A mission-driven brewer explains why "beer alone isn't enough" — and how a 45-year-old wedding invite, an accidental World Beer Cup medal, and a legendary Czech dark lager came together in Batavia, Illinois.

Sturdy Shelter Brewing Owner and Head Brewer Frank Mercadante shares the personal story of a brewery built on a Catholic scripture — one that was unknowingly already on his 45-year-old wedding invitation. He discusses the community-first mission that drives every decision at Sturdy Shelter, the international brewery trips that led Frank to the legendary U Fleků in Prague, the science behind why Hefeweizen is the hardest style to brew, and why his phone started flooding with congratulatory messages when he least expected it.

0:00 Intro

2:15 The Historic Building and Mark Twain

2:47 Introducing Frank Mercadante

3:17 How Every Beer Tells a Story

4:32 The Francesco Italian Pilsner

9:22 The Scripture Behind "Sturdy Shelter"

11:10 The 45-Year-Old Wedding Invitation

12:38 From Youth Minister to Brewer

14:33 Getting Serious About Homebrewing

16:36 Entering Homebrew Competitions

17:54 What Youth Ministry Taught Frank About Running a Brewery

19:10 Why Frank Needed More Than Beer

20:45 The Food Pantry and Giving Back

23:36 Brewer's Choice: Dancing House Dark Czech Lager

24:15 What Is a Dark Czech Lager?

25:12 Sturdy Shelter's International Brewery Trips

26:55 How U Fleků in Prague Inspired the Dancing House

29:14 Two Years to Perfect the Czech Dark Lager

31:11 Why Dancing House Became Their #1 Beer

35:17 Why Hefeweizen Is So Hard to Brew

36:45 Sweaty Yeast, Circus Peanuts, and Hefeweizen

39:08 Winning a World Beer Cup Medal by Accident

42:03 What Makes a Great Dunkel?

44:26 Why Frank Chose Batavia

45:27 Batavia's Inferiority Complex

46:10 "This Is All Ours"

46:37 Why All Their Merch Says "Batavia"

47:10 How Frank Found (and Afforded) This Building

50:56 What's Next: A Riverfront Deck

53:05 The #1 Mistake People Make Judging Beer

54:03 Frank's Most Emotional Moment

55:37 Final Toast: Cheers to Community

About Sturdy Shelter Brewing: Sturdy Shelter Brewing is a community-driven craft brewery and taproom in a historic mid-1800s building on the Fox River in Batavia, Illinois, where the mission is to create a "treasured and genial" gathering space one person, one conversation, and one highly crafted beer at a time. Learn more on their website at https://sturdyshelterbrewing.com/

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Learn more about Crafty Brewers at https://craftybrewerspod.com

Support Crafty Brewers on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/craftybrewers

Crafty Brewers is a production of Quantum Podcasts, LLC, an enterprise podcast growth consultancy. If your brand would like to capture a loyal audience to drive business results with the power of podcasting, then visit https://quantum-podcasts.com/

Our executive producer and editor is award-winning podcaster Cody Gough. He insists that we tell you that in this episode, you’ll learn about: Italian Pilsner brewing, dark Czech lager, Czech dark lager history, decoction mashing, Bohemian lager ingredients, Saaz hops, ferulic acid rest, step mashing Hefeweizen, Munich Dunkel brewing, World Beer Cup 2024, spirituality of hospitality, homebrewing competitions, community-focused brewery, brewery international trips, Iroclia Weyermann malt, Zuppersaser hops, Italian Pilsner malt profile, Carobohemian malt, homebrew to commercial brewing, barrel aged stout, and Klüber IPA.

How do you build a 3-time GABF-medal winning craft brewery from scratch in 10 years with no investors, and one brewer with no sense of smell?

Brandon and Amanda Wright, co-owners of Werk Force Brewing Company in Plainfield, Illinois, trace the 10-year arc of how Chicago Brew Works — the homebrew supply shop they opened in 2012 — evolved into one of Chicagoland's most influential breweries, with multiple GABF medals to show for it. They cover what it's like to build a brewery as a married couple, the next big beer trend, the whole-bean coffee technique behind their stout series, and how Brandon brews award-winning beer without a sense of smell.

0:00 Intro

0:45 Welcome to Werk Force Brewing in Plainfield, Illinois

2:53 How Werk Force Started as a Homebrew Supply Store in 2012

3:27 From OfficeMax to a Winery to Homebrewing Full-Time

4:45 Brando's House of Awesomeness (And Why Amanda Said No)

5:32 How They Started Chicago Brew Works on a Kitchen Table

5:59 Building Chicagoland's Biggest Homebrew Supply Store

8:37 Why Werk Force Never Took an Investor

9:06 Where the Name Werk Force Comes From

11:16 What's It Like to Run a Brewery With Your Spouse?

15:28 Designing the Taproom (No TVs, Communal Tables)

17:07 The Six Degrees of Werk Force Brewing

19:15 What Was Werk Force's First Beer?

19:55 Why You Can't Call This West Coast IPA Pineapple Express

21:57 How West Coast IPAs Have Changed in 12 Years

24:10 The Next Big Beer Trend: Under 4.5% ABV

25:42 Really Decent: A 3.9% All-Malt Lager

27:04 Beer Break

27:47 Welcome Back: Meet Brandon's Brewing Team

29:36 How Werk Force Won 3 GABF Medals in 2 Years

32:38 What Are the Best Bourbon Barrels for Aging Beer?

34:44 Where Sleepy Bear Got Its Name

35:39 Polar Bear: A Two-Year Bourbon-Barrel Coffee Stout

36:24 How Werk Force Designs Sleepy Bear Labels

39:16 The Whole-Bean Coffee Trick That Avoids Off-Flavors

40:57 How to Decide on Sleepy Bear Variants Each Year

44:15 Brian Doesn't Have a Sense of Smell

45:37 How Brandon Brews Award-Winning Beer Without Smelling It

48:24 What's the Hardest Part of Brewing Without a Sense of Smell?

50:18 Does Werk Force Use AI to Design Recipes?

53:26 What Makes a Great Oktoberfest Beer?

56:08 Marzen vs. Fest Beer: What's the Difference?

56:52 Inside the Barrel Den: Werk Force's Event Space

58:09 What's Next for Werk Force Brewing?

59:43 Final Four: The Beer They'll Never Brew Again

62:00 Brandon and Amanda's Off-the-Clock Beer Picks

62:33 Final Four: Best Food and Beer Pairing

65:11 Final Toast: Calm Down, Have a Beer, Hit the Road

About Werk Force Brewing Company: A three-time GABF medal winning craft brewery in Plainfield, Illinois, known for the Sleepy Bear barrel-aged imperial stout series, classic West Coast IPAs, and lower-ABV lagers. Learn more on their website at https://www.werkforcebrewing.com/

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Learn more about Crafty Brewers at https://craftybrewerspod.com

Support Crafty Brewers on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/craftybrewers

Crafty Brewers is a production of Quantum Podcasts, LLC, an enterprise podcast growth consultancy. If your brand would like to capture a loyal audience to drive business results with the power of podcasting, then visit https://quantum-podcasts.com/

Our executive producer and editor is award-winning podcaster Cody Gough. He insists that we tell you that in this episode, you’ll learn about: Werktoberfest, Buffalo Trace bourbon barrels for beer, Blanton's barrel-aged stout, Weller bourbon barrels, 10 Drops Coffee Roasters Outsiders Blend, Vireman malt, Rocky Reef Brewing collaboration, Metal Monkey Brewing, Goose Island barrel aging legacy, Bell's Two Hearted Ale, Pineapple Express TTB label rejection, DDH double dry hop IPA, Madagascar vanilla and cacao nibs in stout, diacetyl off-flavor detection, wax-dipped 375ml limited release bottles, and U.S. Open Beer Championship gold.