Charlie Solomon is a longtime Fernson employee; we hosted him for a day of brewing and behind the scenes action. Charlie’s lore at Fernson begins all the way back to Fernson on 8th St. There he was a general manager and very involved with the day to day tasks of the taproom. Charlie’s roles have morphed through out the years as Fernson has changed along with him. I love to talk about those early day of Fernson with Charlie, especially some past beers that were beloved and may need to make a comeback! Currently he works as a teacher and is more prominent in our taproom during the summers. Safe to say, it was time Chuck crafted his own beer!

The Beer

For Charlie, the choice was easy. His personal favorite style is a West Coast IPA so we had to deliver a standout entry in the category. The signature of a West Coast IPA is a bold hop aroma, high bitterness, and citrus & piney notes/flavors. They're brewed with higher amounts of hops in the boil kettle, which leads to that high bitterness, and a mid-palate hop flavor. If you have traveled and hit the brewery scene in the Pacific Northwest, you know exactly the type of beer that gets Charlie excited!

Brew Day

Charlie is no stranger to the Fernson Brewery located at 1400 E Robber Dr on N Cliff. He has spent plenty of time hanging out at the brewery whether it be Fernsonfest, parties, or work. But it is different when you finally get to use the brew equipment that you’ve walked past hundreds of times. Each level or button controls intricate parts of the process and Charlie was impressed by how everything stays in sync. Being a West Coast, the brew day jumped around form periods of busy work and calculating to some time to chat and discuss their plan. Of course the day included a samples from the the tanks and the back cooler. We loved having Charlie out to start his brew career and ititss always cool to see a new appreciation for the crafting of a beer, especially from somoneon who is so deeply woven into the Fernson Story.

Release Date

The wait is over for all parties. You can try Chuck’s IPA at Fernson Downtown starting on September 12th! Note the aroma, tasting notes, and details that have been poured into each class. If you see Charlie be sure to give him a shoutout for his excellent brew skills, cheers friends!

Words by: Cole Casper