There really was a Zed! Zed was the nickname of Geoff’s Great Grandfather who lived in Hungary his entire life. And the coolest thing about him is that he used to brew beer back in the late 1800’s! The city he spent his whole life in, Chop, would have a few big get togethers–kind of like a big block party. And Zed would brew beer for the occasion! When Geoff and Lori started homebrewing they would jokingly call their brews “Zed’s Beer.” So when they decided to go pro, the name just stuck!
Most asked questions about Zed:
- Yes he was a real person.
- No, we never met him. He passed sometime around 1910
- Yes, that is his picture looking over the tasting room
- No, we’re not sure why he’s dressed like that, given he was a coal miner
- Yes, it is one hell of a mustache!
- No, we don’t know what he brewed. BUT our “anniversary beer,” Zed’s Original MarZen Hungarian Lager, is made with ingredients he would have had access to. We use grain, hops and yeast that were accessible to someone in that part of Hungary in the late 1800’s–we even change the water profile! So is it what he made? No idea. But we like to think it is! Available yearly for our Anniversay, September 9.
