"Entrepreneurship is not for everyone, but nothing give me more purpose in life than being an entrepreneur."
The Philippine craft beer industry is still very young and challenging, but Stephen Co believes in Filipino creativity and food innovation so much that he started Nipa Brew Craft Beers. Stephen beams with much passion and joy as he talks about his love for science and entrepreneurship that led him to pursue creating craft beers inspired by Philippine flavors, climates and sceneries.
We ask Stephen about his passion and his life as an entrepreneur in the craft beer industry.
Tell us something about your business and your work.
Nipa Brew operates a microbrewery focused on creating craft beers and beverages using local ingredients. I plan to put up a food and agribiotech research lab in the future to work on global food security issues.
What inspired you to put up your own brewhouse?
My two passions in life have always been science and entrepreneurship. I believe that I can promote science entrepreneurship and Filipino creativity through food innovations such as craft beverages.
What's your favorite thing about being an entrepreneur?
Entrepreneurship is making people happy, not only my customers, but also my team. Basically it's about having an impact on people's lives.
Tell us more about Nipa Brew Taproom & Brewhouse!
Nipa Brew Taproom & Brewhouse is a space where we can talk directly to our customers about craft beer and promote the industry as a whole. You can visit our brewery, too!
What do you think is the most important thing in maintaining your kind of business?
Passion. I would have quit a long time ago, if not for the passion.
Could you share with us your personal favorite craft beer and the inspiration behind it?
My favorite Nipa Brew beer is Drop Zone. It’s a dark brown ale that’s big on flavor, but still very easy to drink. My favorite part is its strong dark chocolate notes.
There’s no stopping Stephen now, as he further dreams of developing more food products that will showcase what the Philippines can offer. There is still so much to do in building the craft beer industry, and so much more barriers to overcome. But despite the challenges that comes with entrepreneurship and setting up a business in a relatively young industry, Stephen says – “Good thing I can have a beer to relax with everyday.”
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Check out Nipa Brew here:
- @nipabrew in Instagram, Facebook
- @stephen_co in Instagram, Twitter.
