Phil Markowski is an American craft beer legend. Prior to his current position as master brewer at Two Roads Brewing in Stratford, Conn., he kicked off his career as a homebrewer in the 1980s and brewed professionally at several establishments, including the New England Brewing Company in Norwalk, Conn,. and Southampton Publick House in Southampton, N.Y. In 2012, he co-founded Two Roads with friends Brad Hittle, Clement Pellani, and Peter Doering.
At Two Roads, Markowski’s engineering background is evident both in his brewhouse’s state-of-the-art equipment and packaging facility. Two Roads’ beers range from krieks to IPAs to an impressive lineup of new fruited goses called the Tanker Truck Series (passionfruit, plum, Persian lime, oh my!).
He’s a brewery founder, award-winning brewer, and even an author. In other words, we trust his taste.
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1. What’s your desert-island beer?
Definitely not a coconut beer — I’d get real sick of coconuts. German-style pilsner or Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. There’ll always be a place in my heart for that beer.
2. What’s the beer that made you fall in love with beer?
Anchor Steam was the first beer that woke me to the fact that beer could have deep character (this was in the Stone Age, before Boston Lager).
3. FMK three beer types: IPA, pilsner, sour?
That’s a loaded question but here goes: F: IPA. Lust is never having to repeat yourself. Endless variety. M: A lager — Pilsner or Helles. Flip a coin. I can live with either forever. K: Anything with coconut in it.
4. You’re on death row. What’s your last supper beer?
A Jeroboam of St. Bernardus Abt. I don’t want to know what’s happening to me.
5. You can only drink one beer for the rest of your life. What is it?
Insert obligatory shameless plug here: Two Roads Ol’ Factory Pils, of course!
6. What’s the best and worst beer in your fridge right now?
Probably a catch-all DDH, sour barrel-aged farmhouse ale of now-unknown origin. Been in my [refrigerator] for so long the label fell off. The best one was the beer I had last night. (Hint: It was the very last bottle left, anywhere!).
7. If you could no longer drink beer, what would be your beverage of choice?
Dirt, because I’ll be dead.
