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].
Root Down Brewing Company first opened in June of 2017 at 1 North Main Street, in Phoenixville, PA. Root Down brews on a 20HL (17 BBLs) system, visible from the taproom. They feature x24 taps of beer, along with a full food menu. The brewery hosts many events in its 13,000 sq/ft building just off Bridge Street, and is known for playing Kung-Fu movies and 90s/2000s Hip Hop music at all times in the taproom.
Chris O’Keefe is the head brewer at Root Down Brewing Company. 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 introduction to craft beer started in college, in Ithaca, NY. Like many other young beer drinkers in the early 2000s, my trajectory into beer began with American domestic light lager and other similar yellow fizzy liquids that did not have much to offer in terms of flavor. I can’t remember the exact moment, but I recall being given Ithaca Brewing’s CascaZilla hoppy red ale, which really opened my eyes to the possibilities of what was possible in terms of a beer’s singular impact on your palette. I got big notes of piney hops, nutty malt character, and a wave of bitterness that just about made my head explode. I stayed away from that beer for a while, and instead indulged in more European imports from Belgium, Germany, and England, but when I returned to that beer a few months later, it quickly became a favorite of my early beer days.
How did you get started as a brewer?
The act of making beer started purely as a hobby for me in 2008. I graduated from college without a dollar to my name and subsequently had to move back in with my parents to make ends meet, which translated to me having a lot of downtime in between work. I got a classic 5-gallon homebrew kit and started doing simple extract batches, and then later partial mash brews, and finally all-grain brews. During this time, I almost exclusively bought ingredients from Artisan Homebrew located in Downingtown, PA. Artisan was owned by Mike Hamara, who is now the owner of Root Down Brewing Co. Soon after Mike sold Artisan and opened Root Down’s door to the public in 2017, he approached me and asked if I wanted to take on the role of an assistant brewer with Root Down. The timing of all this could not have been more perfect because I was working as a Solar Systems Engineer with a company that was in the process of closing its doors. The thought of getting to work with my hands again and make beer for a living was too exciting to pass on, so I accepted and I have been there ever since!
What style allows you to be the most creative, and why?
Oddly enough, I would probably say that West Coast IPAs allow me to be the most creative. To me, WC IPA in the 2020s has somewhat become a blank canvas in the grand realm of American IPAs. I have approached this style with a wide variety of malts, mash temps, boil times, hop varietals, target ABVs, IBU levels, yeast selection, dry hop quantities, cold crashing times, and carbonation levels. The fact that I can produce a richly copper-colored beer brewed entirely with Cascade hops or a straw-like beer brewed with Citra and Mosaic, and yet still identify them as one singular style is pretty remarkable.
What was the first beer you ever brewed, and what did you learn from it?
The first beer I brewed was a simple 5-gallon homebrew batch of American Pale Ale that I made in my parent’s kitchen in 2008. I would easily say that this process taught me the importance of cleanliness and good sanitizing practices with regard to the brewing process. Even to this day on the commercial scale, there are a wide variety of ways to produce good beer, but great methodology and unique ingredients will get you nowhere without a clean system.
Where do you see the craft beer industry heading in the next few years?
I think that current trends are pointing to a continued resurgence of European styles and lower ABV styles in general. I keep seeing that a lot of beer drinkers are moving away from the heavy-hitting styles in favor of lagers, English styles, and hybrid styles like Kolsch or commons. Maybe this is all my own wishful thinking, but we shall see.
Describe what it’s like to be a brewer in Pennsylvania.
Given our high number of breweries in the state, I would say that being a brewer in PA is an ongoing balancing act between trying to remain true to your roots and accommodate newer styles in a unique way. It’s certainly a never-ending task for our whole team.
What is the inspiration behind your beer names?
Our beer names are a collaborative effort between a few of our team members. Sometimes our beer names are influenced by our company’s fondness for old kung fu movies, 90’s hip hop references, and just good ole fashion goofy wordplay. I think we have the most fun with our one-off hazy IPAs. I have an ongoing list of weird names that we often reference for just such an occasion.
What is your favorite beer to drink right now?
We recently launched a single hop pilsner series, our first being an all Wakatu pils, and I have been loving that beer as an end-of-the-day sipper.
What is the most important lesson you learned in the beer industry so far?
To borrow a phrase from Maine Beer Co’s credo, I would say that the most important lesson I’ve learned thus far has been to “do what’s right”. By this, I mean that it’s crucial to always stay diligent about daily tasks and remain proactive about unexpected problems. There is nothing more frustrating than putting off a problem and then having it bite you in the butt the next day. All this boils down to time; losing time hurts the beer and the team.
Thank you to Chris for talking with us! Make sure you visit Root Down Brewing’s website to see all the latest beers and news. Also, follow Root Down Brewing on Facebook and Instagram.
