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].
PineKnotter Brewing Company opened in March 2020 at 254 Front Street in Northumberland, PA, just 6 days before the first pandemic shutdown. The brewery operates a 2BBL brewhouse with a wide variety of styles for all beer fans. PineKnotter was also the 2020 Breweries In PA Readers Choice Award Winner for “Best New Brewery” in 2020. Derek Fisher is the head brewer and co-owner of PineKnotter Brewing Company. Read more to find out his introduction to craft beer, the first beer he ever brewed, and more!
What was your introduction to craft beer?
What introduced me to craft beer was attending local brew fests in the area. After the first one, I was hooked on the culture and craft beer community.
How did you get started as a brewer?
After attending several festivals and checking out different craft breweries, my father (Tread), brother (Brandon), and I decided to try our hand at homebrewing. We started out brewing in my father’s basement, making the typical 5-gallon batch. As the word got out locally through our friends and family, operations expanded to brewing 15-gallon batches.
We set up at a few local brew fests in our area with great reception from the festival attendees. We then decided to host a tasting event in our hometown, in hopes to attract others who could critique our brews. We received many compliments throughout the night on our selection of beers. From there, we decided to look for an available space to being our commercial craft beer journey. Today, all three of us are involved as business partners taking care of the day-to-day operations.
What style allows you to be the most creative, and why?
As for a style that allows me to be most creative, I would say that this would be a toss-up between our sour series and anything Hazy IPA/Milkshake IPA. I enjoy working with new ingredients and fresh fruits. Our customers seem to love them both!
What was the first beer you ever brewed, and what did you learn from it?
The first beer that I ever brewed was a Pale Ale. With a few tweaks, this is one of our favorites and is currently a staple at the brewery. One thing that I learned, was that “I could do this”. What I mean by this is that I could “brew beer”. This may seem overwhelming, but there is a level of brewing for everyone. Do your research, use good high-quality ingredients, and have a good cleaning and sanitizing regimen.
Where do you see the craft beer industry heading in the next few years?
I see this industry continuing to grow. The craft brewing industry is huge, and if it wasn’t for other local breweries in the area helping us along the way we wouldn’t be where we are today. We are hoping that we will get to return the favor to other new breweries in the future.
Describe what it’s like to be a brewer in Pennsylvania.
To be honest, I’m not even exactly sure. We have been open for only a year, with six days to serve our customers before the first shutdown. Things have constantly been changing. The best part about being a brewer is creating a beer that your customers love. There is nothing better than watching your customers enjoy the beers that you create, knowing the time and effort put into creating them.
What is the inspiration behind your beer names?
I would say that 75% of our beer names are a reference to our hometown of Northumberland. The names can be historical references or current references.
What is your favorite beer to drink right now?
I am a huge IPA guy, but with it being summertime, I really enjoy American hopped Lagers or cream ales.
What is the most important lesson you learned in the beer industry so far?
The most important lesson I have learned thus far is to keep a constant revolving beer menu. Our customers love stopping by and seeing new beers on our menu. Being a small 2 BBL operation can be challenging but is also rewarding at the same time. Having a small system allows me to create new brews often and allows me to try out new ideas and recipes.
