Founder John Hall Stepping Down as Goose Island CEO

After brewing for nearly 25 years, John Hall, who founded Goose Island in 1998, is stepping down from his position as CEO, according to the Tribune. Hall, who has see his single hometown brewpub on the Clybourn Corridor grow into a craft brew powerhouse that was bought by Anheuser-Busch in 2011 for $38.8 million, is ready to slow things down.

"He's 70, had two knee replacements [this year]," said Greg Hall, John's son who helped him grow Goose Island before its sale to A-B. "He stayed on after the sale for 18 months. He's just reached a point where he's happy to let someone else have a turn."

Andy Goeler, an A-B vet who has worked on the Goose Island brands for the last year, will take over as president and CEO on Jan. 1. Goeler will continue to grow the brands exposure nationally, which includes distributing Goose Island to all 50 states.

As far as Goose now becoming a behemoth brand, Chicagoans shouldn't worry that it will lose its hometown feel. "The same brewers over at Goose Island are the same brewers since before the purchase," said independently owned Goose Island Brewpub brewmaster Jared Rouben. "They have great brewers over there who know how to make great beer. I don't think that's going to change. These are great brewers who live and work in Chicago and support Chicago."

As for John Hall, he's ready to take some time off and relax. According to Greg, he's planning on traveling a bit, but you can likely catch him hanging out at the brewpub. "[John] gets to spend time with his loved ones and take a step back and really enjoy family and beer," Rouben said. "I see him every day at 8 a.m. and [again] at 5 p.m. for a beer."
· John Hall to Leave Goose Island as CEO [Tribune]
· Greg Hall Discusses Future for Goose Island and Himself [~EChi~]