Brew Meister
Rob Spencer
38, Charleston, SC

Job Description: Founder of Mobius Beer, the company that produces and distributes the first "energy-infused" microbrew, containing taurine, ginseng, caffeine, and vitamin B1.
Why This Work Rules: Producing 120,000 bottles of beer a month with only two full-time staffers, Spencer gets to run his own show, from grassroots marketing at local sailing races to making in-person sales pitches at bars. His Mobius-related travels have put more than 50,000 miles on his Dodge Sprinter van as he's promoted his product up and down the East Coast with copilot Briscoe, his Australian cattle dog. Along the way, he fly-fishes and mountain-bikes. Back home, he also plays rugby. "I try to sell some beer," he says, "and when it's over, I take my mountain bike out, and my dog and I go for a ride."
Turning Point: Burned out after a series of jobs he'd taken since 1989, Spencer began working as a bartender at a pub in Charleston in 2003, during which time he got a taste of the Red Bull–and–vodka rage. Fun, sure, but he hated the syrupy-sweet taste. After conducting some self-education, soliciting the input of his sister (a chemical engineer),

"I work as hard as I can and enjoy it the whole way. If i'm not enjoying it, time to do something different."

investing a chunk of his life savings, and mentoring with brewers like Pete Slosberg, of the San Antonio, Texas–based Pete's Wicked Ale, Spencer served his first commercial mug of Mobius Lager in Charleston in November 2004.
The Balanced Life: "Carpe diem" is corporate philosophy at Mobius. "I work as hard as I can and enjoy it the whole way," says Spencer. "If I'm not enjoying it, time to do something different." Spencer pours 10 percent of his profits into the Food and Beverage Insurance Organization, a nonprofit he created to help restaurant workers acquire health insurance. To recharge at home, he beachcombs with Briscoe or rides the trails of Francis Marion National Forest.
Reality Check: Securing distribution is tough. "I can go to a sailing regatta in Key West, have a great time, and everyone loves the beer, but then they ask where they can get it in their area and I tell them they can't," says Spencer. "In the alcohol industry, the distributors hold all the cards."
The Bottom Line: Beermakers at startups like Mobius can plan on raking in about $20,000 a year. But that can climb to $100,000 at the most successful microbreweries. Think you're serious? The Siebel Institute of Technology, in Chicago, is the country's premier brewing academy, offering a two-week survey course or a 12-week international diploma of brewing technology, which includes five weeks at its sister facility in Munich ($2,950 and $13,500, respectively; www.siebelinstitute.com). Does your interest lean more toward handcrafted wine or spirits? Check out www.winesguides.com, which provides a thorough list of links to resources for making specialty beverages at home.