Sherman Street Beer Co: Sometimes All You Need is a Sign

Sherman Street Beer Co:
Sometimes All You Need is a Sign

Malteurop Celebrates Craft Breweries During American Craft Beer Week

The annual nationwide event of American Craft Beer Week, May 16-22, 2022, celebrates small and independent craft breweries throughout the U.S. Malteurop (MMC) is proud to highlight just a few of these remarkable breweries through their stories behind the beer. Let’s raise a glass to salute the resilient and extraordinary community that is craft beer!

About Sherman Street Beer Company

Beau Baden, Brewmaster, along with his wife Casey DeCeia, opened Sherman Street Beer Company in the spring of 2021 in an old candy factory in the Lehigh neighborhood of Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Being an OG in the beer scene since the early 90’s, Beau knew it would be a difficult journey when it came time to finally opening his own brewery. But with the help of the community, everything came together when it was time.

“It’s a difficult industry and I have a lot of respect for people in this industry, but it builds a really tight community because we’ve all been in the trenches together. And when help is needed, help is there.”

And sometimes that help comes from a simple street sign. Not sure what to call the brewery in the beginning, but knowing they wanted to make a connection to their community, they decided on Sherman Street.

Ironically, though, the official address is listed as Tremont Street. Running with it – the paperwork had already been filed – the name of Sherman Street Beer Company now opens an easy door into conversation along with feeding Beau’s natural instinct towards sarcasm. There’s a story behind every name, even for those breweries named after a street corner.

And in Beau’s words, “You better be on a good corner.” I think they found their corner.

The Passion Behind the Beer

It was no surprise to Beau when his long-time dream of owning a brewery came true, but it was a bit of a surprise as to how long it took to do so. Since 1993, when he had been homebrewing, Beau had planned on starting a brewery of his own. And while that didn’t happen until years later, there was no time wasted.

Getting into the craft beer scene in the early 90s while working in the book binding industry in his college years, Beau learned to also love the books behind the beer. One influential author that bound the books and beer together was, of course, the legendary Michael Jackson.

From there, Beau took his homebrewing passion to the next level and went to brewing school. Furthering his career even more, he worked at many breweries across the nation over the next 20 some years, including the likes of Pyramid Brewery, formerly in California; Fegley’s Brew Works in Pennsylvania; and while opening up Sherman Street, he worked at Susquehanna Brewing Company, also in Pennsylvania.

Thirty years in the making, Beau’s passion for beer never wavered.

Classic Beers for Classic Drinkers

When asked what Sherman Street is known for and why people want to visit Sherman Street, Beau didn’t hesitate, “Mostly to get harassed by us.”

Now that’s true friendship and being one of the original brewers in the area, it makes sense that this is a place where one can feel comfortable getting harassed. It’s all in fun. But it is also because of Beau’s longevity that their main customer base loves the traditional style beers as many of them have been drinking them for years. Beers like classic pilsners and lagers.

“We joke that we card for AARP, so if you’re under 55 we give you a discount, if you’re older you have to pay full price. We’re in an older neighborhood and have an older demographic with many experienced drinkers.”

While that may be the case, Sherman Street Beer Company is the neighborhood bar on the corner, and everyone is welcome, young or old.

The Future of Craft Beer

“All the things I thought I knew from all the years I’ve been in the business are untrue now. I don’t know what the future holds. It’s the wild west out there.

What he does know though, is that the local taproom will continue to be big. The taproom is the new corner bar and there will be many popping up on every corner of every neighborhood. That’s the trend that he sees as holding true.

The beer industry will also become more of a beverage business, not just beer. With an influx of new drinkers entering the market that don’t drink beer, brewers must get innovative. And this means more seltzers, cocktails, and gluten-free options.

“When creating new styles your mind gets rejuvenated and you’re not just doing the same thing over and over, and as much as I’m not a seltzer drinker, I get to learn and perfect it. We still work hard to make it the best seltzer possible, so those that enjoy it can enjoy it. I’m proud of making seltzer. It’s part of doing whatever the craft is.”

That’s also a part of moving forward.

Moving Forward with Support

Malteurop is about building relationships and expanding upon education just as much as it is about quality malts. And that is exactly what Jeff Loranger, Malteurop’s (MMC) Northeast Craft Sales Manager, promotes.

“We can be proactive. If we know they [our clients] need something in the future, we can easily work with them to make sure they get that when needed. You can feel the passion here, and it gets you excited. We share that excitement with the brewers. At the end of the day, Malteurop creates great products, innovative products. We’re a game changer.” (Jeff Loranger, MMC)

Beau appreciates both the passion and the support. “I’m a big fan of supporting the guys that have supported me. He [Jeff] was a malt supplier at the start, and then he became a friend. My suppliers are my friends.”

And he’s known Jeff Loranger for over 20 years. So when Jeff started with MMC right around the same time Sherman Street was opening, the timing was perfect.

“The malt worked great. It tasted great. We use Malteurop malts exclusively because of the quality and their service. We’ve been super happy with them. The malts have been performing great.”

Getting Personal with Beer

Knowing that Beau first experienced craft beer in the early 90s, we had to know what the beer was that got him hooked. It was Blackened Voodoo from the former Dixie Beer in Louisiana now known as Faubourg Brewing Co. We all have those first memories of that first craft beer that made us stop and take full notice of what we were drinking. And for Beau, that first craft beer took hold forever.

So, it almost didn’t feel right asking him who he was outside of beer. And he confirmed exactly what we thought.

“There hasn’t been much life outside of beer for a long time, but when there was, years ago, I was an avid tennis player and runner. But this [beer] is now my passion, my business, and my hobby.”

And being the true Pilsner lover that he is, alongside embracing his sarcastic self, when asked to define his personality through beer, his answer was, well, sarcastic.

“I would be a New England IPA because those baffle me still.”

Thank You!

Beau has been brewing for almost 30 years, and in those years, he has gained a deeper insight into brewing that is so much more than just industry knowledge and education. Beer is a part of who he is as a person. And we’re grateful for that passion. It’s that passion that brews great beer!

“I live, breathe this all day for better or worse. I still get up every morning, put on my boots, and am here making beer. It’s not so bad.”