Charles Ryder is the Brewer and Chief of Hosanna Brewing Company.
Charles Ryder wants to make beer for beer enthusiasts like him - a higher end craft beer that’s not for those who drink just to drink. And he plans to take on the craft beer market in Fuquay-Varina, the Triangle and beyond under the moniker of Hosanna Brewing Company.
This Michigan native started brewing at home seven years ago after being inspired by Jim Koch of Boston Beer Company. Koch was running commercials on home brewing and was giving away a DVD that introduced home brewing to viewers. Ryder ordered a starter kit and gave it a try.
“I don’t even remember,” said Ryder when asked what he first brewed on that home kit. “It wasn’t good.”
His brother-in-law likened it to beer flavored soda.
Ryder pays for his home brewing passion by working as an Internet marketing consultant and after 13 years, he’s “sick of sitting at a desk all day.” His hands-on type personality lends itself to exploring the endless possible flavor variations a person gets when they don’t stick to a recipe for beer.
And he doesn’t have investors. Ryder and his wife, Jessica, are financing this venture on their own. He has considered taking on investors but claims that it must make sense.
“I want to turn this into a family business where the kids can take it over one day,” says Ryder.
Ryder originally planned on 4,000 square feet just North of Dwight Rowland Road on Hwy. 401, with the brewery taking up only 1,000 square feet of that space. By chance the building behind the one he originally leased became available.
This larger space with 7,000 square feet offers him the room to expand that he plans on needing once Hosanna is up and running successfully. Ryder wants to start with a brewpub and then expand into a full-production brewery.
The beer experience
Hosanna’s niche might be found in the number of beers Ryder wants to offer enthusiasts that will visit the brewpub. He plans to use one and a half barrel fermenters so he can offer a variety at any given time on tap.
Ryder also wants to avoid selling beer by the pint but rather putting appropriate beers in the appropriate glasses. He acknowledges that it affects the flavor but he’s more interested in the presentation.
“A Hefeweizen that’s cloudy, and nice yellow with a tint of orange and a quarter inch head on the top of the glass - that just looks really nice in that round glass,” explains Ryder of choice of glassware.
Ryder stands by his flagship offering of a summer golden ale, a result of an ingredient experiment.
“Everyone that tries it loves it,” says Ryder. “It’s a beer that is very refreshing with a good amount of hops.”
Some of Hosanna’s summer offerings will focus on the wheat found in lighter German Hefeweizens and the darker caramel Dunkelweizens.
Ryder hopes to have Hosanna’s brews available to taste at Savor Fuquay at the end of this month. As far as Hosanna receiving the acclamation it seeks, it’s too early to tell how its beers will fare among the competition. The opening date has been pushed back several times but Ryder now hopes that he’ll be able to open Hosanna’s door sometime in June.
For more information about Hosanna Brewing Company, visit www.hosannabrewing.com.
Contact Mary Lahr Cain at mcain@civitiasmedia.com or 919-552-5675.
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