Steel City Coffeehouse & Brewery is now open
WE ARE ALSO SERVING MAPLE SPRINGS VINEYARD AND MANATAWNY STILL WORKS WHISKEY, GIN & VODKA
Steel City owners-operators Laura Vernola-Simpson and Ed Simpson have said that starting a brewery has been their intention from the day they purchased Steel City Coffeehouse a little over two years ago. Laura says: “We may not know much about brewing beer, but we know how to run a business and we are working with some of the most talented beer geeks around. Between their knowledge and our passion and business acumen, we are confident that we can produce a product that will be just as impressive - if not more so - as our coffee and food menu.”
HEAD BREWER: DAVE MITCHELL
Meet Dave Mitchell, the head brewer at Steel City Coffeehouse & Brewery! He brings to us his love of history, family, and great beer. Like the coffeehouse, Dave has his own roots in Phoenixville, his family has been centered here for generations. In fact, you'll see his grandfather painted on the mural outside of our building. His appreciation of tradition and local ingredients is what fuels Dave’s passion for craft beer. In addition to brewing for Steel City, he also works at Deer Creek, a local malthouse in Glenn Mills and Artisan Homebrew located in Downingtown, PA.
In 2012 he bought his first supply of homebrew gear from Artisan, a kit with starter equipment and a cream ale recipe. Putting it lightly, it did not go as expected. This rough start only fueled his drive to make great beer. Not long after getting into the hobby, Dave enlisted in the PA Army National Guard and served for six years. The work ethic gained from this experience would help him take an even more detailed approach in his effort to make a beer for everyone he loved.
Over the years Dave dove deeper into his passion, acquiring a mini library on styles and techniques to immerse himself into craft beer. After brewing for a few years, he entered some of his recipes in local competitions to gain feedback and hone his technique. He ended up bringing home some hardware in the process. This success gave Dave the motivation to take another step towards his dream job, getting a formal certification in brewing. At the beginning of 2020 he enrolled in a course offered by Sieble Institute, WBA Concise Course in Brewing Technology. Paired with his experience as a maltster he has gained a true appreciation for the transformation of raw ingredients to the final product in the glass.
Dave’s philosophy is that there is a beer for everyone and his goal is to brew a beer for even the most skeptical drinker. He is a firm believer that beer is meant to be enjoyed with others. In his mind it is the great equalizer. It does not matter who you are, where you come from, or what you do. A pint of beer shared together can turn a stranger into a friend and friends into family. Life is a gift to be shared so whether its your first time here or you’re here for more, please sit down, enjoy a pint and maybe spark up a conversation.
In 2012 he bought his first supply of homebrew gear from Artisan, a kit with starter equipment and a cream ale recipe. Putting it lightly, it did not go as expected. This rough start only fueled his drive to make great beer. Not long after getting into the hobby, Dave enlisted in the PA Army National Guard and served for six years. The work ethic gained from this experience would help him take an even more detailed approach in his effort to make a beer for everyone he loved.
Over the years Dave dove deeper into his passion, acquiring a mini library on styles and techniques to immerse himself into craft beer. After brewing for a few years, he entered some of his recipes in local competitions to gain feedback and hone his technique. He ended up bringing home some hardware in the process. This success gave Dave the motivation to take another step towards his dream job, getting a formal certification in brewing. At the beginning of 2020 he enrolled in a course offered by Sieble Institute, WBA Concise Course in Brewing Technology. Paired with his experience as a maltster he has gained a true appreciation for the transformation of raw ingredients to the final product in the glass.
Dave’s philosophy is that there is a beer for everyone and his goal is to brew a beer for even the most skeptical drinker. He is a firm believer that beer is meant to be enjoyed with others. In his mind it is the great equalizer. It does not matter who you are, where you come from, or what you do. A pint of beer shared together can turn a stranger into a friend and friends into family. Life is a gift to be shared so whether its your first time here or you’re here for more, please sit down, enjoy a pint and maybe spark up a conversation.
|
|
|
|
