After a decade of producing spirits and ready-to-drink cocktails in Lansdale, the owners of Boardroom Spirits are adding beer to the mix, writes Emma Dooling for The Philadelphia Business Journal.
Brothers Marat and Vlad Mamedov are launching Gamer Brewing. The new brewing operation is located less than half a mile from their Boardroom Spirits facility on Third Street.
The brothers are leasing about 3,200 square feet at 307 Derstine Avenue and have invested more than $500,000 in the venture.
The move comes as the Philadelphia-area craft beer market grows increasingly competitive. Dozens of breweries are vying for tap handles and shelf space across Montgomery County and the broader suburbs.
No Taproom, But Big Plans
Gamer Brewing will not operate a traditional taproom.
Instead, the company plans to produce its own beers. It will offer contract brewing services for other brands and explore partnerships with restaurant operators interested in opening satellite brewery concepts.
That arrangement could give local restaurateurs a turnkey path into the craft beer business without building a facility of their own.
The Lineup
Tap a style to learn more
Lager
Lager family
ABV range
4–5%
Bitterness
Low
Color
Pale gold
The world’s most popular beer style. Lagers ferment cold and slow using bottom-fermenting yeast, producing a clean, crisp finish with little fruity character. Light-bodied and highly drinkable, they’re designed to be refreshing above all else.
Examples: Pilsner Urquell, Stella Artois, Yuengling
Light lager
Lager family
ABV range
2.5–4.2%
Bitterness
Very low
Color
Pale straw
Light lagers reduce calories and alcohol by using less malt. The result is a very thin, highly carbonated beer with minimal flavor. Popular with calorie-conscious drinkers. Styles like Gamer Brewing’s Mega Light (65 cal, 2.7% ABV) push the category further.
Examples: Bud Light, Miller Lite, Gamer Brewing Mega Light Lager
Pilsner
Lager family
ABV range
4.5–5.5%
Bitterness
Medium
Color
Bright gold
Born in the Czech city of Pilsen in 1842, the pilsner became the template for most commercial lagers. Italian-style pilsners, like the one in Gamer Brewing’s lineup, are drier and more bitter than their Czech cousins, with a clean, snappy finish.
Examples: Birra Moretti, Peroni, Founders PC Pils
Pale ale
Ale family
ABV range
4.5–6%
Bitterness
Medium
Color
Amber gold
The foundational ale style. Pale ales use top-fermenting yeast at warmer temperatures, producing fruity and floral notes alongside the hops. More flavor than a lager, but approachable enough for casual drinkers. The starting point for most hop-forward styles.
Examples: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Yards Brawler, Victory Headwaters
West Coast IPA
Ale family
ABV range
6–7.5%
Bitterness
High
Color
Golden amber
The original American craft IPA. West Coast IPAs are aggressively hopped with Pacific Northwest varieties, producing strong piney, citrusy, and resinous flavors. They finish dry and bitter. A benchmark style that defined the American craft beer movement.
Examples: Stone IPA, Lagunitas IPA, Bell’s Two Hearted
Hazy IPA
Ale family
ABV range
6–8%
Bitterness
Low-medium
Color
Hazy orange
Also called New England IPA or NEIPA. Hazy IPAs are dry-hopped heavily but fermented to reduce bitterness, creating a soft, pillowy mouthfeel and intense tropical fruit flavors. The haze comes from proteins and yeast left in suspension, making it more approachable for those who find West Coast IPAs too bitter.
Examples: Tree House Julius, Trillium Congress St, Other Half All Green
Stout
Ale family
ABV range
4–8%
Bitterness
Medium
Color
Near-black
Stouts get their dark color and roasted flavors from malted barley that has been kilned until nearly burnt. Irish-style stouts, like the one in Gamer Brewing’s lineup, are dry and sessionable rather than thick and sweet. Expect coffee, dark chocolate, and a creamy head.
Examples: Guinness, Left Hand Milk Stout, Yards Brawler
The initial offering will include six year-round beers. They will feature Ultra Light Lager and a 65-calorie Mega Light Lager. They will have a West Coast IPA, a Hazy IPA, an Italian-style Pilsner, and an Irish-style Stout.
A Mexican-style Lager will rotate in seasonally.
The lighter lagers are designed to capture calorie-conscious drinkers. The Mega Light Lager checks in at 2.7% ABV, while the Ultra Light Lager comes in at 4.1%. Both are well below the alcohol content of most craft offerings.
The Lansdale facility is led by brewer Jake Schaffer with consulting support from brewing consultant John Stemmler.
It has a fermentation capacity of approximately 420 barrels. Its first beers are expected to reach select restaurants and retailers in June.
More Than a Gaming Reference
Despite the name, Gamer Brewing casts a wider net than video games. The brand is meant to represent play in many forms, including board games, golf, tailgating, and watching sports, giving it broader lifestyle appeal than a niche gaming identity might suggest.
A Familiar Playbook
For the Mamedovs, the venture echoes Boardroom Spirits’ beginning. The distillery launched in 2016 in a similarly sized facility before growing into one of the best-known craft spirits producers in the Philadelphia suburbs.
The brothers are betting that the same emphasis on quality, consistency, pricing, and service that built Boardroom can translate to beer, a category with a crowded field but enduring local demand.
Learn more about Boardroom Spirits and their upcoming line of beer in The Philadelphia Business Journal.
