Frank Samson is the Co-founder and Head Brewer of South Australia’s Prancing Pony Brewery. After more than a decade in science, he made the bold decision to follow his love of flavour and experimentation into the world of brewing beer.
Operating for almost 13 years and remaining proudly independent, Prancing Pony’s unique charm and character persists with Samson and his wife Corinna Steeb at the helm.
Like many young Europeans, the couple migrated to Australia from Stuttgart in southern Germany in 1982.
“We were young and adventurous. I hadn’t planned to stay here for good, but I fell in love with the place and we’re still here,” Samson told Beer & Brewer.
At home, he studied engineering and physics, spending 15 years in research as a project and operations manager.
Looking back, Samson said when trained in the scientific method, you approach everything that way, which he believes helped shape the brewer he is today.
“It helped me read texts and learn about making beer. I never went to a brewing school as such, so there was plenty of self-teaching. It also helped with experimentation and developed my love for it.
“It taught me to try things out and, most importantly, document it. I always had the habit even home brewing in the shed. I wrote everything down, and I looked at the numbers until they made sense to me.”
From experiments to brews
The same year he arrived in Australia, Samson began homebrewing as a hobby.
When asked where his love for beer began, Samson said it was flavours that came first.
“I went back in time, and I remembered a moment, maybe as a three-year-old. I pulled myself up on my mum’s stove and I burned my hand. All I wanted to do was smell the onions in the frying pan. I think with beer, at some point I feel in love with the flavours first.”
Following regular work trips to California in the 1990s, Samson was inspired by the emerging craft brewing culture and eventually decided to learn how to replicate those flavours at home.
“I started brewing good beers. I took the biggest pot I could find in the kitchen. I had a couple of over boils and nearly burned the bench top and that’s when Corinna sent me out into the shed,” he joked.
Samson told Beer & Brewer that shed is where Prancing Pony was born.
“I was brewing in bigger and bigger volumes. Then of course, the pantry was full of beer. Eventually I couldn’t remember what bottle was what. I thought I might as well put a sticker on it. I designed the labels on Adobe Publisher, cut it out of paper and stuck it on and I called it Prancing Pony. That label was embroidered with all the gold medals I had never won at the time.”
Finding success
What Samson did not know is that in 2012 he would open the doors to the real Prancing Pony which would go on to become the highly decorated, multi-award-winning brewery it is today.
A major milestone for the brand was in 2016 when Prancing Pony’s India Red Ale won a gold medal, the trophy for best ale, and finally Supreme Champion Beer at the International Beer Challenge (IBC) in London.
“That was such a big moment for us. But it also puts a bit of pressure on you, because then you have to deal with expectations.”
Despite the pressure, Samson has continued to make celebrated beers, most recently taking home nine medals and a champion trophy at the 2025 Royal Adelaide Beer and Cider Awards.
He said what makes his beers special is balance.
“They’re not in your face. I like them to be a little journey. You have your first sip, and you taste this and that, but wait a minute, there’s more lingering in the end and once it’s gone something else is left behind.”
Although Samson’s true key to success he says is trial and error.
“I’m okay with making mistakes. We all make them. What I do before every brew, is taste the previous batch like a beer competition judge and make notes and compare. If I’m happy, I’ll leave it. If I think I can make an improvement, I try it out.”
“I always say master the box first before you go outside it. Everyone is always pushing the boundaries. That’s easy to do if you have very little experience, because you’re always outside the boundaries.”
Beyond flavour and technique, Samson said success would not be possible without Prancing Pony’s community.
“Our venue is very loved. It’s welcoming, warm, cozy and a bit rustic. It makes people feel like they’re having a party in their own shed. We have a great mix of different people coming in. Community is the most important part of what we do. I love it when they love what we do.”
As a result, Prancing Pony often celebrates those who make the business special.
“We do a lot of different events to enhance that feeling and make people part of our journey. Once a year, in February, we even do what we call ‘Beers, Bikes and Blues’. Corinna and I met over beers, bikes and blues in a pub a long time ago.”
Future Plans
Looking ahead, Samson said his goals for Prancing Pony reflect the values at its core.
“I would like to see the brand in more venues. To bring us to people and replicate the community we built here.”
In terms of brewing, Samson said some new styles are on the way.
“For a while we found our people were not too keen on new releases, but they loved seeing something we had done two years ago, come out again.
“But it’s time to do more new things. I want to try a light and easy drinking pilot in spring. Between a lager and pacific ale in experience. I also want to try one of the Belgian style beers soon.”