“Luke and I were still in grad school when we decided to start Evil Genius. At the time, we didn’t have a name, and were trying to come up with something that really spoke to not only us, but to future customers. Even back then, it was difficult to find a name that wasn’t already being used as either a brewery name or a beer another brewery was making. We went through a lot of iterations of names before we landed on Evil Genius. It came about through some wordplay, how making beer is like being in a lab mixing things together, and our minds went to Evil Genius. We tested the name on our classmates, and everyone really loved it!”
These are the words of Trevor Hayward, co-owner of Evil Genius Beer Company in Philadelphia. “We’ve always tried to put our own spin on things, and our customers really seem to connect with some of the crazy things we’ve tried out over the years. It’s super fun trying to conceptualize something new and not only hoping that we think it’s great, but that other people do, too,” he added.
With a tasting room dubbed The Lab and a catalog of beer names like Purple Monkey Dishwasher and #Adulting, Evil Genius has stayed true to creating in a way unique to its culture. Fans of the television show “The Simpsons” might notice a few references to the show in Evil Genius’ catalog of beers. “It’s hard for me not to suggest Simpson names, to be honest, but we’ve limited it to only a few so far,” Trevor explained. “We do nostalgia in that we love beer names that will evoke a memory or an emotion from your past. Our goal when you walk down the beer aisle is that you see our beer names and one of them makes you chuckle, smile or just have a reaction. That’s us connecting to our customer.”
The naming process at Evil Genius is also an inclusive one that connects the brewery to its community. “We have a running list of beer names that get suggested by everyone: staff, customers, friends, etc.,” Trevor said. “Those get whittled down to what’s appropriate, and eventually either makes it onto a beer bottle or gets used on our draft list here at The Lab.”
The nuances that make Evil Genius a little different go beyond the beer names as well. “We did a glitter beer last year for a couple who got married at our brewpub,” Trevor shared. “Everyone loved that, so we’re planning on another one of those sometime soon. One of my all-time favorites is our Chocolate Hazelnut Imperial Stout.”
So when you’re an evil genius, where do you look for inspiration? “Jon Defibaugh, our brewer, is really the driving force with recipes in terms of development, but lots of people suggest things for us to try out,” Trevor noted. “We do look at what other brewers are doing, and also look at how we can take traditional styles and do something eclectic with them. Our pumpkin beer is a good example. We’ve been making Trick or Treat, a chocolate pumpkin porter, for almost seven years now. When we were first developing it, we took the pumpkin beer style and added chocolate to make it a porter. It was very different from almost everything else out there and was an instant hit.”
Of course, as with any brewery that has a taproom, there’s much to focus on beyond just brewing and naming new beers. “It is a lot of work, but we love every minute of it. Moving from just being a contract brewery to also having a taproom has certainly been a transition,” Trevor said. “I never knew how concerned I’d be every time I see someone on a ladder! We have an amazing team, but we’ve also grown very quickly from a staff perspective over the past two years, so making sure everyone is on the same page with our company culture is something we’re always concerned with and try to make sure is kept at the forefront of everyone’s minds. Most of this comes down to communication, and how important that is in every company.”
As more breweries open, expand and grow, the factors that differentiate them will continue to drive industry success. Whether it’s in the area of customer connection or company communication, it sounds like Evil Genius has the right ingredients to brew up something good.
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.
Featured photo: Brad Ellis; all other photos, top to bottom: Kory Aversa; Brad Ellis (all other photos)
