Name of your business.
Beerology
Your name and position.
Jordana Starr & Mike Schilling, Owners
What inspired you to start your business? How did your business get started?
After Mike returned from brewing school in 2013, we wrote a business plan for opening
our own brewery. During this time, the area started to become saturated with breweries,
and after reevaluating, we realized our strength is evangelism; that is, engaging others
and teaching them about beer and cider, and spreading our passion for fermentation
sciences. Thus, Beerology, our home-brew shop and education center, was born.
Tell us a little bit about your business.
Beerology is a high-end retail homebrew supply shop and educational center. We sell
top-of-the-line brewing equipment and have a selection of over 40 malts and grains, 30
hop varieties, and 50 yeast strains.
In our on-premise classroom, we teach classes like homebrewing, cidermaking,
winemaking, and flavor training. They range in skill level, from introductory classes for
the newcomer to intermediate and advanced seminars for those with more experience.
We also enjoy teaming up with other area businesses to host tasting seminars with food
pairings, home-brew competitions, and even beer trivia!
What is your favorite thing to do in your business?
We are both extremely passionate about beer and cider, and we love sharing that passion
with others who come into our shop. We usually refer to this as “nerding out.”
If nothing else, what is the one piece of information you want someone to know about
your business?
We are locally owned! Mike and Jordana have lived in Northampton for almost six years,
and Jordana grew up in western Massachusetts.
What is the one piece of business advice you would like to share?
Be flexible, and always be willing to consider new ways to market your business.