Who we are
Sgraffito [skrah-fee-tow] means to scratch away and reveal what is beneath. It is the act of searching for greater meaning beyond what is in plain sight. When we look at beer's history we see it as a format for shared experience and community gathering. Beer was never about the surface value of the product in plain sight, it has been a momentum in civilization. To gather with shared purpose in community is a founding principle of Sgraffito. Our concept seeks to explore the possibilities of third space as a connecting point of the exchanges we have in our everyday communities.
scott graham | he/him
In 2012, Scott began his journey into craft beer through homebrewing while finishing his degree in classical trumpet performance at the University of Miami. Pursuing this passion, he cut his teeth in the industry while aiding in the start up of First Magnitude Brewing in Gainesville, FL eventually yielding gold medals at GABF and World Beer Cup for English Mild and a World Beer Cup silver medal for American Blonde Ale. From there he brewed at a prominent global brewery in New York City (where he met Ariel) before working for four years at Burial Beer Co in Asheville, NC as a head brewer and operations manager. During his tenure at Burial he garnered nods from Craft Beer and Brewing for Best Small Brewery 2022 and sat near the top in many style categories annually. From an early age, Scott was surrounded by many joyful gatherings of friends and family which fostered a deep appreciation for the value of the human connection and how much of a positive force this can be in the world. This was reinforced many times in his career as he watched communities galvanize around causes over beers in the taprooms in which he worked. Scott hopes to combine this sense of community with his wealth of experience to help forge a uniquely welcoming environment for Sgraffito.
ariel schwarz | they/them
Opening a brewery has never just been about the beer for Ariel, but about how we occupy these spaces that have historically brought people together to exchange, to create, to learn, and to celebrate. This third space has been a defining character in Ariel’s connection to craft beverages and forms a bridge to their previous work in nonprofit management. Those qualities are what led them to start homebrewing and join a homebrew club, The Brewminaries, in 2015, whose defining characteristics are founded in education, community and inclusivity. The culture of the club and desire to explore more creative opportunities led them to leaving their work in nonprofit management and getting a job at the local Brooklyn homebrew store, Bitter & Esters. This fully transitioned Ariel into working in the beverage and hospitality industry in 2016. From sales, customer service and production brewing, to brewery operations management, Ariel has excelled at almost every job in the industry. Driven by this milieu, they seek to establish an atmosphere that centers their dedication to producing quality craft beverages with inclusive experiences.