Pen Druid Brewing is the three brothers Lain, Van and Jennings Carney who are in the psych-rock band Pontiak. They've spent nearly a decade traveling North America and Europe, touring and drinking beer. They've released 10 albums on the legendary Chicago independent record label Thrill Jockey Records. In between tours they would brew beer at home combining the tastes and smells they picked up on the road. It was an amazing education to taste traditional and new beers all over the world and they wanted to bring those experiences home and put them to use.
The name, Pen Druid, comes from their old family farm which sits on the Thornton River in Rappahannock County, Virginia, just a few miles downstream from the brewery. When they decided to open a brewery, they knew it would have to be in the old apple packing warehouse in Sperryville, VA at the confluence of the North and South forks of the Thornton River. Besides the awesomeness of the building, the brothers spent weekends there as children helping with their aunt's antique store that used to be in the front. As anyone who has lived in the county can attest, Rappahannock soaks into the blood and never leaves. They were dying to get back and bring with them all they had seen and tasted on the road.
The brothers will be brewing beer like their approach to music, they tend to think and act outside of the mainstream, favoring the weird over the mundane and the nuanced over the obvious. Using as many ingredients from Virginia as possible, they want to capture the spirit of Virginia in their beers.
Jonathan Staples of Black Hops Farm will partner in the project. "I'm excited to be a part of what is being created at Pen Druid. The experiences and passion that Van, Jennings and Lain are bringing to this place will, I think, produce something extraordinary."
Pen Druid will also work with Aid/abet's Mike Van Hall. "The Carney brothers are exactly the type of brewers we want to support - artistic, curious and willing to build a beer company that is bigger than themselves. One where the beer is only part of the experience."
0 comments (click to read or post):
Post a Comment
Please leave a comment...I do moderate each comment so it may not appear immediately...and please be nice! You can also comment using Disqus (below) or even comment directly on Facebook (bottom).