Drew & Sean, Creators of Gilly’s Legendary Lager

Who are you, where are you from and where are you now?

DD: Drew Dunlap. I’m a nomad – but the Bay Area for my early life, a stop in Japan for a bit, Baltimore, MD most of my adult life, and now in LA.

SC: Sean Conley from Santa Monica California but rest my head in Venice CA

What do you do for a living and how long have you been doing it?

DD: Currently building More Drinks & Gilly’s Legendary Lager with my pal here Sean. I’ve been in the food and beverage industry for most of my life. My first food industry job was at a Subway back in maybe 2000, I was a sandwich artist.

SC: Formulation and bringing products to life is my passion and what i’m doing for a living. I’ve been in the hospitality industry for over 30 years. So I kinda know what the consumer wants and is looking for.

What inspires you to do what you do?

DD: Seeing people enjoy something that I played a part in creating, that inspires me the most. I think that applies to all I do, or have done in the past. The process of creation can be addictive. The feeling of seeing ideas come to life, getting my hands dirty, growing the team, seeing happy consumers – I nerd out on that. My family and our Team also inspire me. Providing for my family, and offering the ability for our team to provide for theirs.

SC: Creative minds around me fuel my passion to make something that the consumer can say wow! How’d you do that? or Jeez that’s good!

Was there a pivotal moment in your life that you knew this was your calling?

SC: In 2008 I was clearing off a table at a restaurant I was managing, and someone left behind a brochure to the California Coast Classic Bike Tour. At the time I was considering a new path with my occupation and said if this wasn’t a calling I don’t know what is.

DD: 2009, I opened my first bar in Baltimore with a good friend of mine. We spent every penny we had, and borrowed a little on top of it. It was sketchy, but we knew we were all in at that point. We built it from scratch with our own hands and the help of some great friends.

Do you have an epic story/memory in your line of work that stands out to you the most?

DD: When the Baltimore Ravens beat the New England Patriots back in 2012, sending them to the Superbowl. I was working in one of our bars called Banditos, and I remember using a push broom like a zamboni to move empty beer cans into giant piles and out the back door. Wish all those cans were Gilly’s Lagers. You could say everyone won that night though.

SC: I quit my job and went to spinning classes every day, sometimes two or three times a day. I then became a spin instructor and enjoyed every minute of it. After I picked up that brochure while dropping 50 pounds I also raised three thousand dollars for Juvenile Arthritis and rode this tour that took me 525 miles from San Francisco to Santa Monica in 8 days camping along the beautiful Pacific Coast Highway.

Since then I formed a group of awesome individuals that participates in this tour every year to help raise awareness and to help find a cure to such a crippling disease that affects children across the country. It’s rewarding that little ol me went from raising 3K to hundreds of thousands of dollars throughout the years with my team of rockstars!!

On a side note after that 1st ride I met my now beautiful ride or die wife Tracy and we created the most amazing studley little boy Rocco!!

If you could share an adult beverage with anyone, who would it be with and what would you order?

SC: I would share that adult beverage with Michael Jordan. Order a Cincoro Tequila & Soda “no lime” and get him super excited about More Drinks and how we are going to change the game in tequila next.

DD: Elon Musk, or Tiger Woods. A shot of good mezcal, and an ice-cold Gilly’s.

Could you share a few legendary last words for the people?

DD: Hustle hard, stay humble.

SC: Do what you love, with people you love and love every minute! If you don’t…………. Who’s gonna share that adult beverage with you?