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].

Riverside Brewing Company opened in July 2019 in Cambridge Springs. They are located in a rustic barn, originating from the 1800s originally in Cochranton PA, that was deconstructed and moved to Cambridge Springs. They brew a wide variety of beer styles, have a very large food menu, and feature lots of live entertainment. Adam Crabtree is the head brewer at Riverside 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?

My introduction to craft beer was actually Erie Brewing Company’s Railbender Ale. Mad Anthony’s was also in the variety pack, but at the time, I had not yet acquired a taste for hoppy beers. Those got drank last. I had just turned 21. My parents don’t drink, so I had no predisposition about drinking a certain brand because “my daddy drank watery shit, and his daddy drank watery shit, so I’m gonna drink watery shit because… America”. You know, because that logic is air-tight. I was simply buying different beers until I found out what I liked. Another early immersion into the culture of craft beer was in Ohiopyle. Wilderness Adventure’s Beer & Gear fest was and continues to be legendary.

How did you get started as a brewer?

Like a lot of folks, I was a homebrewer. I started brewing pretty much on my 21st birthday. The hobby got way out of hand. I started listening to the Brew Strong podcast which is sort of like attending lectures on maintaining a yeast library and other really nerdy brewer’s stuff. In college, I took all the money I was supposed to spend on books and I bought brewing equipment. For an entire year of college, I drank only beer that I brewed, so it forced me to get better, or suffer through bad beer.

At the end of College, I got a job washing dishes at a fledgling brewpub in Zelienople. ShuBrew had only been open for a short time. My dishwashing career there was short-lived after they started running out of beer. A few times, we had service Friday night, and then, sorry folks. No beer. Closed till next week. Determining that a business can’t survive on one day a week, I started brewing night shift on a 10-gallon system that me and Zach (owner and, at-the-time brewer for Shubrew) kept running for 72 hours straight every week, brewing around the clock. The doors stayed open and ShuBrew now thrives in Zelie amongst two other great breweries.

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

Sours. They allow me to be creative because that’s where they are in their development and history. Nobody was fruiting kettle sours 10 years ago. This practice is relatively new. Sours were Flanders Reds and Berliner Weiss beers that required years of aging and were made to very strict style guidelines. Where we are now in sour beer making reminds me of the time when IPAs first gained popularity. People were developing new ways to get more hops in, different hop flavors, and experimenting with new varietals. It was an exciting time to play around with recipes and just have fun brewing.

Now the IPAs we have today are so very different from what I was making 10 years ago. I believe they have changed for the better, but sours today remind me of this early innovative period, and I can’t wait to see what new things people come up with. I can’t wait for sours to get better and better until somebody invents the next big thing, much like what happened with Hazy IPAs.

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

I made a Brewer’s Best Belgian Tripel kit on my stove with Dry Malt Extract, and a small steep of specialty grains. I learned that I was no monk and that I might have to spend hundreds of years of trial and error in a monastery, or at least some measure of practice to make that beer taste good. I learned that it also wasn’t any cheaper to make it yourself.

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

I see a trend toward packaged beer slightly. Nothing earth-shattering, like what happened in March 2020, but a slight trend. Although, people are pent up and dying to get out of the house now. I think some folks figured out new ways to enjoy themselves without going out. Zoom happy hours and game nights may still be a thing some people keep doing.

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

I assume it’s a lot like being a brewer elsewhere but with higher taxes. I think we like camping more too. That always seems to be the preferred method of lodging at beer festivals. PA brewers are often willing to help out other brewers. It’s an odd thing to people in other industries. Folks often think, “Why would you help the competition?” But it isn’t like that at all. If you are making good beer, you are on my side.

What is the inspiration behind your beer names?

I hate naming beers. I think all my ideas are stupid. I rely on my team a lot for help in this department. Sometimes, you just have to recognize that you are not good at everything.

What is your favorite beer to drink right now?

My favorite beer to drink right now is Pilsner and Kolsch. Shout out to Mortals Key Kolsch that is really hitting the spot lately. This changes frequently based on the season and my mood. The last one was Lawson’s Sip of Sunshine. I could be drinking a different beer next week.

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

BE HUMBLE! Stay humble. Rinse and Repeat. You need to constantly learn and better yourself. You are never done learning. There is no finish line. There is never a point where you get to put your feet up and say, “I’m done. I know everything about brewing”. There are brewers who have been honing their craft for 30 years and don’t know everything there is to know. You have to be humble and open-minded in this industry, or you will get left behind. Nobody wants to work with an arrogant jackass, and word travels fast in our circles. Your reputation follows you. Brewer’s egos are an astonishing problem right now.

Thank you to Adam for talking with us! Make sure you visit the Riverside Brewing Company website for all the latest beers, news, information, and special events. And also follow Riverside on Facebook and Instagram.