The Legend of Roy Pitz

As the legend goes; in the early 1700's conjoined twins by the name of Roy and Pitz arrived in Chambersburg, PA. seeking food, shelter, and a sense of belonging. Both being social outcasts and traveling nomads, they blamed each other for their shortcomings. They never got along or agreed on a single thing but were cursed to live their lives together. While stumbling along the cobble stone streets of Chambersburg searching for something to quench their thirst, they shuffled into a local pub. As they were jeered and mocked at, they began to argue again, blaming each other for looking the way they did. A fight broke out between the two, sending the twins to the floor crashing through several barrels of ale. They tasted the sweet nectar both marveling in its glory. For once the two twins looked at each other and agreed on something. They hoisted there glasses on high, praising its glory.

From that point on, the twins never argued again. They shared pints religiously and worked as a team to survive in a time where abnormalities were shunned, punished, and most often destroyed. They began studying the art of brewing malt beverages and became famous in the town for their honest beers. They were eventually sought out by a group of men who believed that Roy and Pitz were threats to the community because of their physical differences. Both were put into jail and scheduled to be hung. But mysteriously at their time of reckoning, both men had vanished. No one knows for sure what happened to the twins, but some say that late at night they can still hear their laughter coming from the local brewery.

What is Roy Pitz all about?

Born and raised in Chambersburg, PA, we first met in grade school. The dream to start a brewery was always in the back of our minds as young men. As we began to get our firsts taste of beer, we found we had a true passion for it. As the passion for beer grew, so did our curiosity. As we tried better micro brewed beer, we wanted to know what made this beer so much better and different than the beers of the "Big Three" breweries that many Americans are so accustomed to. In high school we began studying and making homebrew, and even though we experienced many failures, we never gave up. In fact, these failures and the encouragement from our friends and family was what truly pushed us to succeed. We kept experimenting and refining recipes in college at West Chester University. In our junior year of college we held the first annual Roy Pitz Social at Christmas, introducing Honest Ale. It was truly a nerve racking experience since neither of us knew how it would turn out. Much to our delight it was a success and from that point on we haven't looked back and we don't plan to.

Experience

Our experience began while we worked both at Victory Brewing Co. (PA) and Twin Lakes Brewing (DE) studying under the brewmasters. In addition, we both finished with business degrees from West Chester University while trying to perfect our business model. After graduation, we attended Brewing School in Chicago at the Siebel Institute of Brewing Technology. We made contacts with friends throughout the entire world that are heavily involved in the brewing industry and shared ideas and visions with one another. After we graduated from Siebel with an Associates Degree in Brewing Science, Ryan went on to study at the Doemens Institute in Germany. The classes increased in the depth of knowledge getting hands on brewing experience with German Brewmaster's and taking a 2 1/2 week study tour throughout Europe touring breweries, equipment manufacturers and ingredient suppliers. Ryan graduated with an International Degree in Brewing Science and returned back to Chambersburg to get started with Jesse on the business of Roy Pitz.

Where we are today

Starting this brewery has always been a dream for both of us, and we could have never even attempted it with out the support from our loving friends and family. As more friends continue to join the Roy Pitz team, we hope you do as well, because we are always looking for help, ideas, and suggestions. Remember, it is now we truly need your support because it is you who give us the ideas and inspiration to make the best beer possible for all of us to enjoy.