Locals Start Craft Brewery; Seek Donations Via Kickstarter

How does a man go from working as an aerospace engineer to brewing beer full-time?

Matt Rose of Alexandria left his job as an aerospace engineer at Booz Allen Hamilton this month to concentrate full-time on his new nanobrewery, Forge Brew Works. He has started a Kickstarter campaign to raise $10,000 to secure funding for an additional fermenter and expand the slate of beers that will be offered at Forge Brew, which is located in Alexandria's Belle Haven area.

An Idea Brewing

It all started with a Mr. Beer homebrew kit, Rose said.

"Four years ago, I got a Mr. Beer kit for Christmas and I immediately decided the kit wasn’t going to work correctly," Rose recalled. "I played with it that night to figure out how it could taste better."

His first batch was a success, and Rose was hooked.

"I got better homebrew equipment and I started homebrewing at least three times a month," Rose said.

He continued to homebrew until last summer. After talking to his wife, Kerri, the Roses decided to open a 10-barrel craft brewery in the Greater Alexandria area. Forge Brew Works will open during summer 2013 and the Roses are scoping out three potential locations. Forge Brew Works will host tastings Friday through Sunday and offer growlers for customers to take home. Rose will offer six brews to start with, including a single hop IPA, a Belgian Pale Ale, a Roggensbier, an Abbey Ale, an Oatmeal Stout, and a Petite Saison.

Rose is excited to open his brewery and thinks it will be a success in DC's craft beer scene.

"I can’t wait, and I'm hoping to do some stuff with other breweries in the area," Rose said. "We have a lot of people who like good beer and it’s good we’re getting back into local beer scene."

His favorite local brews include DC Brau's pale ale and the latest seasonal brew at Port City Brewery.

So far, Rose has raised $775 of his $10,000 goal with 27 days left. If you would like to donate, visit Forge Brew Works on Kickstarter.