Michael Fairbrother

About Michael Fairbrother

The Architect of Craft: Bridging Systems Engineering and High-End FermentationI build systems. For over two decades, those systems were made of code; today, they are made of honey, fruit, and precision fermentation.From 1987 to 2010, I moved through the ranks of the tech world—from Software Engineer to Director of Engineering and ultimately CTO. During those years, I learned that the difference between a project and a platform is scalability, documentation, and the elimination of technical debt. When I founded Moonlight Meadery in 2010, I didn\'t leave my engineering mindset behind; I simply changed the output.Engineering the \"Perfect Pour\"At Moonlight Meadery, I’ve spent the last 16 years refactoring the mead category. By applying the same rigorous SOPs and architectural discipline I used to lead engineering teams, I have scaled Moonlight from a passionate home-brewing operation into a category-defining brand with:2.3 Million Bottles Sold: A global footprint built on repeatable, data-logged fermentation profiles.60+ International Awards: Validated excellence across the Mazer Cup and San Diego International Beer Competition.Institutional-Grade IP: Guest lecturer at the Robert Mondavi Institute (UC Davis) and a key contributor to the BJCP Mead Guidelines.The Future of Craft: Asset-Light & Data-Driven* The \"Hardware\" era of craft—defined by heavy steel and real estate overhead—is evolving. As a former CTO, I am leading Moonlight Meadery into its next iteration as a High-Margin IP Platform.* By decoupling our award-winning formulations from manufacturing overhead, we have created an Asset-Light model optimized for national scale. We aren\'t just selling liquid; we are deploying a \"Product-as-a-Service\" model to the beverage industry, backed by:* 72% Gross Margins: Optimized for 60bbl+ contract production.* A Digital Moat: A proprietary CRM that provides the data-driven \"pull-through\" that modern retailers demand.Strategic Partnerships: High-prestige collaborations, including our globally recognized Utopian Series aged in Samuel Adams Utopias casks.The MissionMy goal has always been to bring mead into the mainstream by treating it with the same technical respect as a fine wine or a high-end spirit. Whether I’m designing a new formulation at our Over The Moon Farmstead laboratory or architecting a retail roadmap, I remain focused on one thing: The intersection of technical pedigree and consumer delight.

Experience

1. Head Mead Maker & CEO

   Moonlight Meadery Llc

   Jul 2010 — Present

   It all started back in 1995, when I tried a cyser (apple and honey mead) for the first time. Since that first sip I have developed a passion, and a masterful skill at making international award winning meads. I started Moonlight Meadery®, with a mission to bring ultra premium meads and ciders to the market place. It is more than a product and it is more than a process, it\'s.my obsession.Currently our meads are available in 40 states (and climbing) however our meads are available all across the United States, Canada and Australia, please contact us if you would like to explore distribution opportunities- 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 Guest speaker at the National Homebrewers Conference - 2014 Guest speaker at the Austrialian National Homebrewers Conference - 2014, 2015, 2017 Lecturer at the Mondavi Center - the University of California, Davis - 2013, 2014 Guest speaker at the Mid-Winter Homebrew Competition - 2015 Guest speaker at the Craft Beverage Expo - 2015, 2016 Guest speaker at The Honey Beer Summit - 2015, 2016 President American Mead Maker Association - 2017 Bluebonnet Homebrew Competition - Keynote speaker.Collaborations - 2014 Heretic Brewing Company - EvilBee a honey IPA- 2016 Heretic Brewing Company - Bloody Bee - 2015 Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens - Liberty Station, Promise Land Stout, Milk & Honey Stout - 2015 Urban Chestnut - 2016 Wakefield Brewing Co- Miss Bee-having - 2016 Cigar City Mead & Cider - Buzzword - 2015, 2016 Smog City - BuzzworthyInternational Award Winning Meads, at the Mazer Cup International eight consecutive years in row: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015*, 2016.*highest ranked meadery in the world.

Education

• Northern Essex Community College

  ASCS, Computer Science.

  1984 — 1987

• Merrimack College

  BSCS, Computer Information Sciences

  1989 — 1993

Skills

• Agile Methodologies
• Meadmaking
• Management
• Software Engineering
• Html
• Integration
• Team Leadership
• Oracle
• Cloud Computing
• Linux
• Quality Assurance
• Subversion
• Mysql
• Distributed Systems
• Fermentation
• Xml
• Rest
• Object Oriented Design
• Javascript
• Agile
• C++
• Web Services
• Security
• Enterprise Software
• Leadership
• Product Development
• Mobile Applications
• Perl
• Software Development
• Scrum
• Architectures
• Java
• Software Design
• Jquery
• Web Applications
• Saas
• Winemaking
• Open Source
• Php
• Architecture