Above: Twisted Irons founders Dave Markle (l) and Matt Found.
By Scott Pruden
Photos by Joe Hoddinott / Phojoegraphy
The guys who built a thriving craft brewery around their shared frustration with golf cordially invite you to play a round on the links while satisfying your craving for one of their tasty brews.
But don’t look for a Twisted Irons Craft Brewing pop-up at your favorite golf course. Instead, founders Matt Found and Dave Markle are building a high-tech golf simulator next door to their thriving Newark brewpub. It’s yet another clever play on the golf theme from the team that launched their shared venture back in 2021, just as the world was recovering from widespread COVID-19 lockdowns but still limiting occupancy at public gathering spaces.
Given the links-related theme, the team considered the idea for a golf simulator as Twisted Irons initially got rolling, says Markle.
“It was knocked around early as an idea, but we didn’t have the space to support something like that,” he says. “And it was a question of how many things we wanted to take on.”
However, after buying the space adjacent to the existing brewpub building in July of 2023, the limitations disappeared, allowing Twisted Irons to expand from 3,000 to 6,000 square feet. The added room initially made it possible for Twisted Irons to add extra office and inventory space, as well as an automated canning line to replace the hand canning setup they had used since they opened.
Maximizing the Experience
Meanwhile, they knew that if they added the simulator, they wanted to make sure they did it right.
Brandon Gouge brewing on Twisted Irons’ new small-batch system.
“Once we had expansion capabilities, we started really brainstorming the golf simulator — the concept of the idea and the business model that we wanted,” Found says. “Then we started to work with an architect to design it and go through the permitting process, the general contractors, build-outs, the inspections, all that.”
With the simulator set to open this month, the pair are making sure they provide a great golfing experience to complement their hand-crafted beers. Session times will run three hours, which they estimate is the ideal time for a foursome to finish 18 holes. Reservations are highly recommended.
Music and Mission
Two of the things both Found and Markle have focused on since opening — live music and supporting charities to fight breast cancer — remain steadfast in the Twisted Irons philosophy. The brewpub books local bands consistently, holds Music Video Bingo and features a regular open-mic night.
Twisted Irons plans to have its golf simulator ready for action this month.
With crowds of regulars for the popular open-mic nights and new visitors rotating through to see various bands, the music keeps the customer base vibrant and consistent, says Joe Hoddinott, who in addition to handling marketing for Twisted Irons is also the mastermind behind the pinup/comic art labels that adorn the brewpub’s cans.
“So, it’s almost like our different nights have different crowds, whereas the weekends we tend to get a lot of new faces that I think a lot of the bands tend to bring in,” he says. “Matt is a musician, and I think he just realizes the importance of having a space for musicians to come play and what it does for the venue.”
Meanwhile, Twisted Irons’ commitment to supporting breast cancer charities comes from personal connections with breast cancer survivors in the brewpub family, Hoddinott says. The brewery donates $1 from the sale of each pint of its Pinipple IPA to the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition. This year marks Twisted Irons’ third annual F*ck Cancer Charity Benefit held last month and they will again sponsor Delcastle Golf Course’s annual Drive Out Cancer event on Oct. 14.
New Face, New Flavors
Twisted Irons’ Pinipple IPA. “Pi-nipple” was named by one of the brewery’s regulars who battled breast cancer.
While Found has served as brewmaster since Twisted Irons’ opening, this year the team added Brandon Gouge (formerly of Mispillion River Brewing Company, Milford) as an additional brewer. And with Gouge came a welcome taste for additional experimentation.
The brewery’s five-gallon “small batch” system allows brewers to play with new flavors without the commitment of creating an entire barrel run, Hoddinott says. The result is small-batch beers that give the brewers a chance to try something new and gauge the response of customers. Gouge has also begun experimenting with beers aged in wine and liquor barrels to build more complex flavor profiles.
“There’s been nine or 10 of them now, and all have been pretty successful,” Found says. “We get to make something a little quirky or weird or something that we might not be able to get away with — or we’re not sure on the bigger production system.”
— For events and new releases visit TwistedIronsBrewery.com.
