My name is John Kolecki. I began brewing in my hometown of Philadelphia in 2009. My interest was originally sparked by a friend of a friend, who brewed at home himself and had passion for brewing that was contagious. This is what originally inspired me to begin exploring the realm of home brewing with beer kits. My first successful creation was a Belgian triple called Admiral Ackbar Trapist Ale. I
t had a good flavor, but I knew I could create better beer (and one without copyright infringement). I began to compete in brewing competitions in 2011 with Lehigh Valley Homebrewer’s Association. I received a silver medal for my Statler & Waldorf’s English Bitter! With these accolades providing encouragement for continued development, I expanded to also making wine and mead in 2011. My goal is to develope unique styles. In this venture, I have been able to combine my top two loves: beer and travel. Through travelling, I am able to bring back ingredients from around the world to create unique and elaborate flavors. I brought back coffee beans from a trip to Belize and experimented with a coffee stout. This brew was amazing and I have not been able to duplicate the recipe with other beans. Another one of my most delicious recipes came from peaberry coffee beans I found when I lived in Hawaii. This has been the inspiration for my new goal, to share my passion and develop my very own brewery: Porch Toad Brewing. That is why I have started a Kickstarter campaign to assist with reaching the funds needed to make my dream brewery a reality. The funds raised will assist Porch Toad Brewing from the start with purchasing the brewing equipment and ingredients to create beer, wine, mead, cider and more!
