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].

Brew Gentlemen first opened its doors in May of 2014 at 512 Braddock Ave in Braddock, PA, just 20 minutes east of downtown Pittsburgh. The brewery has become widely known locally in PA, as well as nationally, for offering some of the most sought-after beers. Up until recently, you could only enjoy their beer if you went to Braddock, but this all changed once they began shipping statewide, as of April 1st. Brew Gentlemen was also recently listed in the “Top 10 Breweries In Pennsylvania According To Untappd (First Half Of 2021)”.

Tom Ferguson is the Head Brewer of Brew Gentlemen. Read more to find out how his introduction to craft beer, where he sees the craft beer industry heading, and more!

What was your introduction to craft beer?

I’ve always tried to support small, local businesses as opposed to large corporations so as soon as I could go into beer distributors and bars, I always looked for the weird stuff. I liked everything about the flavors, artwork, and attitude of the local/micro/craft offerings. As far as specific beers that got my attention it was Bells Two-Hearted, Stone IPA, and Rogue Dead Guy. I also spent lots of time at Red Star (the first local brewery) and drinking imports at The Headkeeper (top-tier craft beer bar) in Greensburg, PA where I grew up.

How did you get started as a brewer?

After breaking up with a long-time girlfriend and coming to the realization that I hated my career, I decided to make a change and pursue something that I was passionate about. I quit my job and drove west in full mid-life crisis mode, camping and living out of my car and visiting friends, family, and breweries all over the country. Although I’d done some homebrewing, it never really occurred to me to try and become a professional brewer. I’m not sure when or where it happened, but somewhere along the way, I figured it out. I came back home after a year of a semi-nomadic life, cashed in my 401k from my relatively lucrative career as an Accountant, and enrolled in brewing school. That was 10 years ago.

What style allows you to be the most creative, and why?

I love traditional styles and I’d say I’m more geared towards the technical, process side of brewing than the creative side. There’s beauty in balance and simplicity and the classic styles are classics for a reason. I’m also fulfilled creatively when starting up and dialing in brewing systems. Being the first person to develop processes and then put them into place is literally an act of creation. It’s really satisfying to lay a foundation and then see what gets built on top of it.

What was the first beer you ever brewed, and what did you learn from it?

The first beer I brewed was a Cream Ale and it really turned out well. I’m sure there was some beginner’s luck involved because I had no idea what I was doing. I learned that homebrewing is a whole lot of work to make very little beer.

Where do you see the craft beer industry heading in the next few years?

Who knows? Maybe there’ll be some kind of Neo-Rheinheitsgebot revolution. I definitely didn’t see seltzers coming.

Describe what it’s like to be a brewer in Pennsylvania.

Most of my time as a brewer has been spent in Germany, Florida, California, and Virginia. In some ways, I feel like I just got here even though I’ve been back in Pittsburgh for 2 years now. With the craziness of the pandemic and the long hours ramping up production at BG, I haven’t gotten out much or met many people in the scene. I may also be a little introverted.

What is the inspiration behind your beer names?

I have never named a beer at Brew Gentlemen. I just brew them.

What is your favorite beer to drink right now?

STRAUB. Also, anything from the dudes at Old Thunder.

What is the most important lesson you learned in the beer industry so far?

I’ve learned that you can continue learning forever if you want to. There’s no endpoint. I’ve spent 10 years learning as much as possible about the art and science of making beer. I’ve been to brewing school, learned from masters of the industry, worked in small brewpubs and large automated production facilities, and everything in between, but there’s still so much more I don’t know. Also, beer production is dangerous. It’s easy to forget until someone gets hurt or worse.