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.
Andy Schwartz
Head Beer Geek. Andy is in charge of our aggressively laid back liquid. Andy Schwartz […]
Read More
Andy Schwartz
Head Beer Geek. Andy is in charge of our aggressively laid back liquid.
Andy Schwartz started his brewing career in 1995. He attended the Siebel Institute in Chicago to learn the basics of brewing and began his professional brewing with a short assignment at Boulder Beer in Boulder, Colorado. Andy was approached by Left Hand Brewing Company founder Dick Doore to run a new brewpub he and partner Eric Wallace were building in Longmont, Colorado called Overland Stage Stop Brewery. As Overland’s Brewmaster, Andy won his first GABF medals and learned the art of brewing complex, balanced beer.
After three years brewing in Colorado, Andy moved home to San Diego, California and was hired by the Oggi’s Pizza and Brewing Company franchise of brewery restaurants. Andy spent 8 years in Southern California brewing and maturing with Oggis, reaching the position of Director of Brewing Operations and Franchise Brewmaster. As Director of Ops Andy was a member of Oggi’s corporate management team, building new brewery restaurants, hiring and training brewers, and managing the operation of Oggi’s Central brewing facility – Left Coast Brewing Company. During Andy’s tenure with Oggis and Left Coast, the company won numerous GABF and World Beer Cup awards, including Champion Small Brewing Company at the 2004 World Beer Cup. His 8 years brewing in the southern California brewing environment taught Andy how to utilize hops in beer in innovative and assertive ways.
In 2007 Andy left southern California to work for the Redhook Brewery in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Over the next 8 years Andy’s duties evolved as the Redhook brewery transitioned into brewing a full range of Craft Brew Alliance beers. Starting in the fermentation cellar, Andy worked his way through the production department into his final role as Senior Innovation Brewer for CBA, operating CBA’s 3 barrel professional pilot brewing facility, creating exciting new beers, testing new ingredients and developing new techniques. Andy was also responsible for Innovation and Education throughout the eastern United States and in this role, directly interacted with the public as well as working with CBA’s extensive network of wholesalers. Andy has gone through extensive training in beer history, beer style guidelines, beer and food pairings and more. He is a proud Certified Cicerone® and has attended both the Master of Beer Styles and Beer and Food Paring courses at the Siebel Institute in Chicago.
In the summer of 2014 Andy joined the team at Stony Creek Brewery. He now lives in Branford with his wife Elizabeth and two sons Daniel and Drew.
Jamal Robinson
Jamal Robinson, or Stony Creek Jammy to many, started building relationships in the beer industry […]
Read More
Jamal Robinson
Jamal Robinson, or Stony Creek Jammy to many, started building relationships in the beer industry long before he was a part of it. About 12 years ago, while working in a local deli, he grew close to a customer, the late Bob Hollander. Little did he know the offer he would receive from the Hollander family owned Anheuser -Busch wholesaler, would be the beginning to his Craft Beer journey. Jamal spent 4 years climbing the ranks at Hartford Distributors Inc., starting as a merchandiser, hanging neons and building displays to becoming the Craft Brand Manager. There he managed and developed new innovations from A-B and craft brands like Red Hook and Long Trail. With his new found love of craft and its culture, he took his passion and palate to the supplier side. Jamal joined the Blue Point Brewing Company; a small Long Island based brewery of which few people had ever heard. During Jamal’s 7 years at Blue Point, his knowledge and experience grew and lead to his becoming the New England Sales Manager, launching and building the brand in 5 New England states. Around the time of the buyout of Blue Point to Anheuser -Busch, Jamal heard a new calling. The Crowley family shared their plan and vision to open a brewery, with his and veteran brewmaster Andy Schwarz’s craft guidance. Jamal staying true to his love for the craft beer market joined the team at Stony Creek Brewing as Director of Sales. As there is more time than life, Jamal feels this is a dream come true to be a part of the development and expansion of not only Stony Creek Brewery, but an awesome developing CT craft beer scene.
Manny Rodriguez
Making Craft Beer is both the adventure and destination. I’ve been on this voyage since […]
Read More
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.
Ed & Peggy Crowley
Peggy and Ed Crowley, well known as committed partners in marriage, community and business and […]
Read More
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!
Jay Kendig
Russ Meister
Here at Stony Creek we take quality very seriously, which is why we have had […]
Read More
Russ Meister
Here at Stony Creek we take quality very seriously, which is why we have had an onsite lab since we started making beer in February of 2015. Our third employee hired by the company was our Quality Control Technician Russ Meister. He has been working hard to keep our quality standards high from day one and is a crucial component of our operation.
Russ joins us with a Masters in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from UCONN. He studied the evolutionary dynamics and molecular systematics of two obligate endosymbiotic bacteria of cicadas. Prior to working on his masters, he had studied in several different biology and chemistry labs working on projects ranging from the organic synthesis of Crohne’s disease medications, to methods for determining tree hosts of a local species of Sirex wood wasp.
Russ is also an avid award winning homebrewer with more than 10 years’ experience prior to joining the Stony team. He has been a BJCP judge for three years.
As the Stony Creek QA lab leader, Russ ensure that our beer is made and handled in the cleanest and most consistent manor possible, testing for contamination throughout the process and tracking data on every batch.
In addition to heading the lab Russ also helps the company by training and coordinating our cellarmen. He has helped co-create all SOPs that we use day to day in the lab and the cellar.
Our lab is one of our most important tools we have at our disposal, it is the first and last step in ensuring consistent, quality beer, each and every time.
Ali Turnbull
Ali Turnbull is a party-planner extraordinaire, bringing organization and excitement to SCB’s Celebration Room. Milford, […]
Read More
Ali Turnbull
Ali Turnbull is a party-planner extraordinaire, bringing organization and excitement to SCB’s Celebration Room. Milford, CT lent our Branford-based brewery Ali, an awesome addition to the SCB staff!
Norman MacDonald
A grand-slam addition to the Stony Creek team! Fresh as of December 2016 Norman brings […]
Read More
Norman MacDonald
A grand-slam addition to the Stony Creek team! Fresh as of December 2016 Norman brings with him years of behind the bar craft beer passion. When not at the brewery Norm can be found traveling Connecticut looking for the next hidden gem!
-play on playa