joe fisher man skirt brewing

Man Skirt Brewing owner Joe Fisher | Man Skirt Brewing

HACKETTSTOWN—Nearly two years after he created Man Skirt Brewing, 39-year-old Joe Fisher, who works as a computer programmer, nears the grand opening of his brewery in Hackettstown.

Fisher, who began home brewing in 2008, describes himself as an "extreme hobbyist."

Starting with a simple 2 gallon batch on the stove, he quickly progressed to 5-gallon batches on the porch with a turkey fryer, then 10-gallon batches in his basement.

When he reached 20 gallons on a homemade brew rig, he realized the hobby outgrew is home.

"It kind of evolved over time... Not only was I good at it, but I have a real passion for it. What better thing to do with that passion than turn it into a business," he said.

In 2013 Man Skirt Brewing was born, named after his fondness for modern kilts.

Despite living in Lebanon Township, Fisher knew Hackettstown should be the home of his brewery and was the first place he looked for real estate.

Friends with the owners of both Marley's Gotham Grill and Homebrew University, Fisher said he "loves the vibe of the town."

"It just seems like the right place for something like this, and the town itself has been nothing but supportive. Everybody has been behind me since day one," he said.

Man Skirt Brewing moved into the former United Jersey Bank building on Main street in April of 2014, providing a unique layout including a large vault which Fisher envisions as the centerpiece of the room.

"I want to make it part of the character of the brewery and have a special tasting room inside the vault," he said.

Vault room tasting would be a part of his futures program where beer is aged in local wine casks for one year. The brewhouse itself will be open to the rest of the building and completely visible.

Tasting room design for Man Skirt Brewing in Hackettstown

Inspired by the concept of BYOF, which is BYOB in reverse, Fisher hopes to compliment local restaurants, rather than compete with them, and have visitors order in as they sample his beers.

"There's a tremendous variety of restaurants here. It's a really diverse feel here and I like that a lot," he said, but adds that no matter what beer will be the focus.

Veering away from trendier options like pumpkin spice, Fisher said the brewery will feature a low alcohol English mild, an extra special bitter, an American style blonde ale and an oatmeal stout.

Down the line he plans to brew a bock style beer with rye flakes and peppercorn, which he calls the best he's ever made at home.

Additionally his California commons style took home second place at the New York division of the National Homebrew Competition and he won first place in the New Jersey State Fair with a Russian Imperial stout.

"I brew beer that I like, and that I would want to drink," he said.

Finally past the setbacks of construction, Fisher is confident that the brewery will be open by June.

Comparing his journey to the slow climb of a wooden coaster, Fisher said he's over the first hill and the rest is gravity.

"I've been doing so much preparation for this it... that's the exciting part, things are happening now," he said.

One of the things falling into place is the massive amount of support Fisher has received from the community.

Asking for $15,000 on Kickstarter to fund the design of his tasting room, just 49 people have pledged $10,795 in less than one week.

"I am blown away by the support people have been showing. It's really mind boggling to me," Fisher said.

The fundraiser has 21 days to reach his goal, and if it falls short, Fisher gets nothing, but with roughly $4,200 left to go, he remains positive.

For each amount backers pledge, they're rewarded with merchandise and other forms of gratitude: $20 will get you pint glasses, coasters and stickers while $30 gets you a t-shirt.

Interested in sneak-peak of the brewery? Fisher will open his doors on Sunday, March 15, during the Hackettstown St. Patrick's Day Parade, offering a tour of the vault and equipment and an opportunity to chat with him about the brewery.

For more information, check out Man Skirt Brewing on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Stay with NJ.com for more updates on the brewery and photos from parade day.

Emily Cummins may be reached at ecummins@njnpublishing.com.com Follow her on Twitter @EmilyACummins Find The Warren Reporter on Facebook.