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.
Hemauer Brewing Company opened May 1st, 2020 for to-go and delivery options during the pandemic. Brooks Hemauer is the co-owner and head brewer at Hemauer Brewing Company. Read more to find out how he was introduced to craft beer, where he sees the craft beer industry heading, and more!
What was your introduction to craft beer?
I was over at a friend’s house and all he had to drink was Troegs hopback. I’m sure I made a terrible face on the first sip. It was so bitter to me due to the fact that I only drank Miller Lite. But I stuck with craft beer from that point and my pallet evolved over time to really enjoy.
How did you get started as a brewer?
It’s kinda a long story so I will try to keep it short. So my wife can attest to this that after football season is over I can be quite bored. Nothing to look forward to and I just want spring to get here so I can hop on my lawnmower and start mowing grass again. I helped a friend brew an extract kit once and thought that I could take brewing up as a hobby. And the rest is all history.
What style allows you to be the most creative, and why?
Really any style. You are only limited to your imagination. I have used dill, peep candy, Fruity Pebbles cereal, spruce tree tips. The possibilities are really endless.
What was the first beer you ever brewed, and what did you learn from it?
It was an exact IPA kit. I learned that if you follow the directions, take your time, and SANITIZE SANITIZE SANITIZE you will have an end product that you can not only drink but take pride in that you made it yourself.
Where do you see the craft beer industry heading in the next few years?
You know this is a very interesting time we are all going through right now. My hope is that we all make it through this but realize that might not be the case. I believe the online/call-in ordering for takeout/curbside will not go away. It is too convenient for our guest to use that option to do away with it. We all just have to take one day at a time and we will get past this.
Describe what it’s like to be a brewer in Pennsylvania.
It really has been amazing the way the brewing industry has welcomed us into the club. The knowledge and brewing experience here in pa is quite vast.
What is the inspiration behind your beer names?
A lot of them come from my other interest in life. tv, music, pop culture, funny saying, But really I’m terrible at naming beers.
What is your favorite beer to drink right now?
The next one! J/K I really love all beer styles. But if I have to pick one right now I would say a clean and crisp lager/pilsner. After 10 hours of brewing I just want to relax and drink something simple without all of the “other” stuff associated with it.
What is the most important lesson you learned in the beer industry so far?
You really have to be flexible with your business. With the lack of traffic in the taproom we have changed to only brewing on our pilot system to keep our product fresh and relevant. We also were not planning on buying a can seamer right away wanting to phase it in once we started to have some cash flow with the business. Then BAM COVID hits and I knew we had to package everything so we ordered the seamer and a pallet of crowlers. Also we ordered an additional seamer and manual can filler so we can offer 16/8 oz cans to go. We are hoping to have flights to-go available within the next couple of weeks.
Thank you to Brooks for talking with us! Make sure you visit Hemauer Brewing Company for all the latest beers, news, information, and special events. And also follow Hemauer Brewing on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!