From Gilded Otter to Seoul and Back
by Mark Marnell
markmarnell@yahoo.com
You might sat that brewer Mark Peffer’s beer world has turned 360. Before entering into the brewing industry, he worked 24 years at A&P specializing in frozen foods and was a Heavy Metal Singer in the band Blackened Sky.
Mark began his second career in brewing as an ass’t brewer for the Gilded Otter, a position that he found through Vocation Vacations. For a fee, they place you in a job for a short period of time to see if you will like it. Mark enjoyed it so much that when his 6-month stint was up in Jan. 2014, he landed his next job at Bull and Barrel Brewpub in Brewster where he stayed through May 2018. From there he was hired to help start up Jafa Craft Brewery in Seoul, South Korea.
When he arrived in Seoul, much of the permitting process was incomplete and there were several difficult government hurdles that had not been completely understood by the owner. Despite his best efforts to assist in opening up the brewery, red tape ultimately prevailed so he headed back to the US and landed a Head Brewer job, once again, at the Gilded Otter. He brings with him a new spin to the beer slate, and is busy tweaking some recipes while introducing new ones. His current tap list includes 5.6% Wallkill River American Wheat, 6% Awosting Amber, 7% Winter Wassail, 6% Three Pines IPA brewed with Chinook, Columbus Cryo, Cascade and Citra and dry hopped with Cascades and Citra, 5.5% Pumpkin Ale, spiced with pie spices, 9% Imperial Stout, an Altbier and a new 6.5% NEIPA, made with Columbus Cryo, late additions of Azacca, and dry hopped with lots of Citra. Currently his best sellers are the NEIPA and Walkill Wheat. There is also a new menu so if you have not been out to the brewhouse in a while, check out his new beers and the new food.
