About

Mike LaRosa began brewing with his father at the age of 17 after discovering a passion for full, flavorful beer; however, while attending school at Albright College, he soon realized that not everyone enjoyed craft beer the way he did. While obtaining his degree in Environmental Studies, Business Administration, and Sociology, he made the first step in turning his brewing hobby into a career. After inquiring to every local brewery about possible internship opportunities, he got an offer from Rock Bottom, located in King of Prussia, PA. Within months, Mike’s hard work and determination prompted his unpaid internship to transition into a paid Assistant Brewer position, under then Head Brewer Brian McConnell. Brian has since left to open Sterling Pig Brewery in Media, PA; however, during their tenure at Rock Bottom, Mike and Brian won a Gold Medal at the Great American Beer Fest for Baltic Style Porter. Mike left Rock Bottom following his graduation from college, and accepted the Head Brewer position for start-up Saucony Creek Craft Brewery. It was during his time there that Mike realized his other passion of building a brewery from the ground up, and the thrill of being a part of a company’s initial growth. After operations were stabilized for Saucony Creek, Mike left to support a handful of breweries in start-up and expansion phases. First, with Manayunk Brewing Company in Manayunk, Pa., Mike worked as an interim Brewer, helping the company convert their brewing system and install new tanks for increased production capacity. Once installation was completed and a new Brewer was in place, Mike headed to Kane Brewing Company, in Ocean, NJ. There, he served as Head Brewer, helping the company develop and implement SOPs, while increasing production from roughly 2,000 barrels a year to over 4,500 barrels a year. From there, Mike joined Tired Hands Brewing Co. in Ardmore, PA, as both Production and Operations Manager. Mike was the first brewer for Tired Hands’ Fermentaria location, and was an integral part in developing and expanding the brewery operations. During his time at all of these breweries he has accumulated a number of awards including RateBeer’s best brewer in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania for multiple years, other Gold Medals from both GABF and World Beer Cup, along with a James Beard Award nomination. In an effort to stay connected to his passions of making great beer and helping companies grow, Mike left Tired Hands and founded MJL Brewery Consulting. With this venture, he looks forward to helping breweries across the country with creative and innovative solutions, while making great beer. In Mike’s limited free time he enjoys spending time with his wife, Melissa, and their two dogs. They enjoy spending as much time as they can boating in Greenport, NY and traveling to any city with great food, and of course beer.