This year, 9 new breweries are coming to central Pennsylvania (2023)

Beer drinkers in central Pennsylvania have a lot to look forward to in 2019.

At least nine new breweries have big plans this year, some closer to opening than others.

Here you can read who is expected to turn on the tap or at least move projects forward in the coming months.

1.Devil's eye brew

Devil's Eye is scheduled for April at the former Flapjack's Pub & Restaurant at 9 N.U.S. Route 15 opens in Dillsburg.

The brewery will feature a restaurant, a bar serving local wines and spirits, and a terrace with outdoor seating. Co-owner Holly Ann Amig joins the project from a restaurant background and has worked in the industry her entire adult life.

"I'm just tired of working for everyone. I wanted to do a lot of things that you just can't do as an employee," she said.

She is convinced that food is a necessary complement to beer.

"If people are going to have a drink, they need food," Amig said, adding that without food, they'll go elsewhere. "That keeps her here."

Devil's Eye serves pub-friendly fare such as wings, burgers, grilled cheese, pizza, sandwiches, steaks, and seafood, plus a kid's menu.

On the beer side, part-time brewers will work together to create a Devil's Eye portfolio with multiple different styles, Amig said. Initially, six draft beers will be offered, later expanded to ten.

2.Highway Manor Brewing

Nearly four years ago, Johnnie Compton III opened Highway Manor in Lower Allen Township, specializing in adventurous sours and funky beers. The nearly 30 products are sold primarily in Philadelphia and New York City, as well as here in central Pennsylvania.

Now Compton has his eye on the next project: building a 100-seat tasting room at the brewery, which should open sometime this year. For the first time, the public can take their seats at Highway Manor at 2238 Gettysburg Road.

Compton admits he wasn't particularly keen on getting into the hospitality industry, but it's a logical next step to maintain Highway Manor's relevance to beer drinkers.

“Many people are interested in beer. There's a lot of education out there about what we do and how we do it," Compton said.

The tasting room—which is by no means intended to be a sour beer bar—serves beer cocktails, natural wines, and ciders, blended with some of Compton's most popular sour beers from other breweries to create a booze hub. A 12-beer keg line combines Highway Manor beers with guest beers.

As for food, Compton said he wants to start with a simple menu of pub favorites.

3.Juniata Brewery

The newly established brewery will be a first for Huntingdon County. CEO Sean Steeg, who said a career change and an early midlife crisis sparked the idea to start Juniata Brewing Company, has partnered with brewmaster David Welsch.

"My deal with him is that you provide the beer and I'll take care of the rest," said Steeg.

They hope to announce the Huntingdon brewery address soon and open in time for Juniata College's homecoming in September.

A small factory and a five-vessel brewing system are planned. You recently purchased equipment from GearHouse Brewing Company. The tasting room can accommodate up to 60 people.

“As you may have heard, we are young and inexperienced, so we wanted to keep the scope of our work manageable and give us room to grow,” said Steeg.

In terms of beer styles, Welsch said Juniata Brewing won't follow a specific style, but will produce a mix of classic and newer styles, such as New England IPAs. He admits to having a preference for Belgian beers, stouts and porters and acknowledges that the portfolio should be broad enough to appeal to different beer drinkers.

4.Lindgren Craft Brewery

Father-son duo Clifford and Michael Lindgren hope to make the jump from a two-cylinder pilot system to something bigger in 2019.

The Lindgren's are eyeing an estate in Duncannon, where they will expand production to 20 casks and open a tasting room in conjunction with a restaurant. They hope to complete the plans this year.

They currently brew favorites like I Love Mary Jane (Tropical Duncannon Style) IPA and Weak in the Knees Pale Ale on the family's Penn Township farm in Perry County. The beers are on tap at Mastracchio's Restaurant & Lounge in Newport and Sorrento's Bar & Lounge in Duncannon.

“It was always the case that one day we would start a company together,” said the younger Lindgren.

After graduation, Michael Lindgren worked at the Appalachian Brewing Company where he met Jason Simmons, who was hired as Lindgren's head brewer. Simmons has more than 15 years of industry experience.

“We want to be able to brew really interesting beers that people will enjoy,” says Michael.

One of their experiments was a beer brewed with sweet potatoes. "It was very light and spicy with a slight sweetness and it's probably one of our most popular beers," he said.

5.Red Lion Alesmiths

Three converted "beer curmudgeons" bring Red Lion Alesmiths to the basement of the Shadesville Hub & Corner Cafe at 157 E. Broadway in Red Lion. Renovations are currently underway for a possible opening in April.

The Broadway Ale House serves eight draft beers and Allegro wines on the ground floor of a new pub bar.

“You could describe the taproom feel we're aiming for as sort of a steampunk theme crossed with a mix of cracker barrel country, Harley style and '70s love child tie-dye. We hope the synergy between us will help bring people back to the heart of Red Lion and revitalize the neighbourhood,” said Chris Grothe, one of the owners.

Red Ale is a collaboration between Grothe and Ed Miller and Rich Day, all lifelong friends and graduates of Red Lion High School in 1984. What was a hobby eventually became more serious as they became more confident in their recipes.

Grothe said that before the friends became serious homebrewers, they drank beer for the alcohol, not the taste. That's why they think it's important to brew unique, groundbreaking beers.

“We believe we can make one of the best craft brews in the region and beyond. Not only that, we believe we can create products that inspire more people to rethink what they drink and why,” said Grothe.

They also hope to fill a community need by providing a place for people to gather, including large groups for meetings or banquets. Multi-course tastings, seminars, tastings, interesting tidbits and beer festivals are scheduled.

6.Fourscore Beer Co.

Brothers Wade and Drew Leedy follow their passion for craft beer.

The owners of Tommy's Pizza in Gettysburg are joining forces with Fourscore Beer Co., a 75-seat brewpub set to open later this spring at 603 S. Washington St. in Gettysburg in a former auto parts store.

"I like good beer and I have for a while, and my brother loved it," said Wade. "The area needed a good home brewery."

Wade is a former homebrewer who handled beer sales at Tommy's, which sells a mix of canned, bottled, and draft beers. The brothers are third generation owners of Tommy's, a restaurant founded by their grandfather.

Fourscore takes its name from President Abraham Lincoln's famous speech and operates on a seven-cylinder system. Ben Little, a former brewmaster at Manor Hill Brewing in Ellicott City, Maryland, was hired as a brewer. There are thirteen beers on tap.

"We'll have a little bit of everything. We'll have the IPAs, some stouts, sours and some lagers,” Wade said.

To match the beer, they serve a small menu of bar items such as appetizers, sandwiches, and salads. (No pizza, by the way.)

7.Hemauer Brewery Co.

Owner Brooks Hemauer takes his passion for home brewing to the commercial level.

He is converting a detached garage at his home in Warrington Township, outside Dillsburg, into a manufacturing facility. Construction work on the brewery is in full swing.

"It's mostly about having a business that can not only support my family, but also reinvest in our local community," he said.

Currently, beers including Dilled Pale Ale and How Now Brown Cow Stout are not for sale, but you can find them at events such as PA Flavor in April. Hemauer said his portfolio will be diverse with something for everyone, eventually including sour beers and keg programs.

If all goes according to plan, he hopes to eventually open a taproom in Dillsburg.

8.Our city brewery

Our city brewery could open as early as late 2019 at 252 N. Prince St. in LancasterLancasterOnline.

There aren't many details, but the 600-square-foot space will house a brewery and a restaurant with about 100 seats. The project is being developed by Rob Patz and Rob Tarves, old friends who once worked together at a Lewisburg brewpub. according to the site.

Tarves has experience at Spring House Brewing Co. and Mad Chef Brewing Co., both in Lancaster.

9.Wolf Brewing Co.

Wolf Brewing pursues the vision of "artfully crafted small-batch creations with distinctive elements".

Brewing has been in business since 2011, when co-owner Derek Wolf began participating in the homebrew business. His fame includes 115 awards from all 50 states with 49 different beers.

Derek and Elaine Wolf have been extremely active in the local beer community, with nearly a dozen collaborations with other breweries and participation in beer festivals and events such as Harrisburg Beer Week. Wolf has numerous awards to show for himself.

Subsequently, the Wolfs open a permanent brewpub in Mechanicsburg. They are in the real estate development phase and hope to start building the brewery late this year or early 2020. The exact location will be announced in the coming months.