On Twitter, I'm @beeroux. In real life, I'm George Zelenz. I am a composer, musician, artist, architectural designer-builder, and a few more things. Let's just say I've never met a curiosity I didn't like. I've been home brewing for 20 years, and passionately cooking for 15. Owning a brewery is every guy's dream, but few realize the work involved in setting one up, and fewer still actually accomplish the task. I've had my sights on this project for a few years now. I have all my ducks in a row, but finding funding through normal channels in this tough economy has proved fruitless.

I thought to myself awhile back: what if lots of folks on Twitter and elsewhere all bought something from me with the goal of raising the capital required for opening the brewery? After asking around it was clear that while unorthodox, people were interested in helping out. So here we are. Tough times like these require looking for capital outside of the normal venues. I'm hoping this kind of Grass Roots funding takes hold of people's imaginations and can spawn a new trend of responsible entrepreneurship in America.

Joshua Tree is a small desert community that, like many California desert communities, has been hard hit by the economic downturn. In the last couple of years, the foreclosure rates have gone through the roof. There are few local opportunities for decent employment. But there's more to the story here too. Right next door is Joshua Tree National Park, one of the most visited National Parks, with 1.3 million visitors expected in 2010. Add to that the world's largest US Marine Base in nearby 29 Palms, and we think finding customers won't be too hard. G Brewing would be the first brewery in the entire Morongo Basin, and the restaurant is sorely needed in this town of so few food establishments. Where others might see a wasteland, we see opportunity; we think the conditions are perfect for starting a brewery.

As a brewery, we will distinguish ourselves with original ales that are quite new to the scene, style-wise. We'll certainly brew traditional styles, but we have lots of fresh thinking already in bottles that we're eager to share with the world. The restaurant will have a few items that will always be on offer, and a rotating special or two every day utilizing the freshest seasonal ingredients we can source.

Should you help us out, you would not be a part owner or stakeholder, but rather a Founder. Being a Founder will have lifelong benefits. Not just discounts on beer and food, but special privileges at anniversary parties, and brewery events, etc.