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.
Braeloch Brewing first opened in March of 2019 at 225 Birch Street in Kennett Square, PA. The brewery operates a 10 BBL brewhouse, feeding 12 taps, in a location that is over 9,000 sq/ft total! Their building dates back to 1903 and was once a service station for street trolleys and train engines, as well as for a few other purposes.
Ronnie Chesson is the head brewer at Braeloch Brewing. 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?
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale! It was the first craft beer I ever remember my father letting me taste and I was blown away by the hop character. Even these days as beer are getting progressively hoppier and hoppier, that beer still remains to be such a great example of a hop-forward yet well-balanced beer.
How did you get started as a brewer?
My father has been a homebrewer since before I was born. I used to help him by capping his bottles when I was younger. Since then I’ve watched him brew countless batches in the garage and finally decided to give it a shot myself a few years ago. The first batch went surprisingly well and I have been hooked ever since!
What style allows you to be the most creative, and why?
As far as creativity goes, it’s hard to not go with the heavily dry-hopped styles. Especially with the incredible varietals available these days and the citrus and tropical flavors they offer. It’s still amazing to me that I can create a beer that tastes like a Pina Colada without using any real coconut or pineapple at all.
What was the first beer you ever brewed, and what did you learn from it?
I brewed a very simple single-hopped pale ale with Citra. The beer turned out great! I learned how satisfying it is to drink a beer you made from scratch and the joy you can get from sharing your creations with other people.
Where do you see the craft beer industry heading in the next few years?
I think craft beer is becoming progressively more extreme in many ways, in a good way! I still marvel at the way breweries seem to push the boundaries of flavor to absolute extremes. I cant wait to see how the race to pack the most flavor in a can continues to evolve.
Describe what it’s like to be a brewer in Pennsylvania.
It’s fantastic. We have so many other excellent local breweries around us and it seems like we are always trying to push each other to be the best. As a relatively newer professional brewer, it’s also been wonderful how helpful and open some of our local brewing friends have been to me. I’ve really felt welcomed to the industry with open arms by my brewing buddies in PA.
What is the inspiration behind your beer names?
We don’t really have any kind of method to our madness. My assistant brewer Nick and I like to keep it light-hearted, fun, and give people a good laugh here and there!
What is your favorite beer to drink right now?
I’ve been on a dark lager kick. There is something about the flavor of lager yeast paired with roasted and chocolate malts that just hits home for me. We have a Schwarzbier on tap at the moment that has been a recent go-to.
What is the most important lesson you learned in the beer industry so far?
Do not be afraid to ask questions! There is a plethora of information available all over the place for brewing. Generally, any question I have can be answered by simply doing some research or reaching out to a neighbor and asking for some guidance! Cheers!
Thank you to Ronnie for talking with us! Make sure you visit Braeloch Brewing’s website to see all the latest beers and news! Also, follow Braeloch Brewing on Facebook and Instagram.
