My name is Robert Morris, and one day - way back in high school - I received an invitation to a Friday night gathering. But this was no houseparty rager. The house of a friend of mine had caught fire a year earlier, and though its structure remained intact, it was no longer liveable on the inside. As unfortunate as this was for him, the property was now vacant, even though it had a wonderful backyard with a patio and pool. In other words, it was the perfect spot for a group of teenagers to get away from adults, hang out at night, drink some beers, and enjoy each other's company. Little did I know that this would be the site where some of my best memories would be made and where my strongest friendships would form.  

 

We swam in the pool in the afternoon, barbecued and watched movies in the evenings, and gathered around the fire pit at night. We knew little of beer at the time, but we dreamed about one day starting our own brewery together. Right then, a seed was planted within me which would continue to grow as time wore on. 

 

And time did get on. College came and went, and though we all studied at different universities, the seven of us still stayed close friends. Years later, I was living in a house with two of my friends when I decided that I was tired of waiting. So I took a class, read a book, and bought all the equipment to start making beer at home. I gave it my best shot and brewed my first batch, but when I had finished I realized another challenge was facing me.

 

It was a cold winter, the house had poor insulation, and my beer needed to be kept significantly warmer through the chilly nights or else the yeast would fall asleep and my first beer would be ruined. So thinking on my feet, I took my huge bucket of beer out to a tall concrete pit that was left in the backyard from the previous owner. I lit up some coals in a tiny fire starter, and I poured them to one side of the fire pit, then put the bucket of beer inside on the other, and closed the lid loosely. With the slow radiant heat from the coals in the fire pit gently warming my beer all night long, it was saved and I was able to share my first batch proudly with all my friends. 

 

After that, I knew what I wanted to name my brewery. Not just because my first batch was literally made in a fire pit, and not even because of my fond memories around the fire pit at my friend’s house. To me, the purpose of a fire pit is to bring people together, even more than heating their bodies. That’s what I wanted my brewery to be - a force for bringing people together and warming their hearts. 

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And it worked. I designed the brand and logo for my brewery, and a friend of mine created a custom wooden top for my kegerator that artfully had my logo inlaid. Another friend assisted me with crafting a wooden tap handle. I continued to brew beer, eventually moving to San Diego and sharing it with others there. 

 

When my sister got engaged, I was so happy for her that I offered to brew something special to serve at their wedding. And a few years later, when one of my new friends got hitched, I did the same for them, but this time I actually helped them to craft the recipe and walked them through the process as they brewed it themselves. Their Campfire Stout with real s’mores added was the best beer we had made yet!

 

Finally, when it was my own turn to get married, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. My wife and I crafted a special recipe, brewed it together, bottled it up, labeled it, and served it at our wedding. I even made a poster about the beer for everyone to sign at the reception in leu of a guestbook, and they all loved it! It wasn’t until after our honeymoon was over that I realized this was a wonderful and highly meaningful addition to our wedding that anybody should be able to do. And with that insight, I finally saw an opening to pursue my dream. 

 

Firepit Brewery has now become a custom wedding beer and homebrew experience that is available to anyone in San Diego. With my experience package, your wedding becomes more than a celebration - it transforms into a reflection of your unique story, crafted with intention that resonates deeply, leaving guests connected to the heart of your journey. 

 

Our dream is to generate enough business to eventually open a physical location and start mass production of our own brews, so we greatly appreciate all of your support.

 

We want your wedding to be as special as ours was, and invite you to gather around the fire pit with us. Because ultimately, the fire inside is just an illusion. What really matters are the people beside us.