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].
Dancing Gnome, located in Sharpsburg, a neighborhood of Pittsburgh, PA, has grown immensely since their start just 3 short years ago. Known for their popular hazy IPA can releases, DG has increased their output and continues to be a must visit brewery in Pittsburgh.
Andrew Witchey is the owner/head brewer of Dancing Gnome. Learn how he got his start in craft beer, where he sees the industry heading, the inspiration behind his beer names, and MORE!
What was your introduction to craft beer?
North Country Brewing in Slippery Rock, PA. I dated a girl at the time who went to SRU and was up there weekly. I have very fond memories of those beers, and what they did for me in regards to my own growth in beer, both personally and professionally.
How did you get started as a brewer?
Honestly, I just loved beer to the point that I exhausted everything else surrounding it. Brewing was the next natural step, and I really wanted to be in the industry professionally, so I dove in. Ended up going to American Brewer’s Guild shortly after to solidify that transition.
What style allows you to be the most creative, and why?
Ha! I really want to say lagers here but I think that would be a tough explanation. Creativity is relative, I think. For my own sanity I want to be creative in everything I do, but that doesn’t mean throwing random shit into beer. For me it’s much more about subtleties. Learning about everything and how it all works together to make a small change that has a huge impact on overall balance. I’m never trying to be weird. I just really want to brew a beer that makes you stop and actually think about it. Again, not in a weird way where you say “wow this BBA New-American Barlywine really DOES taste like pancakes!”, but just “Damn. That’s a really great beer that I’ll be coming back to.”
What was the first beer you ever brewed, and what did you learn from it?
The first home brew I ever brewed was just an Amber Ale kit from a home brew shop. I learned that making ‘beer’ is easy if you can follow directions, and that making good beer that you want to drink requires so much more.
Where do you see the craft beer industry heading in the next few years?
I think about this all the time but I’m honestly not sure. The consumer drives that more than we do, I think, but obviously there is an influence. I’d love to see more appreciation for traditional styles in the same manner as NEIPA and Pastry Stouts, but that’s a slow process. I think the industry will thin out a bit over the coming decade for sure. There’s a lot of really great hyper-local beer, so eventually a saturation point will inevitably happen. It’s not now, but it will happen, eventually.
Describe what it’s like to be a brewer in Pennsylvania.
It’s like being a brewer anywhere, but in Pennsylvania.
What is the inspiration behind your beer names?
Music and lifestyle mostly, but I also love writing and words, so sometimes it’s more literary. And then sometimes I’m lazy and just throw out a name, and since nothing else even came to mind, it just ends up sticking, for better or worse.
What is your favorite beer to drink right now?
Einbecher or Tipo Pils.
What is the most important lesson you learned in the beer industry so far?
Oh boy. Time management probably haha. Actually that’s a poor answer because I definitely haven’t mastered that. I think I learned that it’s an amazing industry with amazing people both internally and externally. I met my best friends in this industry. But as with anything else, it’s important to take a break and clear your head with other hobbies and relaxation. Anything is consuming if you allow it to be, and that’s when it stops being fun. I don’t ever want this to not be fun. That’s not industry specific by any means, but I think it’s the most important thing I’ve learned over the past handful of years.
Thank you to Andrew Witchey for talking with us! Make sure you visit Dancing Gnome for all the latest beers, news, information and special events. And also follow Dancing Gnome on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
