While I may not know every little bend and turn along the road of this journey to the land of Craft Beer, I do know one thing, the eventual name that will emblazon the crest as I cross the threshold into my own craft brewery, Strong Rope.

Strong Rope is a name with origins that date back to 2001. First and foremost, it is an homage to Eric Ropiteau who died on September 11th. He was my best friend and has been an inspiration for everything I have done since then. This is my small way to honor his memory. A nickname of his had been Rope, and he was an amazing guy, albeit a bit eccentric, but that is what I loved about him. So I had come up with a name, a catchphrase if you will, that at that point was not attached to anything in particular, just more of a feeling I had when thinking of him.

I started home brewing about a year later and as I am sure most home brewers do, played around with names for my brewery. My first idea for the name of the brewery, while wholly appropriate, DrunkenSahler, just was lacking something… oh yeah, class! It wasn’t till a couple of years later that I applied “Strong Rope” to the brewery, and it just fit.

But it is much more than just an homage to my long-lost friend and brother, it is a philosophy.

Sustainability is of paramount importance to me and it can be broken down into four integral parts: social, environmental, economic, and cultural. In other words for this brewery: People, Planet, Profit, and the Pint. It is important to have a strong community, a strong earth, a strong business, and a strong understanding of the culture you are entering. While I am obviously using this for my brewery, I think this applies to any industry and business — the community, the earth, the business, and the culture. All of these need to be strong and to work together in order for each to thrive.

Whenever and wherever I start my brewery, it is going to not just deliver amazing brews, it is going to give back to the community that my family and I live in, to the earth that provides the essential ingredients, and to the people that work not just for me but with me — and I hope to the overall culture of beer.

Cheers,

Jason