“The mindset has always been balancing the dichotomy of work and play,” says Andrew Witchey, owner and founder of Dancing Gnome Beer, when describing the impetus behind naming his brewery. As it were, the origin of the Dancing Gnome moniker is personal and down-to-earth, as is much of the brewery world.
“Wish I had a better story for this,” Andrew confides. “I’m a pretty weird guy and it was just something that always stuck with me. There’s a certain aspect of it that’s very ‘English Pub,’ and a part that isn’t at all.”
Dancing Gnome prides itself on hop-forward beers. The question is: Why? “Hop-forward beer was what I gravitated to as a consumer. And as a brewer, I wanted to utilize hops to create these explosive flavors and aromas that weren’t being explored very aggressively in Pittsburgh four or five years ago,” Andrew explains. “Hop sourcing was definitely a challenge early on, and something that came down to whether or not you were willing to spend the premium to get them through a third party. At this point, both with the growers expanding the in-demand acreage, as well as having established contracts, that’s not so difficult. I think more so now, it’s the saturation of hop-forward beers in every market. The challenge is creating something that can stand out in a crowded field.”
Indeed, hops have become a huge driver in the craft beer industry. So, where does Andrew stand on the topic of specific hop varietals? “Citra will always be my favorite. I think it’s akin to the psychology of music and how what you listen to, genre-wise as a young teenager, tends to be what you most appreciate moving forward in life, despite expanding on your understanding and appreciation for other genres,” he says. “The first beer that ever blew my mind was a heavy citra hopped IPA, and I just think it works with nearly everything. Blend-wise, I prefer the ‘less is more’ mentality. So, I’d have to say Citra and Amarillo, but I also really love a mix of Citra, Simcoe, Centennial and Columbus. Strata is a newer hop, but definitely climbing my list of most appreciated varietals.”
Andrew believes social media has gone well past being a trend or a business necessity; it has the potential to influence brands. There’s no denying that posts can impact a business’ health and visibility with its customers. Andrew’s perspective comes from being a new-ish business owner. “I think early on it was irreplaceable, and even now it still serves a very important role in how we get information out. For me, Instagram has always been the most useful platform. It helps paint a more complete picture of whatever you’re working to communicate, and it works quickly to place it where it needs to be,” he says. “I don’t find Twitter to have much benefit for business other than interaction with consumers, and Facebook is better for long-form or additional information that may be needed (things like events or promotions, or to communicate a larger, more in-depth thought). They all have their place, but I think Instagram is king in the world of social media marketing.”
Andrew and his team have learned a lot since they opened the brewery and taproom. “I think the biggest challenge has been the growth strategy and staffing. We opened up small, without much intention of significant growth beyond the two full-time and two part-time employees who worked the entire operation,” he says. “We quickly had to determine a route of growth, and had to bring on new people; navigating that has been difficult, but we get better at it every day.
“There’s a big difference between wanting to work in a brewery and wanting to run a business, and learning the business side has been more challenging than I’d like to admit,” Andrew adds. “I’d offer to those starting a brewery to really take a look and determine if the business you’re proposing is meeting a need. It can be any need, really, but I think to say that a region is just ‘underserved’ isn’t always correct. With so many breweries in the state, and so many elevating their craft, it becomes more important to focus on other aspects of running a taproom. By that I mean, let’s assume you’re going to make a solid product, what else do you offer to consumers? It could be anything. Good food, proximity to ‘x,y or z,’ a hyper-community focus … the list goes on and on. But I would look beyond just brewing beer and presenting it to the market.”
A delicate balance, indeed.
The Brewers of Pennsylvania is a nonprofit trade association that brings together leaders of Pennsylvania-based breweries in order to promote and protect the brewing industry in the state. Established in 2011, the Brewers of Pennsylvania serves the consuming public of Pennsylvania by encouraging brand diversity in the market. We believe in the nobility of brewing and hold dear the great traditions and history of Pennsylvania brewing.
All photos by Daniel Baca
