THE TEAM

Josh Letourneau

Co-Owner

Josh grew up in Rehoboth, MA where he wandered the woods looking for adventures. For his 21st birthday, his wife, Lindsay, got him his first home brewing kit; this began his lifelong passion of brewing. He graduated from the American Brewer’s Guild in 2009 and immediately began brewing at Mayflower Brewing Co. in Plymouth, MA. Josh left Mayflower in 2011 to take the head brewer position at the then newly launching Grey Sail Brewing in Westerly, where he spent 6 years honing his craft. With the start of Shaidzon, Josh is looking forward to using his creativity to brew traditional and interesting beers alike, all inspired by brews he has enjoyed from across the globe.

Chip Samson

Co-Owner

Chip grew up in West Kingston on Fairgrounds Rd. just down the street from the Shaidzon Beer Co. site. In 2004, he moved out west to Colorado where he lived in Boulder and then Denver until returning to Rhode Island in 2016. Chip furthered his passion for well crafted beers in Boulder spending many Friday afternoons in the old Avery Brewing Co. tasting room and doing multiple brewery trips to Fort Collins. After moving to Denver, Chip knew he wanted to be involved in the beer world after thriving in a haven city for craft breweries. Chip and his wife, Molly, moved to Rhode Island and worked together with Josh, his wife, Lindsay, to form the plan for Shaidzon Beer Company.

Homer Johnsen

25Business Manager

Homer Johnsen joined the Shaidzon team in May of 2019. Homer started out in the tasting room and quickly became our Business Development Director. He took over the handling of the tasting room and beer garden before moving to leading our outside sales. He represents the brewery all over the state of Rhode Island promoting our beer and creating incredible events at the brewery. He pours a great beer, he knows beer and he has done a tremendous job to grow the Shaidzon brand. He loves the Grateful Dead and the Celtics as well as other local sports squads and can drop some deep trivia knowledge. Homer is a South Kingstown product and graduated from the University of Vermont.

Julia Roder-Hanna

Lead Brewer

Julia joined the Shaidzon squad as a brewer in October 2019. Julia earned her Federal Certificate – Brew and Malt Master in Munich, Germany where she lived for six years prior to joining Shaidzon. She worked at the famed Paulaner Brewery for two years. A dual citizen of Germany and the United States. Julia has been monumental in some wonderful beers: West Kingston 12 Brown Ale, Maibock, Buttercup Blonde Ale, Helles, Kellerbier, and she is always excited for more new beers! Before moving to Germany, Julia earned her bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from The University of Rhode Island and grew up in North Central Connecticut.

Aidan Keilty

Front of House Director

Aidan joined the Shaidzon team in the late Spring of 2022. Aidan grew up in Connecticut and attended the University of Vermont where he graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. After starting out in the tasting room, Aidan’s dedication and talents quickly helped him rise to his current director position. Aidan’s knowledge and skillset come in handy in the handling of the tasting room and beer garden and he is known to pour a great beer with a smile. Aidan can often be found enjoying his favorite TV show to play in the tasting room, Ice Road Truckers.