January 6-12, 2005

food

Waving Hand

by Brian Howard

"You don't often get an opportunity to run a 100-year-old brewery in my profession," says Brandon Greenwood on his cell phone, sitting in traffic on the Northeast Extension. And thus Sansom Street's Nodding Head brewpub, opened in February 2000, lost the only head brewer it had ever known. On Jan. 3, Greenwood began brewmaster duties for Wilkes-Barre's Lion Brewery, maker of the Stegmaier, Lionshead and Pocono brands. (Former Lion brewmaster Leo Orlandini has been promoted to plant manager.)

The man responsible for distinctive brews like Monkey Knife Fight lager, Sledwrecker (a spiced winter ale) and Dingle Dew (Irish ale that claimed it went down "quicker than a White House intern") will have to stop thinking in 14-keg increments. It's a huge step and a huge honor for the West Chester University molecular biology grad who got his master's in brewing, malting and distilling science at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh.

"I probably won't be doing some of the more exotic styles I was known for," says Greenwood. "I imagine there are certain styles of Nodding Head that would not be practical. When you're making 600 to 700 kegs [at a time], then your market becomes an issue."

So while Greenwood may need to sacrifice some of the creative freedom the brewpub environment offered, he's got noble goals for his new Northeastern Pennsylvania digs. "I want to bring back some recognition to Lion's brands," he explains. "They have some quality products. For whatever reason, the market is very challenging. They have great potential there. They're looking to develop it."

So Lion tapped Greenwood, whose resume includes stints with Stroh's, Red Bell and Yard's. He can't stand his new brewmaster title because it "applies to people who've been in the business 30 to 40 years. I don't feel I've earned it yet," says the 37-year-old.

Which isn't to say that Nodding Head's trademark styles will evaporate. Greenwood's assistant, Gordon Grubb, will be taking over for him and, much like Greenwood at his new gig, Grubb plans on staying the course at first. "I'll keep making [Nodding Head's signature beers] and slip in something new now and then," says Grubb, adding, "My intention is that the customers never know the difference."

"It was really, really hard for me to make this decision to leave," says Greenwood. "I almost feel like I've lost an arm. It was a very amicable separation, but it was a sad separation."

Was there, perhaps, a tear in his beer?

"I got a little choked up, definitely," says Greenwood of his farewell bash last month at Grace Tavern, the only other place in the city you can get Nodding Head beer on tap.