how mike became a brewmaster…

I grew up in a little town south of Akron, OH called the Portage Lakes, and it was just that; a town full of lakes and lake activities.  Beer was an integral part of growing up in that area.  Unfortunately, for the most part, Busch and Miller Lite were the heavy hitters in those days (80's).  No micro breweries in our area at the time, but there was a beacon of hope as I would come to find.  One day, a dear friend took me to a small deli called Primo's right by our mall a short drive away.  The first time I stepped in, I saw coolers filled with mysterious and unfamiliar bottles of beer from all over the world.  I was in awe.  You could buy them to go or order any bottle to be served at your table.  Since it was my first time, my friend took the liberty of ordering:  a pitcher of Killian's Irish Red.  Not bad. But obviously by today's standards pretty tame, but it was certainly different than Busch.  The next time there, I struck out on my own. I was going to explore these mysterious bottles.  I ordered a Belhaven Scottish Ale.  As soon as it touched my lips, an epiphany;  beer can actually taste like something, can have character.  I was hooked.  I spent the next few years exploring as many different styles of beer as I could. 

      My second epiphany, the one that made me want to become a professional brewer:  That same friend's family owned a cottage on Hatteras Island, so we would drive down a couple times a year.  One year (I think it was ’89) we stumbled upon a little strip mall on Roanoke Island.  I believe it had an all year Christmas shop and I'm sure one of our girlfriends wanted to stop.  It turns out, right next door, there happened to be a small brewery.  A Bavarian Brewery, The Weeping Radish.  I couldn't believe it, what luck.  I ordered the Black Radish and had a seat at the bar.  I could see the brewing equipment in the back, but I didn't know what I was looking at, at the time.  A young man came out from the brewery, a little bit older than me.  I figured he was the helper maybe.  I started chatting him up and it turned out he was the brewmaster!  I knew right then what I wanted to do.  If he could do it, I could too.

      I became a bartender at 21 and worked at various places.  I moved to Cincinnati to go to college at UC.  I eventually got a bartending job at a new brewpub opening downtown, The BarrelHouse Brewing Co.  Cincinnati has a large German population and heritage, much like this area.  Before the brewery actually opened, the brewmaster asked me if I would like to keg the beers for him in my spare time.  I jumped at the opportunity.   Spending a few days a week filling kegs, slinging kegs around until your back ached and going home soaked and smelling like a brewery;  nothing felt better.  After we opened, we grew quickly and needed to expand. The brewer needed a full time assistant and he asked me.  Of course I wanted it.  Oh, a little ironic side note; the brewmaster at the BarrelHouse, Rick DeBar, came from Stoudt's brewery in Adamstown PA!  Anyway, I apprenticed under Rick and quickly rose up the ranks to head brewer.  I took over as brewmaster in 2008.  I moved here in 2010 to help expand the Swashbuckler Brewing Co. at the PA Renaissance Faire.  That is where I met Kevin and Henry and we quickly became friends and the rest, they say, is history.