Mid-Atlantic breweries in planning (2020)

I'm sure FB is more up to date. That article came out yesterday, but who knows when it was written.

Odd to open a brewery without any of your own beer. Feel bad for anyone going there thinking they'll be trying new beers and find out it's all guests taps.

 

I guess they must have a different liquor license than a brewery one?

Because he mentions Allagash White as an example of a guest tap, but I thought the brewery licenses only allow for other PA produced beer/cider/wine/liquor.

 

Agreed, they must need the cash flow

 

They're running on both G (brewery) and R (restaurant) licenses.

 

Saw a few mentions of upcoming PA brewery openings. Here's the current announced schedule:

Brew Bank (Ridgway) - opened under the radar back in January
Soundbank (Phoenixville) - opened fall '19 but finally brewing their own beer as of last week
BrewDog (Pittsburgh) - opened yesterday
Troubles End (Collegeville) - March 5th
Pineknotter (Northumberland) - March 6th
Unity (Latrobe) - March 7th
Juniata (Huntingdon) - March 14th

Unannounced but expected imminently (within weeks): Animated, Jackass

Another half dozen or so seem to be on track for early spring.

 

Interesting read about the rise of craft beer in the Hudson Valley of New York. From almost none to 65 local breweries in a very short time.

https://midhudsonnews.com/2020/03/01/craft-beer-brews-and-booms-in-the-hudson-valley/

 

Not for nothing, but Tommy is a great person to speak to. Have had numerous conversations with him over the years, and his insight from his days on LI to now is impressive.

OTOH that certainly didn't come across in the article so well, to say the least. It was short and had enough meat that I thought it might be good for a little read here. Certainly the subject deserves expanded and better treatment.

 

If it ever opens you will have a 2fer in Summit Bull & Bear Brewing.

 

I certainly hope I open. I've spent too much money not to open Bull N Bear. I can relate on the frustration of waiting though and I'm just as anxious as you guys are (and it has nothing to do with paying rent and interest on massive loans). In the end it's my fault for trusting others on their time lines and communicating that to the public as anywhere close to fact. I'm being pretty silent on all the exact details of the set backs as I still have professional relationships with certain parties and need them to deliver. Things seem to be moving pretty fast now and the General Contractor says about 3 weeks until he is done. That's somewhere in April I might be able to start brewing so.... heres hoping.

The test batch beers Mike Formisano and I are making at my house are coming out really well. I believe you guys will really like them. It's a good mix. Mike is more of a traditionalist to the styles and I like mixing it up every now and them and pushing him to the fringe. Mike's a big malt guy, the assistant brewer is a hop head and I've been on a yeast kick for the last 7 years so theres something for everybody.

We're dropping some beers off for Mat at Massive Beer Reviews this Friday. So that's something between now and opening to get a virtual taste. Though he didn't mention when he was going to taste them or post the video. Guess I'll ask Friday.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCieC-FWFmBFWiDzKxhfk08Q

BTW construction never "stopped" contrary to a post I read (though I would agree it slowed to a snails pace at one point which caused many naughty words). Some rumors started flying around Summit that I had bailed because my good neighbor Lash Lounge moved in next door and people didn't realize that the location is actually 2 addresses. 425 and 423. That's forgivable as the Summit Food Market that occupied both spaces previously had been there for like 80 years. Even the post office was confused. To prove it was in fact 2 addresses we had to break out an old city plan that was drawn on papyrus on which George Washington had left a coffee mug stain cause all the tea was still in Boston Harbor. Serious it was a really really old hand inked map. Oh and I'm getting mail now.

(Another) NJ Brewery being named after an animal(s):

First: It's really hard to name stuff. Most names are already trademarked or the URL is taken or they have no meaning to you (the owner) or anyone else. So when someone asks why did you name the brewery that, do you say "cause the URL wasn't taken and it posed the lowest estimate of litigation expense"? ...No thats not gonna fly. Or "I was talking with my dad about building a brewery on this weird named street and that's why I named my brewery after what sounds like a decapitated dogfish"? Not anymore, those days are gone. As soon as you find a match to most of your criteria you pull the trigger and Trademark, grab URL, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. (all in the same day or people take it and sell/ransom it off to you)

Second: Summit is a finance town (and I was in finance so it made sense). Its population is 40% finance related. Plus the finance world has its own language, so this opens the door for me to name beers with a theme that very few other breweries are using to name their beers. (The reject brewery names will probably show up as beer names so those'll be some fun Easter Eggs for those so inclined.)

Finally: In the end I picked 2 animals that people recognize in general which makes the brand approachable. But some people will recognize that those 2 animals actually represent the capital markets which was a big part of my life and the reason this brewery exists (or any business for that matter). And some people will further recognize that they represent my own internal struggle with Art vs Business, thinking this brewery idea is awesome vs crazy, staying within style guidelines vs throwing the style book out the window. Or the general human condition of being pulled in 2 directions by powerful forces and having to find that equilibrium/balance that is essential in life, investing and beer. All that, AND .... the Trademark and URL weren't taken at the time.

It's all about making great beer and drinking great beer with great people. All the rest is just packaging.

Cheers to you all.

Will Dodge
Bull N Bear Brewery

 

Thanks for posting and good luck to you. I guess we are in a Bear Market now!

 

Hemauer is scheduled to open their taproom in Mechanicsburg PA sometime in April

 

I feel bad with all the hard work and money that I am sure went into it for anyone opening up a Brewery in the current climate.

 

Interesting thread. Informative site, PA Brew Review !

 

Thank you for the kind words @JackHorzempa and @BeerIsland ... you can be among the first to hear about our new deal. We're half-jokingly calling it the PA Brew Review stimulus, but it's for real:

Buy one get one free $10 gift cards*

1) Buy a $10 gift card to an independent craft PA brewery on or after 3/21/20
2) Send proof of the purchase to [email protected]
3) We'll set you up with another $10 gift card to that brewery

* Limit one offer per person. Limited to the first 100 redemptions. We reserve the right, at our discretion, to refuse redemption if it appears you're trying to violate the terms.

Let's all support PA breweries during this tough time, cheers!

 

The silver lining in this whole mess is that it's still relatively easy to get beer into our homes (at least in NY) while maintaining #socialdistancing. Asides from the stuff that you mentioned, there is also some limited distro that we normally don't see. My local bottle shop got some EQ beer in that they bring right to your car. In this situation being stuck at home and getting beer delivered right to my door, I'm probably drinking more now than before all this crap started.