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Anna Wright
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Anna Wright
Ryan Holmes really digs making beer. He is co-founder of MadCap Brewing, which since last year has made its move from a fledgling outfit in Stow to a more broadened system in Kent. The brewery has swelled from a half-barrel homebrew set-up to a three-barrel brewhouse to a 10-barrel system now in Kent.
That trajectory has kept success manageable, even when it’s challenging. “Our path can be described as nothing short of a grind,” says Holmes. “Although it has been a series of baby steps, it’s allowed us to grow at our pace and brew within our abilities.”
Holmes says he “had grandiose dreams of opening a brewery,” similar to many people out there who have brewed a couple good batches at home. “As it turns out, what I’ve learned over the past 15 years and what I will continue to learn is that I was only scratching the surface of what it takes to be a world-class brewery.”
On top of all his hard work, Holmes notes that he couldn’t have gotten to this point without the support he received from the neighboring city of Stow, where MadCap got its start. “I’m proud of the community that we’re a part of,” he says, counting the support from the city of Kent and locals in both communities as being great for him and his team. “Hopefully we can continue to be a positive contributor to the growth of the Akron area’s beer scene.”
Last year, Vince Rinaldo, previously of the Brew Kettle in Strongsville, came on board as MadCap’s head brewer. “Vince has been a friend for some time, and although we lost touch for a few years, we actually hooked back up through the brewing community,” Holmes says. “He helped me a lot at the beginning, and as most brewers in the area will attest, he is always willing to share and exchange knowledge.” Rinaldo has acted as a jack-of-all-trades, helping with branding, design and just about anything else that needs done day-to-day at the brewery. “Vince has taken over brewing operations and has grown a lot as a brewer over the past year and a half,” Holmes says. “The man is hungry and extremely driven.”
The current brewery occupies a 17,000-square-foot warehouse, which it shares with Bent Tree Coffee, also of Kent. “Things have been going well since we opened our taproom in Kent.” A cold brew coffee can be found on tap, as well as the occasional collaboration beer with the coffee company. Holmes says this partnership gives them both a ton of room to grow. “Our goal is to continue to improve that space and make it a great hang-out spot,” he says.
Whether in Stow, Kent or anywhere else for that matter, Holmes is just happy to have made it this far and loves being a part of a much bigger picture. “I think the things I value most are the lessons learned from mistakes and also the successes that have come from hard work and a passion for making beer,” he says. “At the end of the day, we’re very fortunate to be a part of the craft beer community.”
