Following up after a brewing job interview

Send a short thank-you within one working day

Write within 24 hours, while the conversation is fresh for both of you. Email is fine. Keep it under 150 words: thank them for their time, mention one specific thing from the interview and restate in one line why you want the job.

The specific detail is what makes it work. "Thanks for showing me the brewhouse" is generic. "Thanks for walking me through how you cold crash the lagers before transfer. I had not seen that done in a 10 hl unitank before" tells the head brewer you were paying attention on the floor. Brewers notice that.

If several people interviewed you, send each a short separate note or one note to the main contact that names the others. Do not copy one paragraph to five people.

Add something useful if you can

A follow-up is a chance to show what you would bring. If the interview touched on something you could help with, add one line. Perhaps they mentioned trouble keeping dissolved oxygen low on the canning line and you have read about purging cans with carbon dioxide before filling. Perhaps they asked about a style you have brewed at home and you can share your recipe sheet.

Keep it brief and relevant. One useful idea is a gift. Three pages of suggestions reads as "I know how to run your brewery better than you". Our guide on the brewer CV and interview covers what to bring into the room in the first place.

Wait for the date they gave you

Most interviewers say when they expect to decide. Note the date. Do not chase before it. If it passes, wait two or three working days, then send one polite line asking whether there is any update and saying you are still keen.

If they gave no date, wait about a week after your thank-you note before checking in. Small breweries are busy places. The head brewer who interviewed you may also be running a brew day, fixing a pump and covering a sick cellar hand. Silence for a week usually means nothing more than that.

Handle the trial shift as part of the interview

Many breweries, especially brewpubs, ask strong candidates to do a trial shift. Treat it as the real interview. Arrive early in closed safety shoes. Ask before touching any valve. Clean as you go. When you finish, ask what you could have done better.

Follow up the same evening with a short note thanking the team, not only the manager. Mention one thing you learned. Cellar staff are often asked their opinion of a candidate and a note that names them is remembered.

On pay: a trial shift of a few hours is common. A long unpaid stretch of work is a different matter. It is reasonable to ask in advance how long the trial is and whether it is paid.

If the answer is no

Reply anyway. Thank them, say you would like to be considered for future roles and ask, once, whether they have any feedback. Many will not answer the last part. Some will. That feedback is gold.

Keep the relationship. The head brewer who turned you down this month may hear of another opening next month or move to a new brewery that is hiring. Indian craft brewing is a small world, with many brewers moving between brewpubs in Bengaluru, Pune, Mumbai and Delhi NCR. If you trained overseas, our guide on coming back to brew in India talks about building that network.

What to avoid

• Messaging the interviewer on personal social media or WhatsApp unless they invited it.
• Following up more than twice without a reply.
• Sending a gift, a bottle of homebrew included, unless it was clearly offered and accepted.
• Criticising another brewery or your current employer.

The brewers who get hired after a close call are usually the ones who looked like the easiest colleague to work with. Basic brewing knowledge that holds up under questioning helps too, because a trial shift exposes gaps fast.

Your first step: before the next interview, open a note on your phone. Straight after you leave, write down two specific things the interviewer said. Those become your thank-you email that evening.

Common questions

How soon should I send a thank-you email after a brewing interview?

Within one working day. Keep it short, mention one specific detail from the conversation and restate why you want the role.

How long should I wait before chasing?

Wait until the decision date they gave you. If it passes, give it two or three working days, then send one polite line. With no date, wait about a week.

Should trial shifts at breweries be paid?

A few hours is a common part of hiring. For anything longer, it is reasonable to ask in advance how long it lasts and whether it is paid.

Is it worth replying to a rejection?

Yes. Thank them, ask once for feedback and keep the door open. Brewers move between breweries and openings come up.