Rob Dillman, Zachary Gordon, and Josh Taylor
Old Thunder Brewing Company | Pittsburgh, PA
July 2025
Josh Taylor started off in the corporate world, but, while working those nine-to-fives, he felt something was missing. So, he found a hobby: brewing. He started volunteering at Brew Gentlemen in Braddock, Pennsylvania, where he connected with friends and future business partners, Zachary Gordon and Rob Dillman.
Gordon has been in hospitality since high school, and graduated with a degree in hospitality management from Penn State. Looking to turn his homebrewing pursuits into a career, he joined the team at Thirsty Dog in Akron, Ohio. Gordon was thrown into the deep end, learning the ins and outs of beer-making at the high-volume production brewery. In 2014, he moved to Brew Gentlemen as head brewer, developing recipes for the craft brewery over the next five years before moving to Dancing Gnome Brewery, where he worked while getting ready to open Old Thunder.
Dillman first developed an interest in beer while bartending in high school. He started homebrewing in college at Penn State and, after graduating, continued alongside Gordon, his hometown friend. While Gordon went on to pursue brewing in Ohio, Dillman moved to Alabama to attend law school. Wanting to be closer to family, and to open a brewery of his own, he moved back to Pennsylvania and started working at Brew Gentleman on the side while continuing to study law.
In 2018, Taylor, Gordon, and Dillman began envisioning their own brewery. In December 2020, they opened Old Thunder Brewing Company in the Blawnox borough of Allegheny County and officially opened their tap room a few months later. Since then, they have continued to brew classic, sessionable beers, from their 340 Lager to their Saison Never Sleeps, while hosting exciting events for the local community. Now, the trio is focused on growing their team and looking to the future, with the goal of expanding the Old Thunder brand beyond Southwestern Pennsylvania.
