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].
Rough Edges Brewing opened its doors in February 2020, in the old News Agency building on Main Street in Waynesboro. They opened with a 5bbl brewhouse and seating for 80 in their taproom, up-cycling whatever they could, including 4 bowling lanes they turned into tables, benches, and bar-tops.
Wes Phebus is the co-owner and head brewer of Rough Edges Brewing Company. Read more to find out his introduction to craft beer, the first beer he ever brewed, and more!
What was your introduction to craft beer?
I tried one when I was a teenager and didn’t like it. It didn’t stop me from trying other styles and types as I got older though. I started to find some that I liked, nothing specific. I just really like beer.
How did you get started as a brewer?
I started homebrewing on my carport and got really into it. I liked brewing all different styles and experimenting with different processes and flavors. I decided I wanted a career change and took a job as an assistant Brewer at Something Wicked Brewing in Hanover, PA. Eventually, I took over for the Head Brewer and was there until I found a location for my own place closer to home.
What style allows you to be the most creative, and why?
Stouts and Kettle Sours because I have the freedom to play with different flavors and ingredients.
What was the first beer you ever brewed, and what did you learn from it?
It was an extract kit, I think it was a Bell’s Two Hearted Ale clone. I learned that if you don’t take an original gravity reading, you can’t determine what percentage of alcohol it actually took to make your grown-ass friends cry!
Where do you see the craft beer industry heading in the next few years?
More trends will come and go.
Describe what it’s like to be a brewer in Pennsylvania.
I’ve never brewed in another state but it’s probably just as cool.
What is the inspiration behind your beer names?
They can come from anywhere. If I hear/see something funny, stupid, or anything that appeals to my strange interpretation of things, like a play on words, then it’s a beer name.
What is your favorite beer to drink right now?
I don’t have a favorite per se, I go for something different each day and look for something that I haven’t had before.
What is the most important lesson you learned in the beer industry so far?
Close the Valve!
Thank you to Wes for talking with us! Make sure you visit the Rough Edges Brewing Company website for all the latest beers, news, information, and special events. And also follow Rough Edges on Facebook and Instagram.
