Jeremy Sprague: Eliciting smiles with delicious brews

Since opening Sleepwalker Spirits and Ale’s brick-and-mortar REO Town location in October 2019, owner and brewmaster Jeremy Sprague has faced the COVID pandemic and a decline in the popularity of craft beer, as well as alcohol consumption in general. But, as his third-place finish for Best Brewer in the inaugural Top of the Town People Contest shows, he’s more than capable of weathering a storm.

His success can be largely attributed to his pure passion for brewing.

“I was a musician for about 37 years. Making people happy by singing songs and performing was awesome, but brewing delicious beer, cider and wine is another way for me to make people happy,” he said. “Some of us are born entertainers or pleasers, you know? I love talking about the whole art and craft of making beer. It’s another way for me to put a smile on someone’s face.”

He also credits Sleepwalker’s endurance to its size.

“We’re very small in this industry. But because we’re so small, we may be more adaptable than other breweries that are much larger and very well established,” he said. “If you’re 20 barrels or above in production, you may be having serious problems right now because craft beer is in a bit of a lull or in a dip, and alcohol is also in a dip.”

He noted that 2024 was the first year in nearly two decades that more craft breweries closed than opened.

“That was kind of a big deal because there are a lot of signs that there’s going to be a correction in the number of microbreweries, just like in cannabis,” he said. “I don’t follow cannabis too closely, but I know that when the market’s flooded with too many companies, not everyone’s going to win.”

However, he believes coffee and beer are similar: they have their trends, but ultimately, they’re not going anywhere.

“We’re in a bit of a dip for sure, but I believe in my products, I believe in a lot of my friends’ products and even some of the big, larger craft beer companies. There are a lot of people dedicated to making a lot of delicious stuff,” he said. “The word ‘explore’ should go hand in hand with craft beer because that’s a big part of it. I love some domestic beers — your pilsners, lagers, those are great. But if you really want to explore flavor and beer styles, it’s always here with craft beer.”