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].
Great Barn Brewery first opened its taproom in August of 2017 at 12 West Mechanic Street, in New Hope, PA. You can read our review from our first visit back in 2017! The brewery is located in Kintnersville, at owners Steve and Maryana Ferguson’s farm. Great Barn is the only brewer in Bucks County that grows and brews with their own barley. They use a private spring-fed well on the farm, and the farm is run entirely on clean wind-powered energy.
Great Barn recently expanded in April 2021 with the addition of the Great Barn Taphouse in Warrington. This new taphouse is 8,000 sq/ft and offers 30 taps of local beverages, unique dining experiences, and live music. They also have a kitchen with a full food menu, and a large raised stage for live music, 5 days a week.
James McGowen is the head brewer at Great Barn Brewery. 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?
I was down in New Orleans at Mardi Gras with some friends and tried some Abita Purple Haze. That was my intro to “Craft Beer.”
How did you get started as a brewer?
I started at the end of Victory’s Brewing Co’s bottling line loading cardboard, and I worked my way up from there. That was close to a decade ago.
What style allows you to be the most creative, and why?
Beer style? I’ve brewed a lot of beers, in a lot of different ways. I think creativity isn’t limited by style of beer. I would say beer allows me to be creative in general, and my creativity is only limited by my knowledge of the subject. I strive for consistency over creativity. Writing recipes is fun, but making them repeatable is better than making an insanely complex beer that takes an arm and a leg to finish.
What was the first beer you ever brewed, and what did you learn from it?
I think I first homebrewed an Irish Stout. Professionally I might have brewed Hop Wallop first, but it’s been so long I can’t remember, probably Golden Monkey.
Where do you see the craft beer industry heading in the next few years?
The market is oversaturated, the cost of raw materials is rising, and there’s a rough harvest coming. The cost of finished products is also rising. I think we will see a simplification of variety from craft breweries nationwide. There will be a renaissance of the lager.
Describe what it’s like to be a brewer in Pennsylvania.
It seems to be the same as anywhere else. I’ve worked in Wisconsin and Rhode Island breweries as well.
What is the inspiration behind your beer names?
I’ve only named one beer so far, Murphy’s, after my cat. Someone else names the rest of the beer.
What is your favorite beer to drink right now?
It’s a tie between Yuengling Lager, and Dogfish Head 60 min. I didn’t want to list it as an answer, but our Oktoberfest is fantastic.
What is the most important lesson you learned in the beer industry so far?
You can’t fake quality.
Thank you to James for talking with us! Make sure you visit Great Barn Brewery’s website to see all the latest beers and news. Also, follow Great Barn on Facebook and Instagram.
