Gulf Coast Mariner Magazine

Photo by Josh Olalde

Galveston Island native and entrepreneur, Mark Dell’Osso, whose love for craft beer and the Texas coast drove him start Galveston Island Brewing 5 years ago.

Interview by Kelly Groce

What’s your name and where are you from?

Mark Dell’Osso and I am from right here in Galveston, Texas.

What made you get into brewing beer and later start Galveston Island Brewing?

My love for craft beer and a need to stay in Galveston as well as along the coast.

How long has GIB been in business?

We’ve been brewing beer on location for 5 years now.

Which one of GIB’s brews would you recommend to someone new to craft beer?
Tiki Wheat. That is our staple and you can find it on many boats, fishing docks and all over the Gulf Coast.

Which beer is your personal favorite?

Tiki Wheat as well. Also, I have a side of me that loves IPA’s, so our Citra Mellow is a close second.

Do you have a favorite hop?

My favorite hop is citra. That is where our beer Citra Mellow comes from. It is 100% citra hops. So if somebody wants to get an idea of what that hops tastes like try the Citra Mellow, it is relatively rare for IPA’s to be a single hop variety because its harder to replicate year after year and get the same hops. It’s something happens organically and has grown to be our #2 best seller.

Photo by Josh Olalde

Besides brewing beer what else are you passionate about?

Boating, sailing and surfing.

So you surf?

For sure. In Galveston I longboard, but when I go south of the border I shortboard. Also, I’m a mariner and I have my captain’s license. I used to be a small tugboat captain and I’ve also been cruising around the islands on a small sailboat.

Where do you take most of your surf trips?

Primarily Costa Rica and Mexico. I make time to go to Costa Rica probably more than my coworkers would like (laughs). Now that I have little kids I visit Costa Rica more often than Mexico.

How many kids do you have?

I have 2 little girls, Zoe and Gia. They are 7 and 4. I’ve been married for 10 years. My wife is gainfully employed, which is important in the beer business.

Do you work with Galveston Surfrider Foundation?

Absolutely. One of our very first and longest running bartenders is the suto president, Jeff Seinsheimer of Surfrider Galveston. I actually was one of the original members of Galveston Surfrider way back when I was much younger. Its a great organization so we continue to support it. As well as all the local schools, better parks of Galveston. If its on the island or in our distribution area we are going to support it.

Are there any special events or new brews coming out?

Our spring seasonal Hefen-A is being released on May 20th, so by the time this article is out if will be available all summer and on store shelves. The logo is a play on the classic surf movie, Endless Summer. It’s a German Hefeweizen with notes of banana and clove. We actually get those banana flavors from a German yeast strain we bring over from Europe, we don’t use any fake flavoring. We stress the yeast and that gives it a wonderful banana and almost bubble gum note.

Where can people purchase your beers besides the brewery?

So our beers don’t go to Houston. You can find GIB beers up and down the gulf coast, similar to Gulf Coast Mariner Magazine. We distribute from Port Arthur and Beaumont down through Bolivar, all of Galveston County, Lake Jackson, and then we go further down the coast all the way to Victoria. You can purchase our beers at H-E-B, Walmart, Kroger, Randall’s, and of course a lot of bars and restaurants.

Do you do brewery tours?

We do. Every Saturday at 1 o’clock is a free brewery tour. We also have flights available so they can get 4- 4 oz. servings for $6, so that’s a good way to try a lot of different beers without having a bunch of full pints.

What makes Galveston Island Brewing different from other breweries?

Well, we’re the coolest (laughs). I think the biggest thing is that we grow at our own pace, we pride ourselves in what we are doing right here and we aren’t worried about large distribution or rapid growth. We could go to Houston tomorrow and flip a light switch to double our sales but we choose not to. We choose to spend time and be socially involved in our community especially here in Galveston. We’re a small mom and pop business that doesn’t move too fast to make sure our quality stays up. Our emphasis is right here close to home and I believe that there’s tons of room for breweries all through out Texas and there are some great breweries already in Houston. Volume isn’t the name of our game although we are constantly trying to increase volume in our backyard. We just do it on our time… island time.

Galveston Island Brewing

8423 Stewart Rd.

Galveston, TX 77554

www.galvestonislandbrewing.com