Management Team

DARA LIBERATORE-SAWCZUK

Co-Founder & President

Balance is a key ingredient to any well-crafted beer or meal – as well as any finely-tuned business – and that’s what Dara brings to Tidal Creek. Full of grit and class, with a whole lot of hard work and sass (as any respectable Jersey girl would be!), Dara is the heart of Tidal Creek. Her tough-love spirit infuses Tidal Creek Brewhouse with the passion and dedication it takes to go beyond quality in everything they do.

With 25+ years of business expertise in marketing, operations and general management, she knows how to get things done. And she knows how to create an authentic Lowcountry experience people will love from start to finish, every time.

Dara’s dream is to make Tidal Creek a key part of the community – both as a frequent gathering place and as a local business that supports important causes, like veterans, animals and the environment.

When Dara’s not a Tidal Creek Brewhouse, you’ll likely find her walking or training her ‘baby,’ Argus, the sweetest Doberman you’ll ever meet. When you visit the taproom, say hello to Dara and let her know what causes you’re passionate about.

ADRIAN SAWCZUK

Co-Founder

Adrian’s love for craft beer started during his time in the U.S. Army while stationed in Germany. Inspired by the quality of German beer and the community-focused “beer gardens,” his brewery dream began.

He’s been homebrewing for 10 years, scouting countless craft breweries along the way and planning his brewery/taproom concept with the idea of creating an experience for our customers. Now, his plan has come to fruition.

At Tidal Creek Brewhouse, Adrian is the nuts-and-bolts, get-it-done-the-right-way guy. Focused on corporate development and sales, he also provides operational and financial oversight for the business.

Seasoned with 30+ years of hard core, fast-paced, business experience across multiple industries, Adrian understands the importance of creating a tight business model. His goal is to provide Tidal Creek Brewhouse guests the best customer experience possible while ensuring Tidal Creek Brewhouse employees thrive in a rewarding work environment.

When he’s not at Tidal Creek Brewhouse, you can find Adrian working out or spending time with his family (including his fur-baby, Argus).

Next time you visit Tidal Creek Brewhouse, ask Adrian about his collection of beer bottles!

ARGUS

Brewhouse Dog

Tidal Creek is proud to introduce our official Brewhouse Dog, Argus – the gentlest Doberman you’ll ever meet!

He’s been raised visiting Craft Breweries with his parents (Dara & Adrian) – so he’s the perfect Brewhouse dog. Argus loves greeting people and, even more so, helping take care of them. He’s simply the best working dog on Earth!

Argus’s impressive resume includes:

Doberman – 5 Years Old
AKC STAR Puppy
Family Manners 202
Intermediate Obedience
Tracking
Barn Hunt
Rally
Protection Training

AKC Canine Good Citizen
Agility
eCollar
AKC Therapy
AKC Fit Dog
AKC Trick Dog
Emotional Support Animal

In his work as a Service Animal, he detects Migraines for his mom, Dara, which is truly amazing. Be sure to introduce yourself to Argus when you visit Tidal Creek Brewhouse – he’ll be glad to meet you and become your fur baby, too!

PATRICK GIBSON

Brewmaster

Fascinated by the brewing process, Patrick is a scientist and an artist. He leads all brewing at Tidal Creek Brewhouse, and his passion is to build a community around well-crafted beer brewed with integrity, imagination and innovation. A master of core styles and enthusiastic explorer of novel flavors, Patrick is a quality-focused leader with 16+ years of experience and numerous award-winning beers.

With a Master’s in Biology and a Doctorate in Marine Sciences, Patrick’s early work in that arena took him to Florida, Australia and the Bahamas – where he experienced a lot of different breweries near the ocean. Making Myrtle Beach a perfect fit.

Before joining Tidal Creek Brewhouse, Patrick’s experience includes several award-winning breweries from Florida to California. He most recently served as Director of Quality at Figueroa Mountain Brewing (Buellton, CA), where he and the brewing team won many prestigious awards, including back-to-back gold medals at the World Beer Cup and standing as the most award-winning brewery at the Great American Beer Fest.

Stop by Tidal Creek Brewhouse and meet Patrick. Ask him about sailing across the Atlantic in a 42’ sloop, logging 1,000 scuba dives or living under water for 10 days straight. He’s a very interesting Brewmaster indeed.

TESS SANFORD

Lead Brand Ambassador

Meet Tidal Creek’s Brand Ambassador, Tess.

When we think about some of the strongest influences in our lives, our parents generally rank pretty high on the list. For Tess, that has definitely proven to be the case! She is quick to talk a lot about how much her parents shaped her into the loyal, caring, fun- and fashion-loving person she is today. And Tess definitely equates the joy of fashion to entertaining. Growing up, Tess watched her parents (her beautiful and gracious mother, and her father the ‘dashing dresser’!) host carefully curated, fashionable social gatherings, Tess learned early that the merging of a finely crafted drink or cocktail blended with an excellent meal could create the most enjoyable of experiences.

This fine craftsmanship and thoughtful collaboration are, to this day, two of her greatest passions. The details and the care put into both a perfectly blended beer and the best customer experience speak volumes to Tess. She loves craft beer because to her, ‘craft beer is fashion’ and Tess is always fashionable!

Which leads us to Tidal Creek. After a solid career in IT, an enduring marriage of 37+ years to her college sweetheart, three kids, and a move to the beach, Tess found herself demonstrating her love of fashion a little too much. Knowing she needed to stay busy, Tess jumped at the chance to represent Tidal Creek Brewhouse. She loved the mission and the passion she saw throughout the entire organization and is truly excited about having the opportunity to make a difference, evoke positive changes and to bring happiness to all those around her.

And for Tess, bringing that happiness to everyone she meets will likely involve an amazing craft beer enjoyed over a great meal. If you stop by our brewhouse, be sure to introduce yourself, she’d be happy to talk beer, good food, and entertaining, and she may even give you some fashion tips along the way!

JOSHUA ASHLEY

Chef

Meet Tidal Creek’s Head Chef, Josh.

Not everyone would say one of their favorite smells is mud. But for Josh, the distinct scent of South Carolina pluff mud evokes all the feel-good memories and the deep love he has for the beach and marsh.

Josh was born on a Navy base in Norfolk, Virginia, but shortly after moved to Myrtle Beach and has been a die-hard local – except for a short stint in Arizona – ever since. Most of his life has been spent fishing and crabbing in the marshy creeks or surfing at the beach first thing every morning. While Josh loves many things – including his family and creating mouth-watering food – his heart will forever be at the coast.

While grubbing in surfing lingo means falling off the surfboard, Josh creates a whole new meaning for the word in the kitchen! He’s a self-proclaimed good ol’ boy, with a love for all things “country cooking,” but his 20+ years of refining his culinary craft from the Grand Strand to Savannah and all the way to Phoenix and back has allowed him to perfect many different styles of cooking. Josh celebrates his love of the coast by creating delectable dishes such as the Tidal Creek Brewhouse shrimp and grits, but he also appreciates the refined simplicity of a big, juicy, messy burger with crispy French fries. He considered other career paths over the years but like the beach, his love of cooking pulled him back every time.

When Josh isn’t in the kitchen, his favorite thing to do is revel in time spent with his family. Josh is the first to happily say that he and his wife, Sloan, have a very close-knit family, and he never takes that time for granted. While most men have best friends closer to their own age, Josh is not one of them! He says his youngest son, Brix is his best friend, and they do everything together whether that’s spending hours and hours outdoors, stirring up mischief, or making the rest of the family a little crazy, he wouldn’t change any of it. Josh has even said that Brix would accompany him to the Tidal Creek Brewhouse kitchen if he could!

With Josh’s down-to-earth spirit and love for all things at the coast, be sure to swing by Tidal Creek Brewhouse to sample some of his tasty creations and see how he puts a sophisticated spin on some rad dishes. Hang ten!

Management Team

MANAGEMENT TEAM