Cat Wellever

Brand Manager / Graphic Designer

A St. Louis native, Cat moved to Springfield, MO in 2002 to further her education in art at Missouri State University. While studying to get her BFA in Graphic Design, she started working at the BrewCo in 2004 serving tables and getting her feet wet in the graphics world by designing menu sets and custom chalkboards. The BrewCo has always held a special place in Cat’s heart because it was here that she met her husband Scott, who is our General Manager, and has been with SBC for 19 years! Fast forward a couple years and Cat graduated from MSU, settled down a bit and had three kiddos and changed from beer server to head of the Graphics Department and has been designing those killer beer art chalkboards and 6 packs carriers since 2012. When not sketching out the latest new package design to hit shelves Cat is enjoying some family time with her boys and exploring the beautiful Ozarks.

More about Cat and what inspires her:

When did you start designing at SBC?
About a year into serving tables at BrewCo there was a need for someone to start helping with updating our various chalkboards around the restaurant with the latest beers on tap. I started filling in that role as well as making some band flyers and menu sets for the restaurant. It was in 2011 when the new ownership took over at SBC that I became more involved with branding each beer and designing beer packaging. So far I have created 12 different six pack carrier designs, 21 beer label designs, and probably close to 45 custom chalkboards.

Describe your creative process. What are the major steps?
Every design project starts with understanding the problem I’m being asked to solve. Whether it’s a new beer design or a rebrand of an old design, clearly defined project goals are key. Then comes research. I’ll pull together inspiration boards and potential swatch families, grab feedback from the Brew Team, then start the sketching. After copious amounts of cold brew a design is born. The following steps are design edits/revisions then application of the final design on various items like: beer labels, 6 pack carriers, t-shirts, stickers, and coasters.

Favorite BrewCo Design Memory?
It was 2013 and just weeks before I was about to have my second child when my first beer package design hit shelves. It was the Hop Lobster carrier and I had spent 11 hours vectorizing in the computer the beloved lobster character featured on the carrier. I don’t know what I was more excited about, having my first package design hit shelves or the birth of my second child.

Dream art-inspired vacation?
I studied abroad in 2007 in Florence, Italy where I was immersed in inspiration from the Renaissance greats like: Brunelleschi, Botticelli, Da Vinci, and Michelangelo. While studying in Italy I spent a weekend in Barcelona where I was awestruck by the architecture of Antoni Gaudí. I would love to go back to Spain in 2026 and see the final completion of the Sagrada Família and further explore the country and the life and works of my favorite Spanish artists: Dalí, Picasso, and Miró.

Go-to design tool you can’t live without?
Well, besides my Mac, my go-to tool would be Micron pens.

Favorite beer package that you have designed?
I know I shouldn’t pick favorites, but…my favorite design would have to be the Greene Ghost packaging. Mostly because of all the special print processes that came along with that branding project. I was kinda obsessed with making every promotional product for that beer utilize glow-in-the-dark ink.