Dharma Tamm to Step Down as President of Rogue Ales & Spirits; Steven Garrett Named Successor

Dharma Tamm is stepping down as president of Rogue Ales & Spirits after four years at the helm of the Newport, Oregon-headquartered craft brewery.

Tamm’s last day leading the 35-year-old business will be September 30. He will retain a seat on Rogue’s board.

Steven Garrett, Rogue’s VP of marketing and creative, will assume the president role beginning October 1. Garrett is a 12-year veteran of the company, serving in various marketing and business development leadership roles.

“Steven has been a Rogue for 12 years and has led our diversification efforts, as well as our sales, marketing and creative teams during that time,” Tamm said in a release. “He is an incredibly thoughtful leader, innovator and is a passionate brand advocate. I have had the pleasure of working alongside Steven for the last seven years, and I have no doubt that he is the right person to lead Rogue going forward.”

Garrett added that he is “beyond excited for this new opportunity to lead Rogue.”

“We have so much momentum with the expansion of our flagship Dead Guy brand, this is a truly exciting time to be a Rogue, and I couldn’t be more honored to be at the helm.”

Tamm joined Rogue in January 2017. Rogue promoted Tamm, then-general manager, to president after owner and president Brett Joyce departed the company at the end of 2018.

What’s next for Tamm? He told Brewbound that he plans to spend his “new-found time building more motorcycles that don’t run, annoying the neighborhood with poorly played guitar, and traveling.”

In 2022, Rogue was the 41st largest Brewers Association-defined craft brewery by volume. The company produced 67,000 barrels of beer, a -24% year-over-year decline after producing 88,000 barrels (+17%) in 2021.

This year, Rogue retooled its portfolio, transforming its iconic three-decades-old flagship Dead Guy Ale into a brand family and launching a “Coffin Club” variety 12-pack, featuring Dead Guy line extensions IPA, Pale Ale and Pilsner.

Dead Guy IPA has become the fourth-largest brand in Rogue’s portfolio this year, according to NIQ scan data shared by Bump Williams Consulting. . The brand is also the No. 1 source of incremental dollars in the portfolio, followed by the Dead Guy variety pack, the firm added.

Tamm joins a growing list of craft brewery leaders to exit top roles, including: