The Brew Crew

We Brew. Everybody Drinks. Repeat.

Meet the Brew Crew…  Back in 1999, craft beers were revolutionizing America’s beer culture. That same year, Brewmaster Joe Katchever founded Pearl Street Brewery — with only a dream, a 1984 Eagle Wagon, and a trailer packed with brewery equipment driven from Colorado to the heart of La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Although Joe and his dad started in a small, subterranean brewhouse on Pearl Street, the celebration and Grand Opening was enough to attract a mob of flavor-starved people and get Mayor Medinger to tap the inaugural keg. Pearl Street Brewery eventually expanded to the historic La Crosse Footwear building on Saint Andrew Street.

We’ve come a long way. Today, Pearl Street beer can be found on tap in most restaurants and bars in the area and on the shelves of retailers around the state — and now, in Minnesota and Iowa. But the one thing that hasn’t changed over the years is a big commitment to making great beer. It is the only thing that still matters. It’s that simple. We’re inspired by good beer.

The crew behind the brew.

What kind of people run a brewery? The dedicated kind. The fun kind. The do-whatever-it-takes-to-get-it-done kind. At PSB, we attribute the fine quality of our beers to the fine-quality men and women who make it happen. Stop in and get to know the people behind your favorite brew.

  • tone Pearl Street Brewery La Crosse, WI

    Tony

    a.k.a. Tone

    Founder, Quality Control (wink, wink!). Although he lives in Port Washington (“Lakeside”), Tone remains an integral part of the brewery. His hobbies include working on his perpetual architectural fantasy and driving long distances to hang out with his cutie-pie granddaughter…and have a fresh PSB pint, of course!

  • Joe Pearl Street Brewery La Crosse, WI

    Joe Katchever

    a.k.a. BrewMaster

    Owner, Founder, Brewmaster, Production Manager, Beer Aficionado and all-around bad-ass; Joe truly immerses himself in his work. He is living proof that where there’s a will…there’s definitely a way. Hobbies include beer, brewing beer, drinking beer, talking beer, cooking stir-fry, burnin’ down the road on his chopper, and sampling his own wares.

  • The Sprout

    a.k.a. Junior Brewmaster

    Sprout joined our brewery family on May 31, 2009, and has already made quite the impression with beer (and kid!) enthusiasts alike. Although she might not be old enough to sample the wares right now, she’s already established herself as The Boss. Hobbies include practicing for her dream performance on The Voice, practicing her forms and getting ready to test for her next belt in karate and dancing around the brewery.

  • staff Pearl Street Brewery La Crosse, WI

    Pickles

    a.k.a. Jesse

    Sure, you can call Pickles by his real name, but that would just be weird. Pickles kegs. Pickles bottles. Pickles prefers Pearl Street Pale Ale. Pickles pours potent potables into a pickle-patterned flask. No word yet on if he picks pickled peppers, but he does like telling the story of how he got his name. So if you catch him when he’s not tinkering around filling up containers with beer, buy Pickles a Pale and ask him about it (try saying that 10 times fast!).

  • Pearl Street Brewery La Crosse, WI

    Darcey

    a.k.a. MumDMC

    Nothing gets by Darcey. She’s spot on and on top of it. She loves to serve up warm fuzzies and the beer buzzies when you come visit us. And when she’s not here beertending, she’s at home chasing after two daughters and twin boys. Uffda! We can say that because she’s from MN. But her football soul belongs to Green Bay. Go figure.

  • jeff, staff at pearl street brewery

    Jeff

    This guy finds everything interesting. Perhaps too much so. His interests run the gamut and he is happy to share them, but thinks beer should be involved in the conversation. (good thinker!) He’s the resident jack-of-all-trades, and he is a pirate. Yep, it’s true. He and his other half, Alyssa, joined the Brew Crew together. You know what they say, “the family that craft beers together, stays together”.