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 info@breweriesinpa.com.

Black Forest Brewery opened in December 2014 in Ephrata, PA, with a 4 bbl system. The brewery strictly follows the Reinheitsgebot, which are the German purity laws for brewing. Black Forest is also located on the same property as the 1777 Americana Inn, which Breweries In PA recently stayed at! Bob Harter is the co-owner and head brewer at Black Forest Brewery. Read more to find out his introduction to beer, important lessons he has learned so far, and more!

What was your introduction to craft beer?

While traveling for business in my previous “Corporate America” life I began trying various craft beers throughout the country and found I really enjoyed the wide variety of flavors and styles.

How did you get started as a brewer?

My son Ryan and I started on a whim as a way to spend a bit more time together on a hobby. We had the most humble of beginnings with the “Mr. Beer” kit my father gave me and started with extract and then moved quickly to all-grain. We always laugh that if the show “Breaking Bad” would have been popular back when we started in our garage, some of our neighbors may have raised an eyebrow or two at all the cobbled-together equipment, steam, and unfamiliar odors emanating from our garage!

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

Black Forest Brewery is one of the few breweries that stays true to tradition and the German Purity Laws (Reinheitsgebot). As a result, we do not use any flavorings or adjuncts to produce our beer but rely solely on the grain mix, hops & yeast to produce beer that is consistent with the style. We develop recipes based on the season using the industry-standard beer style guidelines that are a refreshing diversion from the industry today. Many of our customers rave about the “True Tavern Ales” approach. I do rely heavily on my bar manager Eric and my son Reese to keep me in touch with the latest industry standards and expectations.

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

The Amber Ale was our first all-grain batch which helped us begin to understand how the color and body are derived from the various grains in relation to other characteristics.

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

Similarly to the food industry, I see a comeback from the corporate chains back into a localized approach to the consumption of alcohol. More and more people are searching for local products, for the care of supporting local businesses, and also a perceived health benefit in consuming local products. Additionally, in the early day’s Taverns used to be the town center for most communities, and I think that is where the industry is getting back to. We are already seeing the trends toward local breweries and taverns and moving away from the Sports Bars and Corporate Restaurants.

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

What a fantastic career change and I have never looked back! Brewing is a lot of physical work but the brewer’s community is very supportive of each other and we all want to help each other survive and thrive regardless of our unique approaches to the industry.

What is the inspiration behind your beer names?

We always try to come up with names that have some historic reference to our town of Ephrata, the 1777 Americana Inn (our onsite Bed and Breakfast), or the Black Forest Trail. For example, the 42nd Mile IPA is named after the Black Forest trail in PA which is where the idea of starting a brewery was hatched. The Black Forest Trail is a 42-mile loop trail and the outline of our logo is the outline of the trail. The Shreck Tavern Stout is named after a tavern that operated at Green Dragon during prohibition but was shut down because the owner was conflicted about breaking the law…. we brought it back.

What is your favorite beer to drink right now?

I lean toward the Pale Ales & IPA’s, my wife Denise loves dark beers and is a huge fan of our Pale Ale.

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

Being true to your aspirations can lead to success with hard work and a focus on meeting your customer’s needs.