| Collusion Tap Works 105 S Howard St. | York PA 17401 (717) 848-8400 collusiontapworks.com |
Collusion Tap Works, founded by Jared, Chuck, and Doug Barnes is the latest addition to the York beer scene. Located at 105 South Howard Street in York’s Royal Square neighborhood, the brewery opened in August 2016.
You will probably recognize co-owner and head brewer Jared Barnes. He brings experience from Southern Tier Brewing, Darwin Brewing, Mispillion River Brewing, and Wyndridge Farms. In fact, he was on episode 58 of Beer Busters Podcast while brewing for Wyndridge Farms.
Barnes was born and raised in York. He attended the Siebel Institute Master Brewers Course, as well as the Doemens Academy in Munich Germany for Brewing Technology. His beers have won awards at both the World Beer Cup and Great American Beer Festival.
The brewery features 24 taps, flowing with beer, cider, mead, and soda made on site. New beers are released weekly, including specialty beers from Collusion’s barrel aging and sour blending program.
All beers are available in full pours (either a pint or tulip depending on style) and sampler size. I highly recommend going the sampler route to try as many of the creative concoctions as possible.
I really enjoyed the two “Star Wars IPAs” – Darkside, a 7.5% ABV Black IPA, and Lightside, 7.5% ABV White IPA. Patrons that brought in their ticket stub from Rogue One enjoyed a pint on the house!
A few of the more unique beers included Mandragora, a black truffle and black garlic brown ale, Fuzzy Scrumpit, an IPA with fresh white peaches and pink guava, and Kuytie Pie, a 4.8% ABV Dutch Kuyt beer (style brewed with 45% oat malt, 35% barley malt and 20% wheat malt).
The fruit-forward sour beers are what I enjoyed the most. Dole, a 10% ABV imperial cherry Berliner Weisse and Nectar Jams, a 5% ABV Berliner Weisse with passionfruit and guava, were my two favorite beers of the night.
Some beers are available to go in crowlers or growlers. Collusion also periodically releases beers in bottles. Two versions of Betrayal, the 12% Russian Imperial Stout, were released in December. One version was bourbon barrel aged Betrayal and the other was Cabernet Sauvignon barrel aged Betrayal with Montmorency cherries
Collusion Tap Works is open Monday to Wednesday 4 to 10 PM, Thursday 4 PM to midnight, Friday and Saturday noon to midnight, and Sunday noon to 8 PM.
