Month: December 2019

Brewer:  Aaron Allen, Seven Arrows Brewing Company

How long have you worked at the brewery? I have been working professionally in brewing since April of 2008 when I took a position with Coors Brewing Company.  Then in 2014, my wife Melissa and I started Seven Arrows Brewing Company, and I’ve been the master brewer ever since. 

How did you get involved in brewing? I had initially tried to get into the brewing industry when I completed my B.S. in Chemical Engineering at Michigan State University.  Fortunately, I was able to obtain a position as a process engineer in antibiotic fermentation with Eli Lilly and Company. I officially started in brewing in 2008 when I took a position as a process control engineer at Coors Brewing Company.  While at Coors, I studied brewing through the Institute of Brewing and Distilling. This is where I earned a General Certificate in Brewing, a Diploma in brewing, and completed the first portion of the Master Brewer Certification.

 Tell us something people don’t know about your brewery: The one thing that people don’t realize is that my wife Melissa is really what makes Seven Arrows work.  I get to “play” in the back of the house and make beer, really doing what I love. Brewers tend to get a lot of attention, but this is a business, and without Melissa, there would be no Seven Arrows.  Without her constant effort and hard work, Seven Arrows would not be the successful brewery that it is today.

What’s your favorite food and beer combo? My favorite food and beer pairing would be Chori Pollo and a Vienna-style lager.  There is something about spicy food and a smooth lager that really works well.

Tell us about your pets: Melissa and I recently brought home two new additions to our family, Helios and Nyx.  They are two Shih Tzu puppies and have been quite a handful. They are quickly becoming brew dogs though!

What is your favorite thing to do in the Shenandoah Valley? My absolute favorite thing to do in the Shenandoah Valley is cycling and running.  Prior to starting the brewery, Melissa and I were very active in the local endurance sport community.  If we weren’t running a marathon or competing in a triathlon, we were training for one. It was simply a part of our life.  Now that we have the brewery and have found some balance, we are starting to get back into cycling and running.

What’s the best way to spend time in the outdoors in the Shenandoah Valley? I love running and cycling, but for relaxation, Melissa and I love to hike.  Whenever we are able, we will take time to slow down and enjoy the countless hiking trails in the area.  It is a great way to reset yourself from the stress and strain of running the brewery.

Beerwerks Breweries are excellent sources of specialty beers, gift cards, growlers and t-shirts to make the beer lovers on your list light up. In fact, the world is full of great beer-centric gifts, and if you want some expert advice, we’ve consulted the brewers along the Beerwerks Trail for their recommendations. Read on for favorite gifts and recommendations. 

Great Valley Farm Brewing

Great Valley suggests:

• Beer Style Flash Cards – These are great for someone looking to educate themselves on all the classic beer styles. 

• Book: Brewing Classic Styles – This is a great reference recipe book for homebrewers at all levels.  

Brothers Craft Brewing:

What they love to receive:

• Beercations!
• Specialty/limited brewery merchandise items

What they love to give:

• Specialty beers like Elementary English porter, and gingerbread or peppermint Yuletide Russian imperial stout.
• Horizon Society memberships sold as gifts each year.  Beer clubs are expensive (ours is one of the least expensive in our level of membership included items, perks, etc at $150), so they make a great gift as they are something that a person might not be comfortable paying for themselves while giving them a unique experience with a brewery that they love!

Skipping Rock Beer Co.

Here’s a fun beer recipe book:

• Beer and Food Matching by Mark Dredge makes a great gift for people who love beer and food. It includes recipes and the science behind why certain beers taste so good with certain types of food.

Friendly Fermenter:

Bestow the gift of knowledge:

• A great gift is The Brew on Site experience where you make your own 5-gallon batch(es) of beer in an instructional setting. Sessions are designed for groups, but can also be individual. They last about 3 hours and include some downtime for enjoying Friendly Fermenter beer on tap. Brew session, equipment use, fermentation and packaging are included. 

Redbeard Brewing

Let Redbeard flavor your breakfast:

• You can’t go wrong with Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup! At $20 a bottle, it is also available through the online store, so it can ship.

Seven Arrows Brewing Company

Best beer-related gift received: 

• A custom-made mash paddle from head brewer Aaron’s twin brother, Clint. Aaron received it when he first entered the brewery industry 11 years ago. Both functional and unique, it’s a maple paddle that is three feet long, and now hangs in the Seven Arrows brewery taproom. You can get really cool mash paddles on Amazon, or you could go to Etsy and buy a custom-made one from an artist.

Seasonal items for sale at the brewery: 

• Handmade ceramic mugs stamped with the Seven Arrows logo, cool Seven Arrows retro lunch boxes, and awesome, unbreakable, silicone 16-ounce cups.

Stable Craft Brewing

Best beer-related gift received:

• The new album from the Yeasty Boys so that the Brewers can fight for their right to make clear beer.
• The handy dandy pocket pickaxe. The new must-have tool for shotgunning those pesky sixtel kegs. Who needs to do a keg stand when you can shotgun it instead?
• Beer lingo flashcards. Be the life of your party by mansplaining all the need-to-know facts on history, nonsense, and every beer style.
• A coupon for the tattoo shop so the brewers can get some wicked sick sleeves done.

Beer gift ideas from Stable Craft:  

• Bed and Brew overnight stay.  A brew-your-own experience scheduled with our head brewer and a two-night stay in one of our farm brewery overnight suites.
• New Years Eve Igloo experience, which includes dinner for up to 8 people, as well as Stable Craft beer and cider options.
• Tickets to the “Irish for a Weekend Package” coming up in March.
• Beer gift:  The Christmas package Cavallo 365-day barrel-aged stout.