing partnership: While the business is typically closed on Mondays, it opens its doors one Monday a month to a young adult group from St. Martin parish for a "Pews and Brews" fellowship time. Doke said the generosity of the owners, cousins Jared and Mark Cowley, presented a great opportunity for the group, as did the invitation to lend his own brewing skills.
"It's been a dream of mine to brew commercially, but that's not what I do as a vocation. It's been a hobby of mine for so long, and it was great of Jared to invite me over to do this," Doke said. "I really like beer, but I also like the process of making it and how it all comes together. You can play with different things and different styles to create different things."
Doke is well acquainted with the ins and outs of the brewing process on a deep scientific level: He holds a masters's degree in food science from the University of Missouri, a degree he completed while working his way through the seminary.
He said he had been brewing for more than 20 years, starting out when home brewing boomed in popularity in the mid-1990s as he went to school. He also worked during that period at a yeast lab, where he learned to culture the ingredient himself.
Doke explained the intricacies of the process as he waited to take the next steps on the sweet stout he was working on. Malts are roasted at different levels, he said, creating different colors and flavor profiles. Roasting at higher temperatures produces more sugar that does not ferment, giving it a sweeter taste. The dark, bold beer he was working on would taste a little like coffee, he explained, possibly making it more palatable to those who don't typically drink beer.
The beer, which will be a sweet stout, will spend time in the fermentor and then condition in a keg for around a week. He said he expected it to be released early next month.
Last Flight opened last March, offering a new brewing and drinking environment at 732 Heisinger Road with a wide variety of options on tap and back in the brewery. Jared Cowley, who invited Doke and brewed with him Monday, said he got into the business through homebrewing in college as well. The brewery seeks to create a welcoming experience for everyone who came through its doors, including fellow enthusiasts like Doke and his group.
"We want this place to have a welcoming atmosphere -- we have young kids, and we want this to be a place where families can come," Cowley, who owns the business with cousin Mark Cowley, said. "We want the community to enjoy the atmosphere and everything we have to offer, and build connections and friendships like this."
Doke has a packed schedule -- serving as pastor for the parish, as well as undertaking many administrative duties as the moderator of the curia for the 38-county Jefferson City diocese. While his duties keep him busy, he still makes time for his hobby and said Monday was a great opportunity to share his talents.
"Life changes and things develop in a way that you don't always expect; I thought about going into the biology industry since I've always been science-oriented, and then my faith developed stronger and I realized that the ministry is really what I'm supposed to do, and I love doing it," he said. "But I can see how all of these different experiences help to enhance my ministry."