60cc Brewing

Big staffing announcement! As we move forward towards reopening, we are making sure we’ve got the right people to make sure that our beers and ciders are excellent, and that the service and experience at our taproom is top notch.

Paul joins the team with a wealth of experience in making beer and cider. I first met Paul over a decade ago and we instantly formed a bond talking about fermentation mechanics and various micro-organisms that can be used to make beer. Paul is a nature lover, and his interests extend to many things biological and chemical.

Bobby brings with him a career in craft beverage sales and sales management. Our friendship extends back to a beer dinner we co-hosted in 2015 and have been good friends since. Bobby’s interests also extend to a love for food and travel.

Working as a team has always been something I’ve seen as important. A team should always be more than the sum of its parts, and talents and experience should be utilized to the best of their abilities. When workloads get heavy, it’s good to have extra hands to help lift. We can’t wait to show you what we have been working on!

Flights of beer are crucial to establishing that a brewery does more than just sell beer, but rather that it participates in beer culture. That beer culture does things like tell history, tie products to specific places and brewing techniques, and communicate a story to consumers about the brewery that made the beer or the beer itself. These are major selling points for craft beer today over mass produced alcohol products – they come with this baggage and many customers want it.

So what is a flight if you don’t already know, and why should you consider one when it’s an option versus a single glass? Flights are a grouping of several smaller draft pours that are served together on a board or a tray. The customer typically selects the choices based on their preferences or curiosities, and may drink them one at a time or bounce around to compare. They may even trust their bartender or the patron next to them to select a pour or two. If you’re lucky, the brewery you are at spent a little time and effort making or sourcing custom flight trays that reflect their brand and identity. And don’t forget to take that picture so you’ll have that visual aid when you tell your friends!

New entrants to the world of beer can learn a lot by getting flights. They can learn about beer styles and ingredients as they taste, reread the menu, and maybe even deep dive on their phone for further information. They can begin learning the never ending and always changing process of choosing a beer based on their preferences or mood. Flights allow an out of towner to drop in for a visit and taste a variety of offerings, allowing them to have a unique experience without committing to multiple drinks or much time.

Over the years I’ve seen many breweries try to put stipulations on flights. They’ll do things like select your beers for you, limit you to a portion of the menu, or even refuse to do them when it’s busy. Sure, there might be a justification for this behavior, but it comes at the expense of the beer culture someone surely once envisioned. Don’t worry though – at 60cc Brewing we plan on keeping the tradition of the beer flight alive, and all the baggage that comes with it!

People interested in beer commonly ask a lot about recipes. They assume that their favorite or famous beers have secret recipes that are well guarded, and that someone who had that recipe would be on the road to commercial success. By and large, my experience has led me to another conclusion: that the brewing world has very few real recipe secrets and that experience in recipe formulation and development goes a long way in making a product that reflects your intention.

Professional brewers love to share information with one another, in a collegial, pay-it-forward kind of way. Giving props to a respected brewer for their efforts almost always will yield a useful nugget of information. That may be a blend of hops, a base malt, or a process detail that you may have not thought about. Many brewers are also willing to acknowledge their inspirations or struggles to develop a particular brew, as things like inherited recipes, supplier limitations, and ingredient cost are often considerations not typically accounted for.

“Rev It Up” and “Cara-MELTdown” are two brands that I have been working on to reinvent for the long haul. 60cc Brewing is fortunate to only have to brew for its taproom for the time being, as wholesale will not be a focus of the business in the near future. What this means for taproom customers is that there will be plenty of experimental brews with more creative freedom rotating through the taps.

“Rev It Up” will be an American style lager that aims to take inspiration from working class refreshment enjoyed straight from the can, with empties filling garage workbenches and grill side shelves. Grandpa didn’t know or care about how it was brewed, but we’ll be sure to use only American malt and hops in this love letter to classics like PBR, Narragansett, and pre-InBev Budweiser.

“Cara-MELTdown” takes classic English brown ales as its muse, which are mindful of heritage and craftsmanship. Approachable and restrained, but not lacking depth or flavor, this beer will make a solid choice for your first pint or at last call. A bready and nutty base will be accentuated with notes of caramel and chocolate. There is plenty of variation in this beer style, but think more along the lines of Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown ale or Cigar City’s Maduro Brown instead of Newcastle.

My first meeting with Megan was last October. We were in the negotiating phase of what acquiring 60cc Brewing from her and Mike would look like. Surrounded by the decor of the taproom, she spoke of her regular customers like they were family. She showed me pictures of Mike's motorcycle collection, which became the inspiration for their brewery's distinct identity.

Long before I found a home and career in craft beer, I grew up around a fair amount of motorcycles, large and small, on and off-road. I never was a regular rider but somehow ended up with two motorcycles in my garage, and I knew enough to fumble my way through most cycle-related conversations. The famous brands and inside jokes, the details only the enthusiasts notice, the global community that is simultaneously similar and different to your own experiences -- wait, are we talking about motorcycles or beer? It all began making sense in my mind, and I knew I could do the brand justice.

Before I worried about things like yeast strains, taking care of stainless tanks, and mash pH, I learned a lot by changing spark plugs, rebuilding carburetors, and polishing chrome. A motorcycle themed brewery didn't need to feel uncomfortable at all for a new owner; it just needed a good test ride to make sure it fits right.

Anyways, my name is Keefe Snyder and I'm your new owner operator at 60cc Brewing. I look forward to meeting you all, new and old friends alike, once I reopen. I'll need some time to put some personal touches on the taproom and for throwing some recipes back on the stand for dialing in. This ride will be worth the wait, I promise.

I want to update everyone on the status of 60cc Brewing. We will NOT be closing and we have found a buyer to keep the quality craft beverages flowing. I will give more details as to when transitions will take place as I am able to. Until then Mike and I will still be operating 60cc Brewing. Cheers and see everyone next year!