About Us

ShawneeCraft®

MISSION

Founded in 2009 and located on the grounds of the Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort on the banks of the Delaware River in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, ShawneeCraft has built a reputation for producing delicious handcrafted, small-batch beers. The brewery maintains a small farm on property to source many of its adjunct ingredients, from pumpkins to honey. ShawneeCraft produces unfiltered and unpasteurized beers free of preservatives and artificial ingredients. Keeping with the company’s credo – “Fidelis in Naturam, in Artem Fidelis,” Latin for “True to Nature, True to the Craft™”, the brewery produces craft beer inspired by the beautiful setting in which the brewery is located.

MEET THE TEAM

Pete Kirkwood

Founder and Family Owner

In 1977, the Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort was purchased from Fred Waring by Charlie Kirkwood, whose family continue to own and operate the resort and its various amenities today. In 2009, following a series of floods that destroyed what was once an indoor hockey rink, Charlie’s third son, Pete, decided it was time to explore the newly expanding craft beer industry. Pairing the bucolic natural setting of Shawnee with the community-focused mindset of the family, Pete recognized that a craft brewery was the perfect addition to the Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort amenities. Through Pete’s creative lens, and entrepreneurial spirit, ShawneeCraft was born. Pete and his family moved to Traverse City Michigan in 2012, where Pete created another craft brewery, The Workshop Brewing Company, and where his wife, Liz, became Executive Director for an amazing non-profit, Flow, which works to protect the waters of the Great Lakes.

Michael Albert

Chief Operating Officer and Family Owner

Born and raised in Prince Edward Island, Canada, Michael Albert took a varied and globe-trotting path to find himself as the Chief Operating Officer of ShawneeCraft. After a decade working oversees in the international humanitarian sector, Michael met Amy Kirkwood – Charlie Kirkwood’s fifth child and only daughter – on the dance floor of a bar in Liberia, West Africa, where they were both living and working. The two were married in 2009, and moved stateside in 2013. After several years working with local and national non-profits, Michael shifted his attention to overseeing the brewery side of his family’s businesses in 2019, where he has helped to grow the business substantially, adding a beer garden, kitchen, and expanding beer production four-fold, since taking over its leadership. Michael remains engaged in various community efforts, serving on several state and local boards. Michael also serves as a locally elected municipal official, Township Supervisor for Smithfield Township. Michael and Amy and their three children live right in the village of Shawnee.

Rob Kiesling

Taproom Manager and Head Chef

Rob joined the ShawneeCraft team in April of 2022, shortly after the arrival of our amazing Italian wood-fired pizza oven and newly built kitchen. Rob brings with him over forty years of experience in the hospitality and food and beverage industries across Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Rob’s roll at ShawneeCraft has progressed steadily and in 2025, Rob expanded his role beyond the kitchen to overseeing our entire amazing Taproom team. Rob continues to use and share his knowledge with our front of house and culinary teams to ensure ShawneeCraft is one of the coolest Taproom’s in the state, with the highest quality of service, and, arguably, some of the best Neapolitan-style pizza in the region.

Ian Detrick

Head Brewer

Pocono born and bred, Ian Detrick is the 3rd generation to work at Shawnee. Ian has more than a decade of professional brewing experience, much of which at ShawneeCraft where he worked through the ranks, from cleaning kegs, to running the whole show. Ian focuses on brewing traditional brews that blend natural, locally sourced ingredients with current and refined brewing techniques. In his spare time he runs a small farm and vineyard with his wife Audra (in fact you can usually find their wine – Eagles Rest – in the ShawneeCraft Taproom), and Ian plays bass for numerous local bands (including in the ShawneeCraft Taproom).

Aimee Gardina

Sales Manager

A proud mom of three and a vibrant part of the Pocono community, Aimee manages sales, distribution and inventory management for ShawneeCraft Brewing Company. When she’s not working, you’ll find her running, lifting at CrossFit, herding soccer parents, or cheering on her kids as they continue to amaze her in everything they do. While Aimee misses the days of skating in the Shawnee hockey rink that was converted into the brewery, she agrees ShawneeCraft is pretty cool too. Please reach out to Aimee if you are interested in carrying ShawneeCraft at your establishment!

ShawneeCraft Locations

In addition to ShawneeCraft’s Taproom, ShawneeCraft beer can be found across the Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort Property, including Shawnee’s Golf Course, The River Room and The Gem and Keystone. ShawneeCraft also maintains an offsite tasting room and pizzeria 30 miles down the Delaware River in the Easton Public Market called Scratch.

You can also find ShawneeCraft brews in restaurants and beers across northeastern Pennsylvania.