Monte Shadwick’s journey from the bustling streets of Washington, D.C., to the cozy, historic heart of Salina, Kansas, is anything but ordinary. His story weaves through politics, teaching, entrepreneurship, and community service, culminating in a passion project that has helped breathe life back into downtown Salina: Blue Skye Brewery & Eats.
Born in Great Bend, Kansas, and raised for a time in Washington, D.C., Monte spent his early years in the capital where his father was involved in politics. Life took a big turn when Monte was eight and his family moved to Salina. His father became a bank president, working for many years in a building that stands right across the street from where Blue Skye Brewery & Eats is today. The move planted deep roots for Monte, setting the stage for his enduring love for downtown Salina.
Another Unexpected Turn
Monte started his career as a teacher and basketball coach in Goddard, Kansas and imagined himself eventually coaching basketball at the collegiate level. But after experiencing firsthand a tragic school shooting in 1985, Monte’s aspirations took a sharp turn. Shaken by the tragedy, he left teaching and redirected his energy toward entrepreneurship. Over the years, he’s owned multiple businesses in downtown Salina – from Shooters Bar & Grill to a pool hall, from the Paramount bar to the iconic Cozy Inn for a time. In fact, Monte has never owned a business anywhere but downtown Salina.
Throughout his career, Monte has been, among other things, a stockbroker, a realtor, and a staffer for Congressman Jerry Moran. When Moran moved to the Senate, Monte ran for the open congressional seat but fell short. The political world’s loss was Salina’s gain, as Monte’s focus shifted back to his love for creating and building businesses.
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Building Blue Skye Brewery & Eats
Blue Skye Brewery & Eats, located at 116 N Santa Fe in downtown Salina, Kansas, wasn’t Monte’s first venture, but it might be his most ambitious.
The building that houses Blue Skye was once home to Anderson Leather, a long-standing Salina staple business that tragically burned in 2008. A few years later, when Monte undertook the project of restoring the building, there was a clear view of the sky through what was left of the roof.
Technically, Monte didn’t name the establishment after the view through that hole in the roof, but one has to wonder if it subconsciously inspired it.
At any rate, the restoration was an enormous task, requiring a year of work before the brewery’s doors finally opened in 2013. Monte’s wife Jannell, an architect, played a crucial role in navigating the challenges of bringing the historic building up to modern codes.
Of the monumental renovation, Monte laughs and says, “God told me we’d be open in time for the [Smoky Hill] River Festival; He just didn’t tell me what year”.
The brewery’s transformation was a true community effort. Help for the project came from many sources:
- A $10,000 loan from Salina Downtown, Inc, who were the first to throw their support behind the project.
- A $50,000 loan from the Salina Chamber of Commerce came next.
- With Salina Downtown and the Salina Chamber both showing faith in the idea, Monte was able to procure a deal-making $500,000 SBA loan, which he said requires would-be business owners to really “have their ducks in a row”. He agreed that it’s a challenging process, but that it forces one to think through every business and financial angle before getting started.
As it turns out, they were all wise to get behind the project. A little over a decade later, all loans have been repaid. The space is leased from the building’s actual owner, but Monte now owns the Blue Skye Brewery & Eats business free and clear of any debts.
Monte acknowledges that the 2012 renovation would likely cost more than double today. But the results of this project are astounding. The renovated space is unlike anywhere else in Salina – a welcoming blend of industrial and artisanal vibes, with a clear view from the front entrance to the two things they’re most passionate about – the wood-fire oven and, of course, the microbrewery.
Fun fact: Some of the tables are crafted from salvaged wood from the original floors, which were not quite robust enough to carry the weight of the 7-barrel brewing system, and now have semi-retired to carry the weight of your wood-fired pizza.
The Inner Workings of the Brewery
In selecting the type of brewing equipment Blue Skye would use, Monte chose a 7-barrel system because it was a good fit for the physical space, as well as a good size for the anticipated capacity. The equipment came from Portland Kettleworks in Oregon, and produces a little over 7,000 12-oz beers per batch.
Monte and Blue Skye’s master brewer John Taddigan are happy to share exactly how they work their magic, turning malted grain into one of America’s (and Salina’s) most popular alcoholic beverages.
I knew absolutely zero about brewing beer before Monte and John graciously showed me around and explained their process to me – so any inaccuracies are my own – but here’s a very basic, high-level summary of how it all works:
Step 1: The process begins with malted grain (which Monte purchases from local sources, if available, and from nearby states if not). The malted grain gets milled, or cracked open, to allow access to the fermentable starches.
Step 2: The cracked malt is mixed with hot water, in order to convert the grain’s starch into sugars.
Step 3: Then the mixture is strained to separate the spent grain from the wort (the sugary liquid extracted from the grain). Monte shares the spent grain with local ranchers. The cattle love it, and Monte loves that a by-product of the brewing process creates an added benefit for yet another local business owner.
Step 4: The wort is then boiled with hops for flavoring and preservation.
Step 5: Yeast is added next and the fermentation takes place. This is where the sugars become alcohol and CO2. At Blue Sky Brewery, the beer ferments in one of four tanks which Monte named John, Paul, George and Ringo, after the members of his favorite band.
Step 6: Additional flavors are added and the beer is allowed to mature before being served.
The process is repeated each week with a fresh batch. The flavors are rotated based on need. Local favorites Red Penny, Blonde and Engine Red are rotated in most frequently. And Blue Skye’s customers look forward to a fun, seasonal option every few months.
The Perfect Pairing: Pizza and Beer
You may already realize that Blue Skye is the only place in Salina where craft beer is made on-site. But you may not know that it’s also the only place in Salina where you can get a wood-fired pizza.
When Monte was planning out the “Eats” part of Blue Skye Brewery & Eats, he knew it was important that the food was as remarkable as the beer. With several excellent pizza restaurants already available in Salina, he wanted to stand out from the crowd. And no one else in town was doing wood-fired anything, let alone pizza. So wood-fired pizza became the goal.
Monte admits that it took some extra consideration, planning, time and labor, as well as reassurance to everyone involved, in order to safely install, operate and maintain a wood-fired oven in a building that had once burned.
But once they had a plan for ensuring it would be safe, Monte searched around and was able to purchase an oven second hand from a restaurant in McPherson. He and his team then rebuilt the oven on site where it stands today.
Blue Skye’s customer base shows their appreciation for the extra effort. The pizza is so popular (regularly landing in the top few spots for Salina’s “Best Pizza”) and is so in-demand that on busy nights, Blue Skye doesn’t allow takeout orders because the wood-fired oven is already running at full capacity for in-house diners.
To help make all of this possible, days start early at Blue Skye Brewery. Monte’s often up at four o’clock in the morning, making dough and sauces. While he loves the freedom of being an owner and entrepreneur, there are a few things that he loves even more.
More Than A Business
As a former MBA professor, Monte’s quick to point out that his first priority at Blue Skye Brewery & Eats is turning a profit. Without that, there would be no business at all, and no way to accomplish what truly matters to him.
Monte’s true purpose goes well beyond profitability. He sees Blue Skye as so much more than simply a business.
For Monte Shadwick, Blue Skye is a way to spend more quality time with his family, working together for a shared purpose and goal. His wife Jannell and three of his kids — Sam, Tom and Anne — work at Blue Skye right alongside him. (Son Will, who lives in Kansas City, followed Jannell’s lead and became an architect.)
The business is also a way to take care of his employees, to provide them with a living and a fun, gratifying place to work. Monte’s deep caring for his staff is evident as he shares some examples of people who have, with his help and encouragement, gone on to do other things, like different career paths or starting businesses of their own.
And Blue Skye is a part of the broader revitalization of Salina’s downtown, and thereby a way for Monte to have a bigger impact on the people and the community around him.
Monte’s love for downtown Salina runs deep. He’s proud of the community he’s helped build and the connections he’s made over the years. From his early career in teaching and politics to his current role as a county commissioner and community leader, it’s clear that Monte is passionate about making a difference.
He’s humble about it though, and simply said, “I like to think I’ve made an impact, but it will be up to others to decide that when I’m gone”.
Home-Brewed
So the next time you order a beer at Blue Skye Brewery & Eats, have a closer look. Take a sip and savor the taste as you consider the brilliant cycle of life that went into it. From a farmer’s growing crop, possibly somewhere nearby, through all the phase changes – milling and boiling and fermentation and maturing – before finally being poured and placed in front of you.
It’s truly magical. And it’s a fitting metaphor for Blue Skye Brewery & Eats.
Monte Shadwick has gathered some local ingredients…
- his own knowledge and experience growing up and running businesses in Salina,
- an historic building that had served the community for many years and was quietly waiting for a chance to serve again,
- a delightful mix of people – brewers and cooks and servers and suppliers and customers who live and work and struggle and grow and dream in Salina.
Throw it all together, add a vision, some leadership, and some hometown love, and you end up with a business that could only have been brewed in Salina, Kansas.
Click here to follow Blue Skye Brewery & Eats on Facebook. Or better yet, stop in at 116 North Santa Fe in downtown Salina and try their pizza and beer for yourself! You’ll be glad you did!
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