Meet a Greenville, SC, Brewer

Fireforge Crafted Beer owners tap Greenville's community feel.

By Kelly Rogers on October 4, 2023

iStock.com/Kar-Tr

After years of perfecting the home brewing process, beer enthusiasts Brian and Nicole Cendrowski opened Fireforge Crafted Beer in downtown Greenville, SC, in 2018. Now, just five years later, their beer is winning hearts – and medals. Fireforge Crafted Brews garnered international recognition at the 2023 World Beer Championships, where their creations received multiple awards, including first place in the Best American Style Lager category.

What was your vision when starting Fireforge, and how has it grown since you opened?

We really wanted to create a community gathering space where people would feel comfortable, whether they were coming straight from work, just got done riding their bikes or simply wanted to come hang out with friends. We flew under the radar for the first three or four years, but we’ve become a fixture in the community now. I would say the biggest evolution over the years has come on the food side. When we first opened, we had two dishes: a hummus plate with pita and toasted pretzels with house-made pimento beer cheese (which we still have on the menu and is our No. 1 selling food item). Now, we have a much larger menu with a lot more offerings.

What makes Fireforge unique?

I think that what separates us from most places is our team and the service and attention they give to our customers. We realized a long time ago that you can get beer anywhere, and there’s so much good food in Greenville that it’s the service aspect that’s really going to separate us. We’re very thorough with our hiring process because we want to make sure we’re bringing the right people onto the team so we can maintain a positive work environment that’s drama free. Our team has a lot of energy and enthusiasm, and that really shines through.

Where do you get inspiration from when creating new flavors?

A lot of that comes from folks on the team. They have ideas about cool ingredients and flavors to incorporate. We like to have fun with it – if somebody has a cool concept, I can translate it into a beer recipe. It’s really a collaborative effort.

What’s your favorite Fireforge beer?

My favorite is a German-style Pilsner called Day on the Lake, which is a nice, crisp, slightly bitter hoppy lager. It’s really smooth, easy to drink and not too high gravity. That’s my go-to.