From Iron Hill:
It is with great sadness that we inform everyone of the sudden loss of a member of the Iron Hill Brewery family. Chris LaPierre passed away suddenly this morning in Philadelphia. Surely most people that read this have met Lappy. And if you have met Lappy, you know he has a deep passion for Iron Hill, Philadelphia and Craft Beer, all while riding a bike. He has been in the Philadelphia beer scene for 30 years, 22 of those spent at Iron Hill.
There are so many things in the beer world that have the Lappy thumb print on them – Belgium Comes to West Chester, The Cannibal, Iron Brewer, BUZZ Homebrew Club, West Chester Bike Club, Barley Legal, Lappy Hour, GABF & WBC Judge Panels……the list would fill a book.
Lappy was a Philly guy. He worked at many locations around the Iron Hill fleet, but always insisted on commuting out from the city. He loved the tavern culture of Philly, always snuck some Iron Hill beer on draft at his “local” place and had a fond appreciation of the “Citywide Special”. There are few publicans who don’t know him by name. And if you ever needed a place to crash in the city, Lappy always had a couch for you, if you could get around the 7 bikes he has in his living room.
Most of all, Lappy valued relationships, whether he just met you or you were a long-time friend. He was well read, a fantastic writer (with a Journalism degree from Syracuse) and could carry a conversation about anything. He was a storyteller and always put a smile on your face. He once said in an Iron Hill training video – “As a brewer, I get to make everyone happy”. And he cherished friendships over everything else. There is nothing he wouldn’t do for his friends. We have all been blessed to have known him and to have been his friend. We will miss you, Chris.
Mark Edelson
Founding Partner/VP of Beer
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