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].
Wolf Brewing Company first opened in May 2021 at 100 Legacy Park Drive in Mechanicsburg, PA. The brewery opened in a brand new 8,000 square foot building and utilizes a 10 bbl brewery production space, 24 taps at the bar, foeder/barrel display room, entry lounge, taproom, kitchen, and private lounge. Wolf Brewing boasts a reputation of 123 awards from all 50 states with 55 different beers.
Derek Wolf is the Co-Owner and Head Brewer of Wolf Brewing Company. Read more to find out how his introduction to craft beer, how he got started as a brewer, and more!
What was your introduction to craft beer?
Going to school at Susquehanna University and frequenting Selin’s Grove Brewing truly opened my eyes to great local craft beer. Shortly after graduating college, I started home brewing.
How did you get started as a brewer?
My close friend, Dustin Kampel gifted me a Mr. Beer Kit for Christmas 2010. From there I made a few 5-gallon extract kits, then moved on to brewing all-grain batches and creating my own recipes. From there I wanted to learn more about all of the different beer styles, so I read dozens of books about beer and brewing and took classes to become a Certified Beer Judge through the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP). I then became a BJCP Certified Beer Judge in 2015. In an effort to receive unbiased feedback about my brews, I began entering various homebrew competitions across the country. The advice and feedback that I received from those competitions were truly invaluable and allowed me to better dial in my recipes. From there I enrolled in online courses through the Siebel Institute World Brewing Academy and completed the Advanced Brewing Theory Program in 2019. My goal is to never stop learning about beer and the brewing process and to keep an open mind towards new brewing ingredients, techniques, and styles.
What style allows you to be the most creative, and why?
Fruited sours allow a lot of room for creativity. The possibilities are endless! Many of our fruited sours (Sorbets) are culinary-inspired. We have a mango sour on tap currently that was inspired by a Filipino dessert, Crema de Mangga. Another beer currently on tap is our Blackberry Raspberry Cobbler Sorbet ala mode. It was brewed with blackberries, raspberries, graham crackers, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and soft-serve ice cream. Several others include – Blueberry Pie Sorbet, Key Lime Pie Sorbet, Peach Cobbler Sorbet, Very Berry Cobbler Sorbet, and Açaí Bowl Sorbet.
What was the first beer you ever brewed, and what did you learn from it?
I made a West Coast Pale Ale and added mangoes into the fermenter. It turned out surprisingly well. It was a 2.5 gallon Mr. Beer kit which made things very simple with step-by-step instructions to help you grasp the brewing process. It helped to give a basic understanding of how to brew beer and acted as a stepping stone moving forward.
Where do you see the craft beer industry heading in the next few years?
I think more traditional beer styles will make waves but with unique and interesting spins on the original styles. Craft lagers specifically. We have a New Beginnings Series which experiments with new techniques, ingredients and even experiments with combining different beer styles. Our latest beer on tap, New Beginnings #4 is an India Pale Pilsner – combining the flavors and aroma profiles of an IPA with those of a Czech Pilsener.
Describe what it’s like to be a brewer in Pennsylvania.
It is an honor to be a brewer in Pennsylvania. When we were just starting out many local breweries allowed me to check out their brewing setup and provided great feedback about what they should have done differently when they were first starting out. When guests visit our brewpub as a stop on their beer vacation or beer trail, we encourage them to check out other local breweries and recommend our favorite beers at each place. Or if a local brewery is in need of cans, brewing ingredients, or just has questions, many posts to the Breweries in PA Owners & Brewers page, which is also a great resource. Overall it is a very collaborative atmosphere.
What is the inspiration behind your beer names?
We try to keep many of them Wolf-themed such as Golden Gaze, New Moon, Primal, Fangs, Dusk ‘til Dawn, Alpha, Wolfbite, Call of the Wild, On the Prowl, Into the Den, etc.
What is your favorite beer to drink right now?
Czech Pilsners
What is the most important lesson you learned in the beer industry so far?
Keeping yourself educated on what’s new (ingredients/techniques/styles), never stop learning, and don’t get too comfortable or complacent. You should always strive to be better and experiment with new ideas/techniques/ingredients that take you out of your comfort zone. The possibilities are really endless when it comes to brewing traditional and non-traditional beers.
Thank you to Derek for talking with us! Make sure you visit Wolf Brewing’s website to see all the latest beers, and what they have going on! Also, follow Wolf Brewing on Facebook and Instagram.
