TOLEDO, Ohio — Fall is known for apple cider and pumpkin spice but is that all? Chris Harris, owner of Black Frog Brewery in Holland, shares his idea of fall through “Granny’s Sweet Potato Pie” porter.
“Most people do pumpkin beers in the fall, so I do a sweet potato because sweet potatoes remind me of fall," said Chris. "When I was young my grandmother made sweet potato pies and they were just so tasty. So this is kind of my homage to my grandmother.”
The official process begins with a ‘peeling party’ of 50 pounds of sweet potato. After the potato has been prepped, Chris roasts the potato with seasoning and honey before pureeing and putting them in the porter.
“That’s another thing about our brewery. Every beer that is made there is some type of honey aspect in the beer.” Chris continued to explain that this signature ingredient is symbolized in the Black Frog Brewery logo with bees.
Black Frog Brewery began in 2014 in Chris’s garage. After successful bottle sales in various local stores, Chris was able to open a brick-and-mortar location in Holland by 2016.
Walking through the brewery, it’s clear Chris is a fan of the Star Wars franchise, but after chatting about various fandoms it’s easy to dive into a full conversation. From Disney and Harry Potter to Game of Thrones and Hamilton Chris has many pop culture interests.
Granny’s Sweet Potato porter will be available toward the end of October. Chris shared that the beer is popular and once it is gone, it’s gone.
“I hope it makes her [Chris’ Grandmother] proud. She’s passed away, so I hope I make her proud,” said Chris. Bringing a community together with a loved ones’ recipe is an excellent way to honor them.