Today we’d like to introduce you to Del & Marte Scruggs.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Our story is very organic. It began with a wish to raise our children in a rural community, close to nature, and away from the stress of the city. Because we are outdoor enthusiasts, naturally our friend group is also. We became friends to stay with for trips to the Obed for rock climbing and kayaking. Over time word spread and soon we were the friends of friends of friends that share their land with campers.
This obviously led to porta-potties, more trash cans, weekends taking out the trash and digging out the ashes on the campfire, building areas to get in out of the weather, setting up extra supplies for the many forgotten items needed while camping, dealing with lost gear, and communicating with guests and answering calls. Needless to say, we began charging a whopping $5 per guest per night. We both had full-time jobs already. Del ran a non-profit watershed association and Marte was a school teacher. However, along with the extra duties came to a lot of extra fun. Campfires build community. There were so many nights of cooking, games, music… and beer. Del began to notice the amount of good craft beer bottles in the trash cans on Monday mornings.
Being a lifelong lover of beer and brewer his brain began making a plan. On April 15 of 2015 our dear friend, rock climber, and beer-loving lawyer sent Del a newly passed bill that any beer you manufacture on the premises, you may also sell (with the proper tremendous amount of paperwork). Del began digging the footers for the brewery the next day. On March 5th, 2016 we sold our first beer. At that time Del used a simple glorified homebrew system of one and a half barrels.
We had two beers on tap and ran out in three days. We now brew on an eight-barrel system with a ferment capacity of 8,000 gallons and have ten beers on tap and in cans.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Coming from a nonbusiness background there was a steep learning curve concerning the myriad of paperwork and inspections associated with opening a brewery.
Also learning accounting and bookkeeping did not come naturally, but with the help of an excellent accountant and plenty of calls to federal, local, and state government agencies, we made it work.
Our county clerk, Cheryl Collins, provided invaluable assistance in navigating the state system.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Lilly Pad Hopyard Brewery?
We love what we do. We did it more for the love of the craft rather than a business aspect.
We did not open with a business plan. We opened with a desire to share what we love. We love people, community, having a good time, and connecting with others. And we make damn good beer.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
We have frequent fundraisers for local charities, we often use local products and ingredients, we support music, and love the community it builds. We welcome local businesses and hope that they will keep us informed on what they have to offer us and the community so that we may work together.
Often we work with other breweries/brewers to create collaborative beers. Currently, we have Black Hawk on tap which is a collab with Clinch River brewing using cacao nibs from Del’s friend’s farm in Belize.
Contact Info:
- Email: lillypadhopyard@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.lillypadhopyardbrewery.com/#/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lillypadhopyardbrewery/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lillypadhopyardbrewery/
