Fredonia Brewery began in Paul’s backyard as a home brewer with a dream, a possibly misguided dream, but a dream nonetheless. In early 2014 the decision was made to figure out how to actually open Fredonia Brewery. Many small home-brewed batches and discussions followed. In 2016 investment had been secured, and plans drafted. Spring of 2016 we began to build and what I often jokingly refer to as “the best worst idea I ever had” was beginning to take shape.

A love of craft beer and brewing began this adventure and remains the very core of Fredonia Brewery. Nac Brew Club – our local homebrew club was the magical source for so much of what became Fredonia Brewery, and to this day it is hard to see where one ends and the other begins. We love that and consider it to be an absolute win for us. Hard work, planning, replanning and more hard work allowed us to open our doors to the public for the first time March 4, 2017. The work, love and fun continue to this day and the future holds a large level of excitement for us to share with you what we have done.

Paul Murray-Head Brewer & Co-Owner/Partner

I’m Paul Murray, or Pablo, to many. I fell in love with craft beer in 2000 while stationed in Petaluma, CA with the U.S. Coast Guard. I served in the USCG for just under 11 years, honorably discharged in 2008. I returned to live in Nacogdoches after my time in the service. I went to college at SFA and always loved the town and region, so returning was my plan for quite some time. I grew up in Sugar Land, TX (South West Houston) for the majority of my life until I came to SFA in the Fall of 1990. Gen X’er! I started as a homebrewer and formed the beginnings of our local homebrew club, Nac Brew Club, in 2010. My passion and love for brewing, and the community involved in it, led me to open the Fredonia Brewery in 2017; once I was able to partner up with some incredible people who shared my vision. Planning for this began in 2014. I love the team, the passion, the work, and the fun of our business. I hope you come to visit and experience our offerings here at the taproom, mere feet from where they have been created. Cheers!

I once got lost in a grocery store in Cali and it took My mom over 3 hours to find me turns out and made a home in the beer aisle within the fall staff display. It was roomy and sticky, but a healthy sticky.

Operations/Taproom Manager

Born into a family of minor Portuguese nobility, Jack became a skilled sailor and naval officer and was in service of the Portuguese crown in Asia. After King Manuel I of Portugal refused to support his plan to reach India by a new route, by sailing around the southern end of the South American continent, he was eventually selected by King Charles I of Spain to search for a westward route to the Maluku Islands (the “Spice Islands”). Commanding a fleet of five vessels, he headed south through the Atlantic Ocean to Patagonia. Despite a series of storms and mutinies, they made it through the Strait of Magellan into a body of water he named the “peaceful sea” (the modern Pacific Ocean). The expedition later reached the Spice Islands, and one of the surviving ships eventually returned home via the Indian Ocean, completing the first circuit of the globe.

Off-Premise Sales Manager

Ethnically Leprechaun, Allen was rejected for service for his excess height. Head held high, Allen traveled to Middle Earth, wanting to live in Hobbiton. Again, he was denied entry for being too tall. Distraught, Allen then traveled across the pond to America. There he started his new life brewing pints of beer from home. From time to time, he would take odd jobs as a cobbler. His favorite is blueberry, which is convenient since now he lives in Nacogdoches. If you are thinking he has brew cauldron, you’re right. He also has a particular affinity for green clothes and shiny objects. If you see Allen running around town delivering beer to our local accounts, don’t be alarmed if you hear him muttering, “they are after me lucky charms.”

Beertender

Have you ever seen the show Ice Road Truckers? That show is loosely based on Jerry’s life. He is an Ice Road Trucker magnate. Even before he made his first million in Ice Road Trucking, Jerry was involved in all kinds of different careers. He worked at a tire shop up until he was 19 years old. He’s also been an Ice Road taxi driver, an Ice Road Club bouncer, and even an Ice Road mobile home flipper. Find what you are good at and stick with it. Not afraid to get his hands dirty, Ezzell started working in ice road coal mining before eventually making a switch to ice road diamond prospecting. Something you may have not known about our buddy Jerry is that he’s a best-selling author. In 2010, his first book, King of the Road: True Tales From a Legendary Ice Road Trucker, was published. Retired from a long life on the road, Jerry makes his home in East Texas. He is currently in a long-term relationship with his German Shepard, Freya, much to the dismay of his WIFE, Meagan. Next time you are in the taproom, ask Jerry about his extensive resume or his dog. He loves talking about them.

Assistant Brewer & Beertender

Certified “Bird Doctor” and taproom heartthrob yet some call him as fake as the birds he studies. He loves a variety of tits. WOAH now… get your mind out of the gutter, it’s a type of bird, ya sicko. Doc Burt is a lover of cats, both real & imaginary. Birdman is an avid traveler and to answer your question, yes, he DOES fly to his destinations. Brent coined the term “rockabilly”, a welcome replacement for the clunky and overly formal “Rock-a-William”. He attended seminary with Reverend Horton Heat but was expelled due to “moral turpitude” and was officially labeled a “sexual dynamo”.

Turkologist & Beertender

How did Constantinople get the works? This is the Turk’s business… and John Louis Chapman’s. Invented radio frequencies 516 & field note connoisseur.

A radio phenomenon called the “Chapman convergence” is named after him. If you sit in a place too long he will explain radio frequencies against your will. But you will enjoy it. Maybe. If you sit in his unassigned “assigned seat” (his office) at the bar, you will get THE GLARE.

Beertender

Hired under the TDCJ work program. He works here “super” part-time. Loves cockroaches and his family, not necessarily in that order. “Inferior beard game”- per Jack Sullivan, his “superior beard game” brother.

Beertender

This is a true story, gather ’round. Born in the wild backcountry of Indiana to feral hippies, Sam spent her formative years in a college town learning what “pub” meant and how to talk adults into holding her upside down by a leg. She soon banded together with an elementary chum to mine Benny, the local wishing fountain, daily for candy money. This caused a spell of failed wishes within a 10m radius and as a result she was captured and shipped to Texas. There she was exposed to country music and roaches for the first time, developing a love for outlaw country and a deadly fear of the other. After it dawned on her that hey, boys weren’t really that gross, her handler moved her to an island inside a Florida gator farm patrolled by feminist warriors, where she learned the art of vehicle maintenance and discovered that mingling was her kryptonite. After high school she escaped to fair Nacogdoches and later joined Nac Brew Club, exponentially increasing her love and respect for fellow brewers and their hop fueled yearly bacchanals. She treasures her time spent at the Fredonia Brewery, whether working or drinking, as that is where her favorite people are. Also, Fredonia Brewery beer imbues the drinker with beauty, comedic brilliance, charisma, and unparalleled dancing skills. Win win, y’all. PS – Sam is terrible with names, so don’t be insulted if she asks your name every single time you order a beer.

Beertender

Dan was born in the London Underground station of Highgate while the station was in use as a shelter from German bombing. Later on in life, Mr. Saenz became a political campaign adviser to Robert F. Kennedy. In 2018, Dan sat in and performed 6 songs, ranging from Elvis to the Tennessee Waltz, with the Lazybirds, an American Roots Music band based out of Black Mountain, NC. Retired from political and music life and now in Nacogdoches, he is a successful snake wrangler and frisbee enthusiast. This beertender gig is just his “side hustle”. IF you’ve ever tried the DNZ brew here at Fredonia, he the D. He also runs, for fun. Like he has something to hide. Do not trust this man.

Beertender

Legend has it that she used to grade essays and give pop quizzes, but now she is all about hops and ales. During her tenure behind the bar, she hung up her teaching cap and swapped it out for a pair of mud boots and soil samples. Now, her biggest challenge is explaining to customers why their beer isn’t a “work of art” but a “work of barley.”

Some hobbies that Megz loves to do are as follows: reading smutty books which she considers self-care, maintaining her at-home zoo, visiting state and national parks purely for the stamps, creating digital art for local businesses, and managing her husband, Jerry.

While she has replaced chalkboards with beer taps and homework assignments with brewing experiments, her classroom is now a taproom. If you need help with your “bar exam” or just want a beer that’s as well-crafted as her lesson plans used to be, she’s your gal!

Music Coordinator

HI! Even though I don’t live in Nac anymore, I’m a BIN (Born In Nacogdoches) so I’ve spent most of my life in Nac. After serving as the Entertainment Coordinator for several years for the annual Texas Blueberry Festival in Nacogdoches, it was an easy yes when they asked me to take over scheduling live music! I’m familiar with many of the local artists, and my bestie (Alex Ranc) does the social media, so much of my time in town is spent at the brewery anyhow! We are always excited to have local artists play so that our patrons can enjoy some live music along with our fantastic Fredonia beer.

-Some facts about me

• I have a Master’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from SFASU and work for an advertising agency in Tyler, Texas.
• I’m still in Nac often, as my family still lives here and I’m very involved as a board member for the SFASU Alumni Association, plus the above-mentioned Lumberjack Basketball Podcast with my bestie. Axe ‘Em Jacks!
• I LOVE to travel and hope to get back to my international adventures soon (thanks COVID)
• I am a self-proclaimed crazy cat lady and equally obsessed with dogs (my 15 yo Gabby being number one of course!) So please bring your pups to the brewery

Come out and drink local beer and listen to some local tunes! 

Rebellion Pizza Kitchen Manager

Age: 21 (but his love for pizza makes him age like fine wine)

Occupation: Pizza Kitchen Manager & Chief Sauce-Slinger

About Caden: Meet Caden, the pizza prodigy who can turn a pile of dough and a heap of toppings into a slice of heaven. By day, he manages a bustling pizza kitchen with the precision of a Swiss watchmaker. By night, he’s a pizza-making superhero, armed with an apron and a spatula.

His secret weapon? A sauce recipe passed down through three generations, rumored to have magical properties that can make anyone fall in love with pizza. His crust is so perfectly crisp it’s been described as “life-changing” by his grandma (and she’s a tough critic). When he’s not slinging pizzas, Caden can be found debating pineapple placement on the perfect pie and perfecting the art of cheesy pizza puns.

Fun Fact: Caden’s pizza is so epic that it’s been known to cause spontaneous dance parties in the kitchen. Don’t be surprised if you see him busting out moves while kneading dough.

Motto: “In pizza, we crust.”

Social Media Manager

Hey, y’all! I have been a fan and patron at the brewery since they opened on Day 1, literally I have picture proof, and I often call Fredonia my second home because I am basically there all the time. So it was an immediate YES when they asked me to take over the social media manager position! It kind of felt like I unofficially worked there for years anyway! I am super excited to get our name and brand out there as much as possible to potential customers who visit Nac as well as keeping our local fans connected and engaged in what is going on in the beer garden!

– Some facts about me

• I have a Master’s Degree in Communication from SFASU and work at the local community college down the road in Lufkin, Texas.
• I LOVE craft beer, whiskey, and wine. I love history (probably why I love living in the Oldest Town in Texas), the Houston Astros, and traveling with Scotland, Ireland, and England at the TOP of my list.
• I am probably one of the biggest Lumberjack sports fans and even do a Lumberjack Basketball podcast with my best friend Jaclyn.
• If you see me around the brewery taking pictures of people, DOGS especially, and beer or playing Trivia please say hi!

#DrinkLocalBeer