Why Choose Leaders?
Honestly? Because we’re nerds. Beer nerds. Wine, spirits, and coffee nerds. Draft technology nerds. We love what we do and we’re constantly looking for ways to make it better.
The Leaders Difference
We are often asked what makes us different, and the answer is simple: we don’t want to just be someone you hire; we want to be part of your team!
More than a tech crew, the Leaders staff comes directly from the food and beverage industry, meaning we understand your day-to-day operations and challenges. We partner with you to increase profitability through efficient systems and the use of quality products, and we collaborate with you every step of the way.
Certified Expertise | Our team includes Certified Cicerones®, certified sommeliers, certified spirits specialists, and Drew is even a certified culinarian. We eat, sleep, and breathe food and beverage!
Experience in Your Industry | We have been bartenders, bar backs, beer buyers, beverage directors, walk in cooler managers, and cooks. We understand the product and care about quality and customer above all else.
Education First | We love what we do and love sharing even more! Our mission is to raise standards in the food and beverage industry, and we believe one of the best ways to do that is to share our knowledge. So ask questions of your technicians, check out our YouTube videos and blog, take advantage of our ongoing workshops, or plan private training for your staff.
Pride in Our Work | We consider every drink served from one of our systems to carry our name. When we work with you, we integrate with your team and bring our full experience to your business. Your success is our success, so all recommendations are based on what’s best for your company.
Your Profitability in Mind | Our ultimate goal is to optimize your profitability. Whether maintaining an existing system or building a new one, we design with efficiency in mind and only use quality equipment with proven longevity. These may not be the cheapest up-front, but in the end it means higher efficiency with less loss and a better product for your customers.
Veteran Owned and Operated | Drew Larson began Leaders Beverage Consulting after 22 years of service in the US Army, retiring at the rank of Major, including three combat tours flying aeromedical Blackhawk helicopters.
Our Team
Our team makes all the difference. The Leaders staff comes directly from the food and beverage industry, including former bartenders, bar backs, beer buyers, beverage directors, walk in cooler managers, and cooks. We understand the product and care about quality and customer above all else.
In addition to understanding your daily challenges, our technicians are also all MicroMatic Dispense Specialist certified through their Advanced Draft Training Course, as well as Certified Beer Servers through the Cicerone program. Many on our staff are also Certified Cicerones®, sommeliers, spirits specialists, and culinarians.
Drew Larson
CEO (Chief Excellence Officer)
[email protected]
312.497.5602
Drew is our founder & Chief Excellence Officer (CEO). He is also our primary new business manager, installer, and trainer so you will see him in the field more than at the office. After 22 years of military service, he retired in the Rank of Major as an Aeromedical Evacuation Helicopter Pilot. As a Certified Cicerone®, Certified Sommelier, Certified Specialist of Spirits, and a Certified Culinarian you know that he eats, sleeps, and works food and beverage. Find his full bio & resume on LinkedIn.
Kevin Busch
President & Co-Owner
[email protected]
312.497.5602
Kevin is our Entrepreneurial President & CFO. In addition to years as a licensed CPA, Kevin has spent 30+ years running CFO Today and both owning and conglomerating an expansive trucking company. Kevin has a huge hand in our day to day operations well beyond financial matters. As a left handed guitarist he fits right in with our musically-oriented team, he even brings in records to play at the warehouse from his extensive vinyl collection.
Jay Jankowski
Michigan General Manager
[email protected]
616.259.9852
Jay spent some 20 years building and managing The Map Room, an iconic Chicago Beer Bar. While at Map Room he co-founded a draft company, Draft Science, so yes, he knows his way around installations and maintenance! Jay joined our team in 2021 and is a certified cicerone, a metal head, and an avid drummer. Jay heads up our Michigan shop, Quality Draft Systems, headquartered in Grand Rapids, MI.
Alvaro Santana
New Business Manager
[email protected]
312.497.5602
Alvaro is a native of Belize and moved here as a young child. He spent many years working his way up the Walgreens corporate ladder before realizing that wasn’t the future he wanted. Alvaro is an excellent home brewer and his brew is often on draft at our shop. Now, as our Brand Ambassador, Alvaro heads up our new business and is a killer knocking out small projects for clients to improve their profitability.
Martin Langrall
Client Expierence Manager
Martin is a Draft Technologist and resident computer-building guru. As we build our educational portfolio and offerings you will see and hear more and more from him. In his spare time, you’ll often find Martin hosting game nights with friends or DMing a round of Dungeons & Dragons.
Tom Duncan
Installation Foreman
As our Senior Lead Field Technologist, Tom is who you will see the most for on-demand maintenance requests. Tom studied Cello & Theatre in college and is also a guitarist in the band Realife Dinosaurs along with Chris & Steve. They even play at some of our client-partner venues! Check out their Facebook page.
History
Leaders Beverage Consulting was born of passion and necessity in 2012 by Drew Larson.
After a career in the Army as a Blackhawk helicopter pilot, Drew transitioned to the food and beverage industry in 2011, beginning with an education in the culinary arts (including certifications as a Certified Cicerone®, sommelier, and spirits specialist). After graduation from Kendall College and then the French Culinary Institute in CA, Drew entered the industry as Beverage Director at Michael & Louise’s Hopleaf Bar.
While at Hopleaf, Drew was surprised at the draft industry’s general lack of beer knowledge, even among the supposed “beer guys,” and disappointed with the quality of draft line maintenance service available in Chicago. So he began Leaders Beverage Consulting as a one-man side endeavor.
By 2014 Drew was able to commit to Leaders Beverage full time and bring on his first employee. Due to the passion and commitment of the growing Leaders team, the company has continued to expand all across the Chicagoland area and is known for their quality service and extended beer and beverage expertise.
Contact Us
4038 N. Nashville Ave
Chicago, IL 60634
312.497.5602
Visit by appointment - give us a call!
Leaders Beverage Consulting
Our mission is to raise awareness of draft technology and improve the overall industry standard by being the absolute LEADERS in quality and service. We are promoters of the Food & BEVERAGE industry. Our cornerstones are education, professionalism, communication, service, quality, friendliness, and fun.
Quality will always come first in our decision-making process because our reputation is our strength.
In our goal to support and promote education and a raising of industry standards we proudly support the Cicerone Certification Program®, the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP), and the Brewers Association Draught Beer Quality Manual. We are not affiliated with any of these programs.
