A Visit to ShawneeCraft Brewery

This past summer, Wayne and I met Jason Startari from ShawneeCraft Brewing Company, located in Shawnee on Delaware, PA. They were holding an event at one of the Foodery locations in Philadelphia during Philly Beer Week where we enjoyed their Raspberry Blanche and Session Porter.

Jason and I kept in touch, and he shared updates with us on the brewery and new tasting room, which led to a blog post back in June. I assured Jason that we would visit the new taproom, and while it may have taken awhile, I kept my promise!

On our way to Mount Airy Casino to see Scott Weiland in concert for admittedly the bazillionth time, I insisted that we check out the tasting room at ShawneeCraft. For those who have not been there, the brewery is separate from the brewpub, the Gem and Keystone. If you enter at The Shawnee Inn entrance, the brewery is off to the right. They have branded signs pointing you in the right direction.

Walking up to the brewery, you’ll see remains of the many hop varieties grown in front of the tasting room entrance, and as you enter the tasting room, you’ll notice a seating area, complete with pillows made from old grain bags. You could play a game of English darts, or head right to the bar like I did.

We were greeted by Timothy Meyers, Evangelist, as his business card reads, for ShawneeCraft. They had three beers to sample or purchase pints, which included the Double Pale Ale, Chestnut Braun Ale, and Bourbon Barrel Porter. Tim explained they rotate the three beers offered at the tasting room, but often include the seasonal offerings.

For the non-beer drinker, they recently began serving wines from Galen Glen, including a Riesling and the Stone Cellar Chambourcin.

While sitting at the bar, Tim shared with me some upcoming events the brewery has on tap, including an Ugly Sweater Party on December 14. Another exciting event in December is a brewer party where they will release the Black IPA and Berliner Weisse. The brewers will be behind the bar serving up those beers, offering a great opportunity to chat with the beer crafters themselves. Check the ShawneeCraft Facebook page for more details about this and other events.

Tim then took us on a tour of the brewery, which began in the barrel room. I was impressed by the amount of barrels and am intrigued to visit more often in order to try these creations. The barrels are currently filled with a Kriek, and Oude Bruin, a Bourbon Barrel Porter, among others.

Next stop we checked out the lineup of beautiful fermenters, of which they plan to add more. We noticed the beautiful wooden doors with ironwork, and Tim shared with us that a local artist does all of their iron work.

Tim then showed us their iron brander, which they’ve used to brand many things, including the bar stools in the tasting room.

Back at the bar, I chatted with Jim from Marshalls Creek, PA, who has been enjoying the brews of ShawneeCreek for quite some time. He had an interesting bottle sitting in front of him, which was ShawneeCreek’s VSOP, Very Special Old Pale. This 8.0% ABV old pale ale is aged in apple brandy barrels to achieve a subtle hop bitterness beneath layers of oak, apple, caramel, and leather. They describe the beer as strong, rich, and complex.

Well, of course I had to pick up a bottle of that! Perhaps I’ll feature it on a future episode of Beer Busters or as a New Brew Review, as long as I don’t drink it first!

Brewery tours are currently offered Wednesdays through Saturdays at noon. Tours start in the main lobby of The Shawnee Inn. To secure a spot, register with the Concierge 15 minutes in advance.

Next, Rich and I headed to the Gem and Keystone for a delicious meal before heading to the Mount Airy Casino.

I enjoyed ShawneeCraft’s Pumpkin Saison with my meal. At the pub you can enjoy 6 ounce, 12 ounce, or 16 ounce pours of ShawneeCraft’s “Reliables” and 6 ounce or 10.75 ounce pours of the “Intermittents”. While I definitely recommend a meal at the Gem and Keystone, don’t forget to stop by the tasting room first. It can’t be missed!