Welcome to our “Meet The Brewer” series! Where we interview brewers in Pennsylvania, from breweries small to large. Let us know if you know anyone who should be featured, email us at [email protected].

Second District Brewing first opened in February of 2017 at 1939 South Bancroft Street, in Philadelphia, PA. Second District brews on a 10 BBL brewhouse and has 10 taps of their own fresh beer, as well as 750ml bottles. The brewery also has the Second District Brew Farm, located at 163 Fallsdale Road in Milanville, PA. They have been growing hops since 2015 on this former vineyard. Sitting on 70 acres, the brewery has a tasting room open every Friday-Sunday from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and they also host private events.

Ben Potts is the head brewer at Second District Brewing and has been brewing in the Philadelphia region for over 14 years. Read more to find out his introduction to craft beer, where he sees the craft beer industry heading, and more!

What was your introduction to craft beer?

My earliest experiences with craft beer were hanging out with my older brother and his friends when I was in High School who would always drink Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, and then getting $5 bombers of Sammy Smith Oatmeal Stout and Taddy Porter in Phish lots when they would come to town. I’d go just for that! Still a few of my favorites to this day

How did you get started as a brewer?

After I got bit by the craft beer bug, I eventually started homebrewing. I actually bought my first homebrew kit when I was 20 because I figured I wouldn’t get carded at the homebrew store, and I was right. Fast forward several years, I had a friend who was buying cases of homebrew from me, who had a mutual friend involved in the opening of a new brewpub in West Philly (Dock Street). That lead to my first professional gig in 2007.

What style allows you to be the most creative, and why?

This is a really tough question as there are so many things to brew out there, and many “genres” (as opposed to more strict styles) allow for lots of variation and experimentation. I’ve always been hugely inspired by the whimsical and mysterious nature of Belgian beers, so I guess I’d have to go with “Saison.” I feel like this is a bit of a cliché answer as one really can’t nail down one set of guidelines for the style and it’s left to lots of interpretation by modern brewers. Still, I feel like Saison really encompasses all aspects of brewing – ingredients, process, fermentation, etc… Many styles are defined by one or a couple of these things (hops in IPA, fermentation in lagers, malt in a barleywine, etc.) but Saison really allows brewers to be as expressive as possible with every aspect of the beer when it comes to putting together a complex and well-crafted beverage.

What was the first beer you ever brewed, and what did you learn from it?

The first beer I brewed as a Head Brewer was a Russian Imperial Stout, as those were all the rage in back in the late 2000s and I was definitely on that kick too. I quickly learned mashing in and out 1200 pounds of grain by yourself isn’t very fun! But also how challenging it can be to make a well-crafted high ABV beer at that volume. Creating the right environment for your yeast is crucial to achieving healthy and clean high ABV fermentations. It’s something that can still be a challenge to this day if everything doesn’t go just right or you make one decision over another.

Where do you see the craft beer industry heading in the next few years?

I think we’re seeing the transition now, going back to more traditional and sessionable beers. The public is finally catching up with what the brewers have been saying all along: “4% abv? Yes! More lager? Yes!” We’ve seen these ebbs and flows over the years. When I got into brewing in 2004-2005 it was the age of EXTREME BEER. Following several years of that, we saw the whole session beer movement (largely fueled by English cask beer at the time), then everyone got into more extreme beer again with sours/IPAs which led to the hazy/slushy era, and now we’re here where I think people are finally getting tired of over-the-top, beat you over the head pallet crushers and overly sweet drinks that appeal to the inner-child. I’m here for it.

Describe what it’s like to be a brewer in Pennsylvania.

I take great pride in continuing the beer and brewing traditions in Pennsylvania. PA has an extremely rich brewing heritage dating back to the Founding Fathers and then later the German immigrants that settled in the state and brought with them generations of lager brewing experience and knowledge. That all but died out coming out of the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s. To see Pennsylvania’s brewing scene explode over the last 5 years, in particular, has been truly crazy and awesome to see. It’s always been a great community to be part of but I never expected it to grow as it has.

What is the inspiration behind your beer names?

Everything and nothing. I keep an ongoing list of names, sometimes we come up with them at the brewery together, and sometimes we make up a word. Sometimes the beer comes before the name and sometimes the name becomes before the beer. I’m very serious about the beers we make, but in general, I try not to take life too seriously and we like to have fun and get a little weird sometimes with names. Inspiration is everywhere. Being a small brewpub we don’t have to worry too much about creating that brand loyalty when it comes to products sitting on shelves, etc.

What is your favorite beer to drink right now?

Almost anything lager in the 5% abv range. I’m fortunate enough to have a steady supply of von Trapp out of Vermont in the house. And luckily, most places are trying to up their lager game now. In general, I stick to lower abv, even when it comes to hoppy beers, etc. I really like well-made beer that’s meant for drinking. That’s something I learned early on in my brewing career.

What is the most important lesson you learned in the beer industry so far?

Be true to yourself and stick to what you believe in. It’s easy to chase trends, but when you follow what you believe, it truly shows when that liquid goes into the glass and the customer gets that first taste.