Brew Master Phil Slocombe boasts he can trace his roots back to William of Orange; claiming his royal blood line gives him his discerning palate and refined sense of taste. . Most of us at VNTBC just believe it is all due to a wasted youth in far too many bars and pubs. Either way, Phil is the creative presence behind our extraordinary line of fine ales and beers.
Phil has always been cagy about his “traveler” family history; What we do know is that he grew up on his family compound in North Carolina, venturing out each summer with the men of the clan, as they went in search of easy marks. By the time he was in his twenties, Phil was running his own crew; the most successful of all the Slocombe knackers. Eventually, these dubious activities led to his “stay” at the Honor Rancho. It was here that he hooked up with Hank Johnson, a kindred spirit. This is where VNTBC had its genesis.
Upon his release from prison, Phil drifted aimlessly, trying hard to stay out of trouble ; with questionable results. Two years later, Phil and Hank were reunited and decided to start brewing beer following Phil’s family recipe. It is not clear where Phil and Hank got the money to start VNTBC, but there are many rumors about a wealthy widow named Florence Klein who supposedly fell victim to Phil’s notorious charm. The rest, as they say, is history.
Hank Johnson - Quality Control
When Hank Johnson showed up, he landed in a pile of poor folks struggling to survive the tough economic problems of rural Wyoming. As a kid Hank listened carefully to his daddy's stories about the war, and how the bonds of friendship and a knack for creativity got him out of more than one scrape. One of Hank's father's favorite yarns was about how his outfit would brew their own beer whenever they had a long enough layover between engagements. Hank longed to be part of a crew such as that.
Hank learned more about life during his troubled teenage years, bouncing between continuation school and juvie, following his pop's advice about picking one's friends carefully, and making sure things got done right. Unfortunately for Hank, things often didn't go according to plan. His last stint was at an honor rancho where his life bridged into adulthood. While there, he met up with Phil Slocombe. The two became fast friends. While in stir, Hank and Phil would swap stories about their youth. They soon realized they both had something in common, a love of strong home-brewed roadhouse ales.
Hank's work detail assigned him in the kitchen, where he quickly rose to the level of supervisor. It was there that the idea of brewing his own beer was born. When Hank happened to run into Phil after they were both released, VNTBC was born.
Brew Master Phil Slocombe boasts he can trace his roots back to William of Orange; claiming his royal blood line gives him his discerning palate and refined sense of taste. . Most of us at VNTBC just believe it is all due to a wasted youth in far too many bars and pubs. Either way, Phil is the creative presence behind our extraordinary line of fine ales and beers. 
When Hank Johnson showed up, he landed in a pile of poor folks struggling to survive the tough economic problems of rural Wyoming. As a kid Hank listened carefully to his daddy's stories about the war, and how the bonds of friendship and a knack for creativity got him out of more than one scrape. One of Hank's father's favorite yarns was about how his outfit would brew their own beer whenever they had a long enough layover between engagements. Hank longed to be part of a crew such as that. 
