Aggressively Laid-Back
Our Team
Ed Crowley
The beer business has been a part of Ed’s life for as long as he can remember. While attending college in Florida he took a full time job with a local beer distributor. Upon college graduation he spent another eight working at a beer distributor holding various positions and fell hard for craft beer. In 2012, Ed left the distributor business with his dad to start Stony Creek Brewery. Now everyday he gets to playout his passion working alongside his family and friends. With his wife and daughter they reside in Branford, loving its shoreline and are excited to share the beautiful essence of this town through the eyes of the brewery.
Ed & Peggy Crowley
Peggy and Ed Crowley, well known as committed partners in marriage, community and business and […]
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Ed & Peggy Crowley
Peggy and Ed Crowley, well known as committed partners in marriage, community and business and founders of Stony Creek Brewing, are fond of saying, “It’s always about the beer!”
Peggy began her career as a nurse in Northern Michigan, but when her father needed help operating the family’s small grocery store in Detroit, she returned home to join in the family craft. Peggy’s innovative spirit sparked by the need to grow the family business lead her to sell steak sandwiches at local festivals. The family sales, and her reputation, grew.
Ed began his beer career as a merchandiser for a distributor south of Detroit. After several promotions, the 19 year old took charge of all the distributor’s special events. Like Peggy with her steak sandwiches, Ed was always looking for new events to promote his beers.
It was only a matter of time before the two met – at a festival, of course – and married. They had twin children, Ed Jr. and Meg, and Ed continued his rise up the ladder in the beer distribution business. For more than 38 years he sold beer as an employee of a distributor, and eventually became co-owner of one of the largest beer distributors in New England.
Meanwhile, Peggy’s entrepreneurial spirit was at work. In 2010 she started a craft beer business, brewed under contract and called the Stony Creek Beer Company. It was named after a favorite neighborhood in their hometown of Branford.
In 2012 they sold the beer distributorship to devote all their energies to their nascent brewery. Beer is the glue that kept them together, and now they needed to move ahead and create their own beer pursuit.
Their search for land culminated in 2013 with the discovery of the former MIF property. Not only was it close to the town center and near the train station, it was right on the Branford River and an opportunity to bring new life to this area of town. The plan was in place, the dream was developed, and the family was on board.
Construction began in May 2014, concluding ten months later with a truly unique facility reflective of Ed and Peggy Crowley’s love of the Branford community and of course…the beer.
“We insisted on local craftsmen to build the brewery,” says Peggy. “We cleaned up an environmentally challenged site, and located a world class brewer to lead our brewing team.” That master brewer is Andy Schwartz.
“We began brewing our own beer in February 2015, and opened our doors to the public to taste our beers in March,” says Ed. “So now it’s been over 41 years of beer…”
It’s always been about beer with Peggy and Ed, and now it’s always about the beer at Stony Creek Brewery.
Always about the beer!
Manny Rodriguez
Making Craft Beer is both the adventure and destination. I’ve been on this voyage since […]
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Manny Rodriguez
Making Craft Beer is both the adventure and destination. I’ve been on this voyage since its inception and learned that it’s as much about the people as it is about the brew. At Stony Creek Brewery we’re blessed to have found distinction in both.
David Herrington III
Catherine McGuinness
Catherine came to us from Yale University, where she was a doctoral candidate in the […]
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Catherine McGuinness
Catherine came to us from Yale University, where she was a doctoral candidate in the department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry. There she was studying the dynamic behavior of the cytoskeleton (“cell’s-skeleton”) in cows and in brewer’s yeast! She has now transferred her laboratory and yeast-handling skills to Stony Creek Brewery where she helps produce the consistently excellent beers you have come to expect from us
Jay Kendig
James Richardson
Ali Turnbull
Jen Hunter
Lisa Richardson
Chloe Cafrelli
Kaelyn Brennan
Assistant Tap Room Manager
Karlie Komoroski
Maggie Kelly
