Partner Profile: Dancing Gnome

Welcome to Grow Pittsburgh’s Partner Profile, a series we started to shine a light on some of the local businesses and organizations who partner with us to help folks throughout Pittsburgh learn how to grow their own food and enjoy the many benefits of gardening.

For this Partner Profile, we are highlighting Dancing Gnome Brewery. This past year, we partnered with Dancing Gnome and Camp Copeland for a Garden Tool Beer series. To wrap up this partnership, we wanted to highlight Dancing Gnome and its owner Andrew Witchey, to learn a little more about what inspired Andrew for this partnership. 

Grow Pittsburgh: Tell us a little bit about what you do at Dancing Gnome and how long you’ve been brewing beer. 

Andrew Witchey: I founded Dancing Gnome in 2014 and throughout that time I’ve worn every hat, but I’d say if I had to put a title to my role now it would be ‘Director of Operations’. I was always at the helm, but I’ve since been joined by a wonderful group of folks that help to make Dancing Gnome what it is. I was the head brewer for many years, but at this point, I basically just make sure everyone has the tools and resources they need to get things accomplished, both on the production and retail ends. 

GP: In the last few years you’ve partnered with a few local non-profits, including Grow Pittsburgh, for these collaboration series. What inspired you to form these collaborations? 

Andrew: Pittsburgh as a space has always been an important factor in our business and decision making, and nearly all that we do comes from a place of creating, promoting, and elevating our own community within beer, but also the local communities that surround it. 

We tend to focus on environmental aspects of urban living, and how we can better respond to, and co-exist with, our native surroundings. Our business is beer, so I wanted to use the platform to help showcase that greater message by partnering with local non-profits which exemplify the mission. 

GP: What is it that led you to partner with Grow Pittsburgh? 

Andrew:Grow Pittsburgh carries a mission that is incredibly inline with our own goals as a business. I wanted to bring light to your work in educating the community on sustainability and how to partner with our native environment, rather than ignore it. It goes beyond just brewing beer or growing your own garden, though admittedly I love that straightforward aspect just the same! 

GP: What has been your personal favorite beer in the Garden Tool Series?

Andrew:Oh, dang. This is tough. Garden Claw sticks out in my mind, but honestly I thought they were all great beers. I’m definitely biased though! 

GP: What has been your favorite artwork from Camp Copeland featured in the Garden Tool Series beers? 

Andrew: Bypass Pruner was my favorite artwork. It’s so elegant! 

GP: Which featured tool is your favorite? Did you learn about new gardening tools through this collaboration? 

Andrew: Hori Hori is my favorite! I just think it’s incredibly versatile, and also my Dad had one and it was a fun tool to play with as a kid. (Responsibly, of course!) I think we all learned a bunch about tools throughout this series, though. There were many which I was previously unaware of. 

GP: What’s something exciting you have lined up for 2023? 

Andrew:We have a few fun things planned both on the philanthropy side as well as on the business and beer side. Follow along via instagram or our weekly newsletter to keep up to date throughout the year.