About Us

Three Hops Deep – Brewing Beer, Friendship, and Lifelong Learning

We’re just three guys — Lonnie, Robbie, and Chris — who took a shared love of beer and turned it into a homebrewing adventure. We call ourselves Three Hops Deep, not just because we like hops (we really do), but because we’re in deep with this craft — learning, laughing, and brewing better beer one batch at a time.

We all have roots at Newport News Shipyard, though our paths there took a few different turns. Some of us started in the trades, some came through the Apprentice School, and all of us spent years learning, designing, and eventually teaching. Whether it was in Electrical, Piping, or the Training Department, we were hands-on — solving problems, mentoring others, and navigating more than a few software crashes along the way.

It wasn’t just work — it was where we built our skills, helped others grow, and forged friendships that have lasted well beyond the yard.

Robbie retired in 2023 — though he likes to say he just traded blueprints for brew sheets and CAD tools for brew kettles. Lonnie and Chris are still carrying the torch, guiding the next generation and reminding folks (again) that yes, turning it off and on still works.

Now, we’re bringing that same mindset — curiosity, teamwork, and just enough stubbornness — into the world of homebrewing. Every batch is a learning opportunity, every brew day a chance to laugh, improve, and enjoy the process. Just like back in the yard, we’re figuring it out together — one step, one spill, and one boil-over at a time.

Our Tastes & Talents

• Lonnie, our founder, started this whole thing. His beer palate keeps expanding — he’s always open to trying something new and improving our process.
• Robbie, our Malt Mechanic, is the guy who’ll drink any style — from a crisp Kölsch to a chewy imperial stout and 120 IBU IPA’s — and appreciate it. He’s the taste tester, chronicler, the detail man, and a student of beer history.
• Chris, our tinkerer, brings balance, curiosity, and the humor every brew day needs. We’re still working on Chris’s palate, but he is growing.

Why We Brew

We brew to learn.
We brew to connect.
We brew because beer is history, science, community, and creativity — in a glass.

We come from different levels of experience, but we’re constantly feeding each other’s knowledge — from beer styles and fermentation tricks to the odd historical tidbit about how monks cooled wort in the Alps.

What You’ll Find Here

This site is a log of our journey — the recipes we try, the mistakes we make, and the happy surprises that sometimes show up in a bottle. We want to share what we learn, what we love, and maybe inspire a few others to go three hops deep with us.

Cheers! 🍻
Lonnie, Robbie & Chris