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].
Robin Hood Brewing, located in Bellefonte PA, is an award winning brewery known for their rotating IPA’s and wheat beer selection, as well as brand new experimental brews. In addition to the brews, they offer an amazing food selection of pizzas and pub food.
Chris Schell has been working at Robin Hood Brewing Co for 6 years, and has overseen hundreds of batches of beers. He loves to experiment with different styles and ingredients, and really enjoys seeing the brewery grow.
What was your introduction to craft beer?
I don’t recall, but I definitely wasn’t a teenager, and my dad definitely never gave my brother and me samples of Shipyard when we visited my grandparents in Maine, because that would have been illegal.
How did you get started as a brewer?
I don’t recall, but I definitely wasn’t nineteen years old, and I definitely wasn’t brewing in my college dorm from a homebrew kit my brother gave me for Christmas, because that would have been illegal.
My first job out of college was as a tour and tasting guide at a brewery in Cooperstown, New York. When the tourist season was over, I walked into the brewery down the road and got a job brewing there. Now I’m here!
What style allows you to be the most creative, and why?
That kind of depends on who’s defining the style, and how. Is “IPA” a style, or even a style family anymore? To that end, I guess I’d say that breaking a style is more beneficial to creative brewing than playing around inside the guidelines. That’s not to say that every beer needs an angel food cake or sixty pounds of donuts in the mash tun (guilty), but we could all benefit from being less taxonomic about beer. Brew an ESB with Enigma hops. Put Rauchmalz in everything. The classics weren’t always classic anyway.
What was the first beer you ever brewed, and what did you learn from it?
I brewed a Munton’s Pale Ale kit in my parents’ kitchen, and I learned a smoky, messy lesson about watching the hot break. I also learned not to brew beer in my parents’ kitchen.
Where do you see the craft beer industry heading in the next few years?
More taproom focus, less interest in national brands. An overall decline in quality as the barrier to entry lowers. More reliance on market agility than economy of scale. More focus on flavored malt beverage-adjacent products.
Describe what it’s like to be a brewer in Pennsylvania.
It’s better than it used to be; the laws have relaxed a lot, and customers are a way more open to trying new stuff than they were even five years ago. We have an awesome community of brewers here, too (it’s starting to maybe feel a little crowded).
What’s the inspiration behind your beer names?
We lifted our core brands from the Robin Hood legend. We backed off that concept a lot when we started making so many one-offs.
What is your favorite beer to drink right now?
From Robin Hood, I drink a lot of King Richard Red Ale. I don’t know if I really have a favorite. I’m close with the State College Homebrew Club, and I really like a lot of the stuff those guys give me!
What is the most important lesson you learned in the beer industry so far?
Be. Positive. You will fail. Coworkers and bosses will fail you. You always overcome it.
Thank you to Chris Schell for talking with us! Follow Chris on Instagram to an inside look at him brewing, and visit Robin Hood Brewing Company for all the latest beer releases and amazing food!
Make sure to follow Robin Hood Brewing Company on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
