-Pearl Street Brewmaster Joseph Katchever, 1999

Our founder, brewmaster and fearless leader has created from natural ingredients from the Earth a plethora of traditional, world-class beers of exceptional quality. His long brewing history dates back to his brewing experiments as a child, making wines and other concoctions in his grandmother's basement in a small Wisconsin town. His yearning for brewing knowledge and lust for great beers drove him to cellaring work at breweries out west and eventually to formal training in the arts and sciences of brewing.

He has traveled across the globe to learn the secrets of the brewing monks of ancient Notre Dame and Scourmont, he has trudged through the barley fields of the North and returned home with coveted Belgian yeast strains. He has drunk ales with French brewmasters and harvested the hops alongside German hop farmers. Over the years, Joe has earned many merits for his beers, including gold and silver medals and lots of great reviews. In the name of good beer, he wishes to share some of his secrets with you here. "It is obvious to me that one cannot create something exceptional by using cheap, inferior components. This most certainly applies to the brewing of beer. Using cheap, stale barley or hops, other inferior ingredients like corn or rice, or impure yeast strains may get you a swillable beer, but it will not result in an exceptional brew. If one wants beer that graces the lips with mysterious, intricate, maltiness and eyebrow-raising hoppiness, you need to begin with the freshest ingredients on Earth. If you take the time to be meticulous in your brewing practices, even long after the sun has gone down and your back has become sore, you will taste that dedication you have put forth in the beer long after it has been racked into barrels and you've cracked open the cask days or months later. If you brew with a smile and with wide-eyed enthusiasm, those who drink it will know."

"Yes, there is malt, and hops, and yeast in beer. But it is the addition of these intangible ingredients that separate good beer from great beer."

"At Pearl Street brewery, we only use fresh barley malt in our beers. Most of the grain we use is malted right here in Wisconsin. We also have a hop farm nearby where we grow our own hops. All the work that goes into the tilling of the soil, the pruning and hand picking of the hop vines becomes evident when you pour a pint of our fresh beer."

"Having our beer on tap at local pubs and restaurants within days, even hours of it being kegged is what fresh beer is all about."

- Joseph Katchever, PSB Brewmaster