BrewHaHa Brewing Company 2024: It’s All In The Brew!

Pete Ballou, a veteran and entrepreneur, launched BrewHaha Brewing Company in 2018 as Rockingham County’s first approved nano-brewery, driven by a passion for craft beer and community. Pete is the sole brewer at BrewHaha, continuing the commitment to crafting high-quality beer and creating a welcoming space for beer enthusiasts. DeliveryRank explores more about BrewHaha Brewing's journey and its vibrant, community-focused ethos.

Pete, BrewHaHa Brewing was born out of a love for both beer and comedy. How has this unique combination influenced your brewing philosophy and the atmosphere at the brewery?

A lot of times I think of the name of the beer first with comedy in mind and then I proceed to build a recipe around the beer.  I do thorough research on the beer style I have chosen and compare notes from those successful before me and then tweak it to my style of brewing.  The atmosphere within our location is like a hometown bar.  Everyone is welcomed in and when they are enjoying their beverages they may get a taste of comedy and then everyone gets in the middles of the action…sharing jokes laughing and just having an overall great time.  A lot of people come into a bar to forget their daily headache and we try to help them with that all while sharing knowledge of beer and having fun. 

Your Brown Ale pays homage to a "legendary" Virginia brewery while introducing your take on the style. How do you balance tradition with innovation in crafting your signature beers?

I appreciate traditional beers, as do many others, but sometimes it’s exciting to make a slight twist to keep things fresh. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel when you already have a solid base or a beloved classic—why not experiment with a unique twist and see what new flavors emerge? Over the past year, I’ve reimagined three of my traditional beers with creative adjustments.

For instance, I took my Richard Cranium Kolsch, a classic German-style Kolsch, and added blueberries to it last summer. We even served it with a spoonful of fresh blueberries in-house for an extra burst of flavor. This new twist has since become “Little Boy Blue,” a blueberry-infused Kolsch.

This spring and summer, I used the same Kolsch base but added mojito-lime, creating “Panama Pete,” which quickly became a fan favorite.

Then there’s BrewHaHa Brown Ale, and my most popular variant to date, “Fluffy Nuts,” which features chocolate, peanut butter, and marshmallow—an irresistible combination.

In a world where so many breweries constantly churn out new products, it’s easy to overlook the classics that brought success. As my experiments show, you don’t have to start from scratch—sometimes, all it takes is a little creativity with what you’ve already perfected.

Several of your beers, such as "We Got This IPA" and "Hoptimist Prime," have personal stories behind them. How do these narratives shape the brewing process and your connection with your customers?

A great beer or seltzer is made even better with a story behind it. People enjoy the taste, but when they connect with the meaning or memory behind the product, their appreciation deepens. Take Hoptimist, for example. The name itself celebrates the spirit of craft beer, defined as “someone who enjoys a good craft beer.” But for me, Hoptimist carries a very personal memory—it was the last beer I shared with my father on Father’s Day in 2023, just one month before he passed. I have a video from that day, one last recording of us enjoying a beer together.

Then there’s We Got This—a message I gave to my dad as he prepared to let go. I reassured him that everything he cared about would be taken care of, from the family to the property I manage for him, to the brewery itself. With “We Got This,” I wanted to tell him, “You can rest easy; we’ve got things covered.”

The BrewHaha Comedy Tours started as a way to make brewery tours more engaging and fun. How do you envision the future of the craft beer industry in terms of experiential brewing—where the focus goes beyond just the product and involves engaging the audience through humor, personal connections, and interactive events?

In this industry, as in life, adapting and evolving is crucial to staying in business. Many venues rely on staples like trivia, bingo, and music, but we aim to explore beyond the usual. For example, we’ve been producing our own comedy shows and will continue to do so, with plans to take our brand on tour next year across Virginia and beyond. For music, we prioritize local artists who perform original songs, avoiding cover sets, and we’re reimagining game nights with fresh concepts.

As we look to future beer festivals, we know the “buy now and save” model isn’t as effective as it used to be. Our new approach will include a two-day festival with on-site beer ticket sales, ensuring no one feels left out if they didn’t hear about the event beforehand. The industry as a whole needs fresh approaches to bring in customers, and a great customer experience is key. That starts with a friendly welcome and an interest in what brings each guest to our venue, which also helps us understand which marketing channels are working.

Once customers are hooked on our beer, our staff follows the “ABS” rule: Always Be Selling. For example, before a guest closes their tab, they might be asked if they’d like a beer to go in a can or growler. And when we promote our branded merchandise, we also mention that 15% of proceeds go toward hurricane relief efforts. This strategy isn’t just about sales; it’s about building relationships and showing customers that our community values align with theirs.

You’ve expanded from local tours to festivals like the 'Be Happy Beer Fest.' What are your goals for future events, and how do you plan to continue growing the BrewHaha brand both regionally and nationally?

Regionally besides our Be Happy Beer Fest we plan to get into self distribution.  We will also be attending more beer festivals to bring our product to the masses and attending more national events.  We just got invited to our 1st Beer Festival in Cocoa, FL run by “Dirty Oar Brewing” on 1/31/24-2/1/25.  This event raises money for mental health awareness for police/fire/& ems.  

You will also see other big moves from us as we expand into our back building and can then get more butts in seats!

More to come…stay tuned!

If you would like to find out more about BrewHaHa Brewing Company, please visit https://brewhahabrewery.com/