About Us

My name is Dustin Canestorp, I am the Founder and General of the Beer Army®. I am also an avid beer enthusiast and veteran that retired from the Marine Corps after 20 years of service in 2014.

During my last deployment, I, along with a small group of Marines served as combat advisors to the 1st Iraqi Army Division. The stress and hardship was immense.

The catalyst for creating Beer Army® happened on 16 February 2007 when friend and fellow Marine, Captain Todd Siebert, was killed in action when the vehicle he was in took a direct hit from an enemy 82 millimeter mortar while conducting combat operations in Ramadi, Iraq. His loss left a significant impact on my psyche. I can’t explain why it was so instrumental as I have lost friends to combat before and after Todd’s death in Iraq and Afghanistan.

We were conducting combat operations in an area that we called the “Shark Fin” which was east of Habbaniyah, Iraq 10 days later after Todd's death. I still had very mixed emotions with processing and compartmentalizing the loss of Todd.

After the operation and while moving back to our dismounted vehicles, my Iraqi interpreter, “Jaguar” was on my right side and asked me to help him get to the United States to pursue the American Dream. I don’t recall my exact response but I do recall what I was thinking, it was time for me to pursue my American Dream which encompassed the lovely liquid that we call beer.

The friendships that were forged on the advisor team were stronger than most families. After our tour, we would get together monthly to play poker and to drink my homebrew. I knew that they would be brutally honest on what they liked and disliked about my beer. That honesty made me a better brewer and I started calling us, the Beer Army®.

We have been educating beer drinkers since 2008 when we made our formal presence known by launching our initial website. Since 2010 we have hosted many beer tasting festivals and other similar beer related events, own and ran brick and mortar establishments like Beer Bars, Bottle Shops, Package Brewery, Brew Pub and a Restaurant. During that time we have donated tens-of-thousands of dollars to numerous charities and provided millions of dollars in economic impact to the communities that support us.

Join the revolution and liberate your senses! Beer Army® is a lifestyle brand that believes in working hard, playing harder and making no excuses for doing so.

Poto Cervesia,
Dustin "Cane" Canestorp