Brett Tate

Founder and Owner, Dust Bowl Brewing Company

B.A., Physical Education (1986)

An educator and coach of 20 years, Brett Tate retired and founded Dust Bowl Brewing Company in his hometown of Turlock in California's Central Valley. Established in 2009, Dust Bowl Brewing Company was the first craft brewery in Turlock and helped to establish the now thriving craft beer culture. Tate co-owns the brewery with Brett Honore, a Cal Poly San Luis Obispo alumnus.
Tate is responsible for the overall direction of the company, with special emphasis on new beer development and market positioning. Dust Bowl Brewing Company opened its downtown taproom in 2011 and then followed in 2016 with an expansive new brewery and second taproom, both in Turlock.
The company received the National Beer Wholesalers Association Brewer Partner Marketing Innovation Award (2015) and a "Gold Crushie" for coolest Taproom in the Craft Beer Marketing Awards worldwide competition (2021).
Dust Bowl reached Regional Brewer status in 2020, producing a record 16,500 barrels for the year. It is ranked in the top 2.5% of regional brewers nationwide. Its beers are distributed in California, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Arizona.
Tate continues to give back to Stanislaus State, supporting student-athletes, alumni programming, and university initiatives. The company also has a vibrant community stewardship program that supports numerous non-profit organizations with beer and gift card donations.

Notable CSU Alumni in hospitality & recreation