is the founder of the Alpine Goat Brewery, and a first-generation American who has many memories traveling back to Austria to meet up with his family and taking in all the country has to offer. Especially the beer! The ritual and social aspects of spending hours with his family talking, laughing, drinking, and eating good food in a biergarten or beer hall are what drew him to open his own brewery. His dream was to bring a bit of Austria - and his family’s culture and traditions - to his home in Weyers Cave, VA.

“I wanted to bring some of the Alpine flavors I grew up with to the Shenandoah Valley. The Alpine Goat Brewery is a destination location with its Blue Ridge Mountain views, classic European beers, unique food offerings, and sweeping fields perfect for long afternoons sipping craft beers, socializing, or engaging in fun activities. Our tasting room offers the spirit of the big beer hall, where strangers become drinking companions, and everyone is welcome.”

Eric and his wife Kimberly are both serial entrepreneurs who came to the Shenandoah Valley over 30 years ago with big ideas. Eric has a background in science, engineering, and sales and spent 24 years at Merck & Co., Inc.. Now, he’s a serial real estate investor, started a financial strategies business, co-owns a physical therapy clinic with his wife, Kimberly (Certified Hand Therapist), Brian and Dianne Cekada, and is the proud owner of the Alpine Goat Brewery.