John, a master brewer, began at the Siebel Institute in Illinois more than fifteen years ago and has worked for breweries in Vermont, Maryland and Mississippi. Art is an accomplished entrepreneur who has founded other successful businesses. Although he doesn’t boast the same experience brewing, Art feels he has taken so much beer out of the system that the time has come to put some back in. The combination of their backgrounds and experiences, as well as their passions and drive to create good beer, were the perfect ingredients to build Escutcheon Brewing Co.

“When he said he wanted to have our theme be related to the industrial maritime industry I thought, ‘Sure, we’re 150 miles from the ocean – so that makes sense.’ What a jerk.”
– John Hovermale

Art spent some time in the merchant marine and wanted to incorporate that experience into the brewery. As such, the brand name, beer names and even the tap room design all carry a nautical theme.

 “I feel like I’ve taken so much beer out of the system, it was time to put some back in.”
– Art Major

In the mid-1800s, a nearly 30-year-old man named Samuel Plimsoll attempted to become a coal merchant in England.

Although he failed and was reduced to destitution, he learned to sympathize with the struggles of the poor.

When his good fortune returned, he focused his efforts on creating regulations for what were known at the time as “coffin ships.” The corrupt owners of these overloaded and often heavily-insured ships would risk the lives of the crew, knowing that they would benefit whether the ship sank or arrived at its destination.

After many years of fighting, Plimsoll, then a member of the British Parliament, championed a bill known as the Merchant Shipping Act. This new law forced ships to place a mark – known as a Plimsoll Mark – on the hull, indicating the safe limit to which a ship may be loaded, ie. the maximum draft (or how deep the ship sits in the water),  saving countless lives in return.

In honor of Samuel Plimsoll, Escutcheon Brewing Co.’s logo is a Plimsoll Line, forever reminding you, our drinkers, to “Mind Your Draft!