Happy International Beer Day! Meet our DOBO Joel, he loves beer!
Rohrbach Brewing Company is built on the idea of good people making great beer for Upstate New York. Every can, bottle, and pint of Rohrbach beer that is enjoyed is crafted by our amazing brew crew staff. As we continue to release new and exciting small-batch brews, we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to also highlight the great people who create them! Each month, our DOBO (Director of Brewing Operations), Joel, gives his team the ability to make something unique and exciting solely based off what they want to brew and share. Our latest small-batch release is made by the big man himself! To celebrate International Beer Day we thought we would highlight not just a great, new beer, but also the person who is responsible for creating and maintaining the magic that goes into Rohrbach beer.
Joel! What an amazing beer this Cumbermelon Kolsch is, tell me your thought process of creating this beauty.
This is actually the third iteration of this beer that started as a brew I made for my wife and I’s wedding. It started as a Watermelon Basil Lager then a Watermelon Basil Kolsch and has made its way to what we have now.
That is so awesome, what a fun wedding idea. Why a Kolsch?
Yeah! People loved it at the wedding and here at the Beer Hall so we decided to do some different takes on it and now we have this version. I wanted something crisp and clean like a lager, but a faster fermentation so I went with a Kolsch. It’s an awesome beer.
I could not agree more! How did you end up brewing these amazing beers and what got you so into craft beer?
I started at Rohrbach as a server in 2011. A year later I was asked to manage the tasting room where the Beer Hall is now. In that role I had to learn to give tours and about the science of brewing. 6 months later a brewer left at Buffalo Rd, they trained me, and I started making beer.
Was it always your goal to get into the Brewery?
NO! I didn’t even know what craft beer was at the time when I started serving at our Brewpub.
What excites you about these small-batch brews and getting to be creative?
Coming up as a brewer, when I started at Buffalo Rd, I did a lot of pilot batches and small-batch brews. My specialty has always been coming up with new stuff. I’ve always loved that element of it. The best part of craft brewing is not always making a light lager all day every day, but making the unique and fun brews.
So as the creative brains behind so many small-batch brews that everyone loves, what made you want to start having the rest of the brew crew team throw some ideas in the mix?
In the past, most of our small batches came out of Buffalo Rd. For so long, the production staff was generally left out of brainstorming and creative process. I’m just one person, and other people in here have great ideas I would never have thought of. It’s been a goal of mine for years, there was never a great system, this might not be the best system, but it encourages creativity and involvement. The team has been really excited about it and have made some great beers.
Absolutely, the last few small batches have been amazing and it’s so fun to see the crew be so excited when their beer is put on draft for people to enjoy. We have such a passionate and fun team.
I love the crew we have! I am proud to say I played a part in hiring about half the people. I’m proud of our staff, we all get along, are friends, and are generally just talented people doing a great job. I hope everyone we have in our brew team stays forever.
I couldn’t agree more! So, Joel what’s next? What are you excited about in the coming months?
We have some exciting things in the works and new things for people to enjoy. Expanding over into the Black Button space and getting a bunch of new toys is really exciting. I’m excited about the future and all the amazing things happening in the brewery. It’s gonna be a fun!
Well thanks Joel, Happy International Beer Day!
You too my friend – Cheers!