WHO? Miles Linsmith

ROLE: Miles runs much of the operations and compliance for Solon Marketing. “I do a little bit of everything, from looking at the mail to general legal compliance, state reports, and other odds and ends” Miles explains. “It’s not a startup, but the small team makes it feel that way sometimes. Our roles overlap much in the same way.” Solon was founded to handle Manneken-Brussel Imports, the entity in charge of US supply and distribution for the Belgian Trappist brewery, Chimay.You may remember Chimay from our interview with Owen Gray of VCET!

“I came on board in 2016… I graduated from Green Mountain College on a Saturday and started working the following Monday. I had done a lot of traveling and beer drinking in my undergrad, and I just wanted to continue doing that professionally” Miles explains.

BIGGEST WIN IN THE PAST YEAR: “We had a product recall, and I was in charge of that. It was a huge undertaking, there was a ton of PR and legal compliance involved, I had a busy summer and it was at times very stressful. But I got it done.” Miles says.

“Aside from Solon, I’m on the board of directors for a brewery co-op that’s starting in Burlington,” explains Miles. He is excited to use his extensive knowledge of craft beer to foster growth in his community.

HOW? Green Mountain College is where he found many of his beer industry connections. “The funny thing about that college is that it’s not in the green mountains,” Miles recounts. “GMC is in the lowlands a couple hundred feet from the New York Border… you could go and collect firewood in New York.”

FUN: Miles is a big outdoors guy. Hiking, biking, skiing, running. “I try to run every day and try to be outside doing stuff every weekend.”

MILES & THE FUTURE: “I think that Solon is working on some exciting new opportunities in the beverage industry… I’m happy being a part of that. On a more local level, I’m excited to see the full barrel co-op through its development”

Miles considers his strengths and weaknesses moving forward. “I know a lot about supply chain logistics and how beer moves from supplier to consumer. As an importer, we are very removed from the both brewery production and physical taprooms. I’m ready to learn more about how taprooms are actually ran,” he explains.

PIZZA OR ICE CREAM? Miles first answers with his gut, “Gelato!… yeah I really like gelato” before deciding he’d rather support #pizzagang. “For dinner I love Pizzeria Verità. Late night I go to Three Needs.”

FEATURED BEERS: “I work for the most bougie beer company in the world, but I’m not constantly drinking Chimay,” Miles says. “My taste depends a lot on the selection and the setting… every beer has a time and a place.”

PARTYTIME: “Allagash White! It’s my favorite beer because I love Belgian wheat beers and I’m from Portland Maine. I have a strong emotional tie to Allagash since they’re based in Portland.”

AT A NICE DINNER:“Weihenstephaner, German Hefeweizen.”

NETFLIX & CHILL: “Pilsner Urquell of Czech Republic.”

THE ARCHIVES:  “Hamms. The Archives is the only place in Burlington that has Hamms, a shitty beer from the midwest, and it’s on tap.” The appeal for Miles is the nostalgia. “I still like PBR because it was my beer of choice in college. It will always have a place in my fridge,” he laughs.