Today we’d like to introduce you to Kyle Park.
Hi Kyle, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Neshaminy Creek started back in 2012 with three of my friends who were really into homebrewing and wanted to see if they could turn that passion into something bigger. Early on, we thought distribution would be our main lane – just focus on making great beer and getting it out into the world.
Not long after we opened, Pennsylvania laws changed and allowed breweries to have taprooms, which ended up being a huge turning point for us. It gave us the chance to connect directly with people, lean into the hospitality side of things, and start building more of a community around the brand with events and experiences – not just the beer itself.
From there, we grew from our original Croydon location to adding taprooms in Dublin and Harleysville, and expanded distribution across Pennsylvania and into New Jersey and Delaware. Along the way, beers like The Shape of Hops to Come, our flagship Imperial IPA, really helped put us on the map and is still our #1 seller today.
We’ve been fortunate to win a handful of awards at the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup, which is always an honor, but it’s never been the main driver for us. At the end of the day, we brew for ourselves and for the people who drink our beer – not necessarily for judges.
That mindset has carried through everything we do. We’re not afraid to experiment or get a little weird with it, but the beer always has to deliver. Whether it’s a crisp lager, a hop-forward IPA, or something more off-the-wall, the goal is to make something we’re genuinely excited about and proud to put our name on.
We’ve grown a lot over the years, but the core idea hasn’t really changed – this has always been about creating something for people who don’t follow the crowd. Brewed for misfits has been the mentality since day one, and it still is.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not! The craft beer industry has changed a ton since we started in 2012 and we’ve had to evolve right along with it.
In the early days, the challenge was trying to keep up with demand – we couldn’t brew enough beer. On the flip side, there have also been times where we’ve had to make the tough call to pull beer that didn’t meet our standards, which is never easy but always the right move.
Then you’ve got everything else that comes with running a business over that span of time – the pandemic being a huge one, along with constantly shifting trends and drinking habits. What people want today isn’t always what they wanted five years ago, or even last year.
The good thing is we’ve always been a relatively small, scrappy operation, and that’s worked in our favor. It lets us stay nimble, adapt quickly, and keep doing things our own way without getting too locked into any one path.
As you know, we’re big fans of Neshaminy Creek Brewing Co.. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
One thing that makes our brewery unique is of course our people and the creativity they bring to everything we do from beers to taproom events and experiences. We really lean into our interests and fandoms while welcoming our customers to let their freak flags fly. We try to be our authentic selves and hope that comes through.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
One of the biggest risks we’ve taken was a full rebrand in 2022. Up to that point, we had built a strong reputation, and a lot of that was tied to our original label art and overall look. People really connected with it, so changing that wasn’t something we took lightly. There’s always a fear that you could alienate longtime fans or lose some of that built-in recognition.
At the same time, the brewery had evolved a lot since we first started. The beer, the vibe, the taprooms, the audience – it had all grown, and the brand needed to catch up to that. So it became a bit of a tightrope act – how do you move forward without losing the identity that got you there in the first place?
We spent a lot of time making sure the new look still felt like us – just sharper and more in line with where we were headed. In the end, it paid off. The rebrand helped us better tell our story and stand out on shelves, while still resonating with the people who have been with us from the beginning.
That experience really reinforced how we think about risk overall. We’re not reckless, but we’re also not afraid to make a move when it feels necessary. Whether it’s trying a new beer style, opening a new taproom, or rethinking the brand itself, we’d rather take a calculated risk than play it safe and get left behind.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.neshaminycreekbrewing.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neshaminycreekbrewingco
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neshaminycreekbrewing
