CLEVELAND — Beer festival season is kicking off now that warmer weather has rolled in. 

The events typically bring local brewers from across the region together to showcase their beer and have a good time, but running a brewery isn’t always fun, especially in the post-pandemic landscape.

What You Need To Know

  • Owner of Working Class Brewery, Rick Skains, is also a full-time music teacher at an elementary school

  • Skains opened the brewery years back, and at its peak he said he had about 11 people on staff
  • His experience dates back a few decades, when he built his own home-brewing kit

  • For years, he held positions at other local breweries until he felt comfortable going out to start his own

Owner of Working Class Brewery, Rick Skains, is also a full-time music teacher at an elementary school in Cleveland's Public School District.

“I teach pre-k through 8 music here, and I see every child in the school,” Skains said. “So, that’s a big undertaking for any teacher.” 

As you can imagine, teaching keeps him busy, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

But every day when he gets off from school, he heads right to his second gig as the owner and head brewer at Working Class Brewery. 

“We like the name 'Working Class' because it’s who we are,” he said. “I mean, I’m probably the hardest-working man in Cleveland.” 

Skains opened the brewery years back, and at its peak, he said he had about 11 people on staff.

But since the pandemic, Skains and one bartender have been the only people working.

Skains is solely responsible for brewing all their beer, managing the books, cooking food and maintaining the business end.

His bartender handles customer service. 

It’s a lot of work for both of them, but Skains’ love of beer keeps him going. 

“It’s just a challenge to make beer,” he said. “We say it’s a labor of love, but at the end of the day it’s all about the beer. A nice, cold, clean beer. You can’t get it off the shelf.”

His experience dates back a few decades, when he built his own home-brewing kit and taught himself how to make beer.

"Well, got started in my college dormitory,” Skains said.

For years, he held positions at other local breweries until he felt comfortable going out to start his own.

And while that decision means he rarely gets time off, he said he looks forward to events like beer festivals, where he gets to take a break and enjoy beer in the good company of other brewers.

“Most of the time, we’re in the shop working away,” he said. “So, it’s our time to see each other, check out what other guys have been making, and you know, it’s a good place to shop talk.”