Basement Brewer Goes Big Time With Beer Business

Never has a man in a skirt looked so comfortable in his surroundings.

Such is the case for Joe Fisher, the utilikilt-wearing, craft-beer brewing owner of Hackettstown’s newest soon-to-open business, Man Skirt Brewing.

Located at the intersection of Main Street and Grand Avenue, Fisher opened the vault on a foreclosed building more than a year ago that once housed a bank to do something entirely different.

“I was looking into real estate in Hackettstown for a couple of years, really getting serious about the idea,” Fisher said from behind the row of tap levers. “And this building, which I loved, was just way too expensive. I came back to it some time later and saw it was in foreclosure, and I jumped on it.”

And so the process of starting his own microbrewery began, not so much to grow a business, rather to share his love of the craft with the masses.

From Can to Craft

At some point in the 1990s, Fisher’s lips and taste buds were graced by a non-macro brewed beer. Guinness in a can, to be exact.

“I loved the flavor,” he said. “That still holds a special place in my heart.”

Like many microbrew beer lovers, Fisher’s palate expanded with each taste, as he sought out different flavors, from ale to porter and every lager in between.

“Around 2007 I got the idea that I wanted to start making my own beer,” Fisher said. “It started with a pot on a stove and some buckets and hoses. My wife said to do it in the basement, and it really just snowballed from there.”

Over the years Fisher’s brews burgeoned, as he tried out different styles and spices. According to the brewmaster himself, Fisher has only made one bad batch of the 80 he’s produced.

“I wanted to make a hazelnut flavor,” he said. “I oven-roasted the hazelnuts, the whole works. And it just tasted awful. That went right down the drain.”

When friends and acquaintances began to take note of Fisher’s creations, word spread quickly. Fisher needed a label for his bottles, and from there, the Lebanon Township resident launched the Man Skirt Brewing brand, with design and marketing created by his wife.

The brand’s website makes clear how the name came to be: “So I thought hey, I hate pants and I love my Utilikilts!”

But what’s a utilikilt? Think of a kilt and tool belt joining forces to make the draftiest, most stylish beer-brewing garb known to man, and there you have Fisher’s choice of work uniform.

Soak Up The Suds

It’s been more than 17 months since Fisher closed on the sale of the building that now houses Man Skirt Brewing. While inspections and licensing with the state was a lengthy, arduous task, Fisher says Hackettstown has been amazing, backing him 100-percent and is fully supporting the business (two Main Street staples, Bea McNally’s and Marley’s Gotham Grill, already have Man Skirt Brewing flavors on tap, with Fisher in talks with a handful of other bars in northern New Jersey).

The computer programmer by day and brewer by night has set a Grand Opening date for the business on Saturday, Oct. 3.

The response has been huge, thanks to social media following Man Skirt over the years. In fact, 33-percent of Fisher’s Kickstarter campaign came from Facebook alone, he said. Fisher set a modest goal of $15,000, which was met in just six days. In the end, the campaign raked in $24,000 to help him get the business brewing.

The October 3 event, which runs from 4 to 9 p.m., already has 331 RSVPs just from Man Skirt Brewing’s Facebook page. Add that to the 75 “maybes” and anyone deciding to attend who’s not following on social media, and Fisher’s taps will get a workout on day one.

The brewery will be offering Man Skirt’s three flagship flavors: Bank Vault Blonde Ale; Better Than Pants Best Bitter; and The Great Porter. Fisher said he’ll also have one or two seasonal brews available.

After the Grand Opening, Man Skirt will open its doors to the public Wednesday through Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m., and will expand its hours if needed. See more about the business here.

So the next time you’re in Hackettstown looking for a drink and you see a guy wearing a utilikilt, know you’re in good hands.