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 info@breweriesinpa.com.
Lavery Brewing Company (Erie, PA) was started with a 10BBL brewhouse in 2009 by Jason and Nikki Lavery, and have been making award winning beers ever since. Since then they have double production, and hired a new brewer. Recently, we wrote about Lavery Brewing opening a new location in Titusville.
Logan Hartpence is the head brewer at Lavery Brewing. Learn more about Logan including how he got started as a brewer, where he sees the industry heading, his favorite beer to drink right now, and more!
What was your introduction to craft beer?
My introduction to craft beer started with Hoegaarden and Free State Brewing Company in Lawrence, Kansas where I am originally from. These beers really opened my eyes to just how different, flavorful, and unique beer could be.
How did you get started as a brewer?
Like most brewers, I started as a homebrewer. After about 3 years of homebrewing, I knew I wanted to brew beer for living, but it was just a matter of timing at that point as I still wanted to do a lot of volunteer work. With that, I spent 2 years in AmeriCorps and 2.5 years in Peace Corps Jamaica. During this time, I was able to continue brewing and reading lots of brewing books. Upon my return to the US from Peace Corps, I enrolled in the Craftbrewers Apprenticeship Program at the American Brewers Guild. After completing the coursework, I apprenticed at Free State Brewing Company in Kansas before moving to Erie, PA for the brewing job at Lavery Brewing Company.
What style allows you to be the most creative, and why?
I would have to say right now IPAs are a type of beer that allows for quite a bit of creativity. It is always fun to experiment with new hop varieties and combining different hops to see how they will play off of each other. Not only the options of hops available, but when and how you add them into the beer is another spot for some creativity. In addition, newer IPAs are starting to have more and more non-traditional ingredients added in, whether it be a grist bill of 50% oats, tons of lactose, lacto to sour it, massive amounts of fruit, cereal, pie, etc.
What was the first beer you ever brewed, and what did you learn from it?
The first beer I ever brewed was a pale ale. The biggest thing I learned from that, other than the fact that I loved brewing, was that you should always be prepared for hiccups in the process (as there were a few that first time) and don’t be afraid to spend a little extra for the better equipment. I had decided to not spend the few extra dollars on an auto-siphon. When it came time to bottle the pale ale, I could not for the life of me get the siphon started. I resorted to sucking on the hose to get the siphon started! It was awful. Never again!
Where do you see the craft beer industry heading in the next few years?
I see the craft beer industry staying strong in the next few years overall. I can see consumers turning more and more towards local in the future. With that, I think it will be important for breweries to focus on their backyard and how they can satisfy those nearest them first, before looking far and wide.
Describe what it’s like to be a brewer in Pennsylvania.
Being a brewer in Pennsylvania is great. In the 1.5 years I have been living in Pennsylvania, I have met a lot of phenomenal brewers and tasted a lot of stellar beers from across the state. The camaraderie is second to none. At every beer festival and BOP event I attend, I enjoy talking with, and learning from, the other brewers throughout PA.
What is the inspiration behind your beer names?
Jason and Nikki Lavery are the owners of Lavery Brewing Company. A lot of our core brands are named after things relating to Ireland. Aside from that, inspiration comes from all over. Just to name a few we draw inspiration from:
-Conor McGregor, the brewery’s spirit animal (Southpaw Session IPA)
-Things we’ve found funny, jokes we have heard (Lucid Lager series)
-Music we listen to (Pretty Visitors Oat Pale Ale, Summer Hits of the 90s DIPA)
-Peace Corps/Jamaican culture (Pree fruited saison series)
Other than that, a lot of names come from just hanging out and having a few beers, throwing around ideas.
What is your favorite beer to drink right now?
I can drink Kolsch for days. I am a huge Pilsner fan, as well. Really any craft lager after a long, hot day in the brewery is amazing.
What is the most important lesson you learned in the beer industry so far?
Jason says it a lot: “Head down. Work hard.” Stick to that, do your best every day, and the rest will follow.
Thank you to Logan Hartpence for talking with us! Make sure you visit Lavery Brewing Company for all the latest beers, news, information and special events. And also follow Lavery on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
