Niko Krommydas: You built a highly regarded global brand without a physical location, and played a major role in legitimising and popularising the nomadic way of making beer. What made you finally take the more traditional path and open your own brewery?

Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø: I wanted complete control over my beers, and the freedom to do whatever I want. While I believe I make great beers as a contract brewer, the beers I’m doing here are already even better because I’m involved every day. As a nomadic brewer, you can’t stay on-site for two weeks and taste the beers in different phases. Here, I can check on things and make changes if we need to.

When I moved the business and my family to New York in 2012, I knew I wanted to be recognised as a part of the brewing scene here. That’s why New York is in the name. Opening the brewery takes some of the stress away that comes with nomadic brewing because we can produce less here and still make it work because we can sell beer direct to customers.

NK: There’s a decidedly different look and feel to the Evil Twin NYC brand. It’s a bit gritty, it utilises city streetscapes and other imagery for artwork, and beer names are inspired by cultural phenomena and occurrences specific to New York. Was that always the plan?



JJB: It was always the plan to make NYC a separate brand. Evil Twin has always been me, but this is me times two. I want people to know these beers are being created right in the middle of New York City, on a small scale, with me here.

I also needed a new challenge, although it’s been more challenging than I thought. But I love the idea of building a new brand and proving myself all over again. Evil Twin is worldwide and you can find us in every Whole Foods. So why should you want to come to Ridgewood to visit us? I wanted to give people a reason to come to the brewery.