Carol Stoudt to continue making beer after Stoudts Brewing closes

(Originally published Feb. 27, 2020 for the Reading Eagle) — Stoudts Brewing Company may be closing, but the beer will live on — and not just in the hearts and minds of its fervent supporters.

Though the iconic Adamstown, Lancaster County, brewery is set to cease operations by early spring, owner Carol Stoudt doesn’t plan to quit making beer altogether.

“I don’t think I’m gonna retire 100%,” said Stoudt, 70. “I haven’t told my kids that, but I won’t be home knitting.”

While Stoudts beers will no longer be available in stores or at the neighborhood watering hole, guests at Stoudts Black Angus Restaurant or events in its adjacent beer garden will still be able wrap their hands around a pint.

“I have a two-barrel brew system that I use to develop recipes,” Stoudt said. “That will be used to make beers for the restaurant until we figure out what the next step is.

“And we do have the tanks filled, so there’s a lot of beer that can be sold for the next couple months.”

Eventually, the brand could be revived by another brewer. Stoudt revealed there have been “several inquiries” already.

One proposal that would never be up for consideration, however, is to sell the brewery to one of the international conglomerates that dominate the beer industry.

“A lot of people said, ‘Why don’t you just sell to Bud,’” Stoudt said. “No.

“I abhor breweries that sell out. That would never sit well with me. I just think the heart and soul of that brewery will get squished.”

Seismic shift in the beer industry

There were 150 breweries operating in the U.S. when Stoudts launched in 1987. Today, there are over 8,000.

Believe it or not, it’s unclear at which point in time breaking into the beer industry would be more challenging.

When Stoudt started brewing, there wasn’t much of a market locally for what later came to be known as craft beer. Under Pennsylvania law, she couldn’t even serve the beer at her husband’s restaurant on premises without first packaging it and selling it back through a skeptical distributor.

Not only did Stoudt need to create a supply chain and build a following, she had to invent demand for the product in the first place.

Thirty-three years later, relaxed laws and an explosion in consumer appetite for craft beer make the prospect of opening a brewery attractive and approachable. By virtue of just existing, a new brewpub will draw beer aficionados en masse, while a vast network of distributors is ready and willing to stock bars and retailers eager to carry the latest varieties.

As a result, competition is stiffer than ever.

“It’s a tumultuous time, for sure,” Stoudt said.

So tumultuous, in fact, on Feb. 3 she abruptly announced her impending retirement, citing declining sales behind the timing in a press release.

“There are way too many choices of beer,” she said.

It’s a trend that goes hand-in-hand with the proliferation of beer. In 2019, the number of breweries in the U.S. grew by more than 1,000 – but the increased competition also led to an estimated 300 closures, according to the Brewers Association.

“It’s not that difficult to get in the business,” Stoudt said. “It’s difficult to stay in the business.”

“Be careful what you wish for”

Ironically, the current market is not entirely unlike what Stoudt envisioned when she became interested in brewing.

Stoudt married her husband, Ed, in 1975, and the two honeymooned in Germany. It was there she tried her first beer, recalling it vividly – a delicious pilsner that took seven minutes to pour, served in an elongated glass with a 3-inch head.

“Traveling to Europe got me thinking of beer differently,” Stoudt said. “I liked the freshness, the natural carbonation – not over-carbonated like a lot of American lighter-style beers – and the diversification of beer styles.

“Every restaurant guest house has their own little brewery. Another town, another different type.”

She would later leave her job as a schoolteacher and raise their five children, but the trip always stuck with her. In 1986, Stoudt enlisted the help of Karl Strauss, a German-born brewmaster who had recently retired after 44 years at Pabst Brewing Co.

Strauss made recommendations on equipment and arranged for Stoudt and her husband to fly to Covington, La., to visit Abita Brewing Co., where she brewed her earliest beers.

When the brewery opened, the idea was to sell locally in Lancaster and Berks counties, similar to what Stoudt experienced in Europe a decade earlier.

“I always thought that would be cool here,” Stoudt said. “Be careful what you wish for.”

A year later, Stoudts Gold Lager captured a silver medal at the 1988 Great American Beer Festival in Colorado. The press from the win opened doors, and soon after, the beers began to penetrate a vibrant Philadelphia beer scene.

As Stoudts spread into other markets, it became a model for small brewers everywhere.

Stoudt’s legacy

Describing Stoudt as a trendsetter would be an understatement. She was a revolutionary in the beverage industry.

It wasn’t just the award-winning beers Stoudt made, though flagship styles like Gold Lager, Scarlet Lady Ale and American Pale Ale were unlike the choices that commanded the taps and sales floors of the time.

Stoudt was at the forefront of a movement that converted an entire generation of beer drinkers.

“The words micro and craft weren’t around,” Stoudt said. “It was really hard getting people to put the beer on because they thought, ‘You’re more expensive.’ They questioned that. They didn’t understand freshness.

“Now, the consumer understands craft beer, and local is very important. It’s really quite exciting.”

Stoudt was a pioneer for women as well, becoming the first female brewmaster in the U.S. post-Prohibition. Today, she estimates there are 2,500 working as brewmasters or brewery owners, while an organization called the Pink Boots Society is dedicated to supporting women in brewing professions.

“Most people were receptive because I talked about beer differently,” Stoudt said. “Beer at that time was spoken about in terms of the name of it and what’s the price. I talked about the hops that were used, maybe the origin of the beer style, so that kind of perked people’s interest.”

The formula for prevailing in any male-dominated industry, Stoudt said, is hard work, knowledge and persistence.

“If it’s your passion, you get your education and you persevere and you do it,” she said. “There may be challenges, but if you love and feel good about what you’re doing, it will happen. You will be successful.”

Keeping the dream alive

Stoudt’s love of beer is infectious, which explains why she became such an influential figure in American brewing – but she doesn’t always agree with the direction the business is headed.

Drinkers are constantly searching for the latest and greatest, which means small breweries are pressured to innovate or run the risk their tap handle falls out of rotation.

“A bar owner wants to try all these new beers, so there are less and less people that will keep your beer on all the time, which becomes problematic,” Stoudt said. “You’re almost forced to go out of your area so that you’re still producing more beer.”

That often means keeping up with the latest fads, too, and Stoudts wasn’t about to make one of those seltzers or ultra-light beers that are all the rage.

Variety is good, Stoudt said, yet she remains a strong proponent of traditional styles.

“Making classic beer styles is not a trend,” she said. “It’s part of our culture.

“People want a fancy name, quirky label, a lot of hops, a lot of alcohol. I like those beers, too. I like an imperial stout or double IPA to drink maybe one glass of if I’m eating food, but I can drink American Pale Ale, Scarlet Lady or Gold Lager all day long and I won’t fall over.”

To each his or her own, but Stoudt is still guided by the philosophy every town can have a brewery.

Thanks to her, it’s now up to communities to keep the dream alive.

“Respect the breweries from your area,” Stoudt said. “Nurture and care for them so that they can be successful and continue to grow.”