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].
Levante Brewing Company (West Chester, PA) opened in August 2015, and has been growing ever since. In Italian, Levante means ‘to rise’ and reflects the rising sun to the East. Their purpose is to elevate the community and craft beer experience with each pour, and this is evident from how active they are in their community. With 20 taps, Levante has been putting out a variety of styles for everyone to enjoy. They continue to help push the PA craft beer scene forward, and not long ago we announced they were shipping cans across the state.
Greg Harris is the head brewer of Levante Brewing Company and has been at the brewery since opening. Learn more about Greg including how he got started as a brewer, where he sees the industry heading, what his favorite beer to drink is, and MORE!
What was your introduction to craft beer?
My friend had come back from college at St. Andrews over in Scotland and he brought back his newly acquired taste for Scotch and Belgian beers. We both were hooked and were tracking down Belgian style beers from all over the world and spending way too much money for recent college graduates. We were drinking lots of Belgians and malty beers and then I had Victory’s Dirt Wolf DIPA and I was hooked on IPAs. I hadn’t had the taste until then.
How did you get started as a brewer?
The same friend I began drinking craft beer with and I were looking for something to do to fill the hours during the winter and we wanted to try and master the same Belgian beers we were spending all our money on already. We started brewing all sorts of Belgians and a couple were drinkable. Then I started putting on a homebrewing competition as an extension of my brother’s annual fundraiser, the Jeff Harris Curl-a-thon, and that is where I met Tim Floros, our president and brewmaster at Levante and he quickly became my brewing and career mentor.
What style allows you to be the most creative, and why?
We make a lot of IPAs, Stouts, and Kettle Sour beers and they are all great vessels for new inspiration and inspirational ingredients. IPAs can be so complex because the world of hops is so complex, so you can balance lots of interesting ingredients with the hops. Stouts are big and bold and provide such an amazing balance to sweet, sour, savory, and smokey ingredients. And Kettle sours are fun because they provide an acidic balance and play right into that indulgent sweet and sour tooth that so many of us have.
What was the first beer you ever brewed, and what did you learn from it?
The first beer I ever brewed, was as a home brewer and it was a Leffe Blonde clone. First thing I learned was that I loved brewing, but I don’t remember much of a learning lesson on that first batch as it ended up turning out well. But the 2nd batch I made, did not turn out well and I learned to focus, be tedious and don’t take any shortcuts because if you want the best beer you have to work hard for it.
Where do you see the craft beer industry heading in the next few years?
I see the craft beer industry continuing its growth and for all the awesome breweries out there to keep pushing the bounds of what traditionally was called craft beer. But also for craft breweries to diversify the product lines they are offering because they are some of the most creative people in the world and why not continue to push themselves to provide more products that customers will enjoy.
Describe what it’s like to be a brewer in Pennsylvania.
Being a brewer in PA is awesome as there is such a great sense of camaraderie. Most of the breweries are willing to work together to provide their customers with continued high quality experiences that are in some ways very unique to the craft beer industry. All my friends from the state are always willing to lend a hand or provide some insight when you ask because I believe we all realize if our industry as a whole is strong than each of our individual breweries will remain strong.
What is the inspiration behind your beer names?
The inspiration for our beer names comes from all over the place. Our team cares so much about art, food, music, books, history and just plain old nonsense, so we really just like to have fun with our names because the days are long in our world and our names and labels can be creative outlets for all of us.
What is your favorite beer to drink right now?
My favorite beer right now is our FORM Cryo-Pils that is hopped 100% with Simcoe Cryo Hops. It is unique and super crispy.
What is the most important lesson you learned in the beer industry so far?
The most important lesson I have learned in the industry is that there are no shortcuts to making the best beer and developing a sustainable company. So, as long as everyday we are working as hard as we possibly can then we are going to be very happy with whatever the results turn out to be.
Thank you to Greg Harris for talking with us! Make sure you visit Levante Brewing Company for all the latest beers, news, information and special events. And also follow Levante on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
