Erie Brewing Company
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| Location | Erie, Pennsylvania, United States | ||||||||||||||
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| Opened | 1993 | ||||||||||||||
| Owned by | Rob Lowther | ||||||||||||||
| Website | eriebrewingco | ||||||||||||||
| Active beers | |||||||||||||||
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| Seasonal beers | |||||||||||||||
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The Erie Brewery Company is an American brewery in Erie, Pennsylvania. Founded as a brewpub in 1993, Erie Brewing transitioned to a full-time brewery in 1999. The brewery has won three medals from the Great American Beer Festival.
History[edit]
The Erie Brewing Company was established in January 1994 as brewpub—a combination brewery and restaurant—called Hoppers that was operated out of Union Station in downtown Erie.[1] In 1999, Hoppers became a full microbrewery, took the name Erie Brewing, and moved into the former Pennsylvania Department of Transportation emissions testing building on West 12th Street.[2] It was the first microbrewery to open in northwestern Pennsylvania.[1] Erie Brewing filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September 2005; the company was restructured and emerged from bankruptcy protection in 2006.[3] A group of 21 investors from the private equity firm Cardinal Equity Associates owned the brewery from 2003 until 2012 when it was sold to its current owner Rob Lowther.[4]
In June 2016, Erie Brewing announced it was to build and relocate to a new 19,900 square feet (1,800 m2) facility in Harborcreek Township at Station Road (Pennsylvania Route 290) and Knowledge Parkway near Interstate 90;[5] the company cited excessive, city fees and taxes for the inability to expand their current brewery and having to leave downtown.[6]
Beer[edit]
The Erie Brewing Company currently produces 6 beers year-round, 5 seasonally, and distributes to 13 states.[7] Railbender Ale is Erie Brewing's best seller and most well-known beer;[2] the beer has won two medals—in 2008 and 2009—from the Great American Beer Festival.
| Name | Style | ABV % | IBU | Availability | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bayfront Blonde | Blonde-style ale | 4.2 | 17 | Year round | [8] |
| Derailed Black Cherry Ale | Cream ale | 5.0 | 17 | Year round | [9] |
| Erie Oktoberfest | Oktoberfest lager | 7.8 | 16 | Seasonal (October) | [10] |
| Final Destination IPA | India pale ale | 7.0 | 60 | Year round | [11] |
| Johnny Rails | Pumpkin ale | 6.5 | 12 | Seasonal (late summer–fall) | [12] |
| Mad Anthony's APA | American pale ale | 5.5 | 40 | Year round | [13] |
| Misery Bay IPA | India pale ale | 6.5 | 75 | Year round | [14] |
| Ol' Red Cease & Desist | Wee heavy ale | 10.1 | 35 | Seasonal (November–December) | [15] |
| Railbender Ale | Scottish-style ale | 6.8 | 26 | Year round | [16] |
| Soleil Shandy | Shandy | 3.5 | 15 | Seasonal (April) | [17] |
| Skipper's Stout | Stout | 7.2 | 14 | Seasonal (November) | [18] |
Awards[edit]
| Name | Award |
|---|---|
| Railbender Ale | 2008 Great American Beer Festival Bronze (Scottish-style ale)[19] 2009 Great American Beer Festival Gold (Scottish-style ale)[20] |
| Derailed Black Cherry Ale | 2011 Great American Beer Festival Bronze (Fruit beer)[21] |
See also[edit]
- List of breweries in Pennsylvania
- List of microbreweries
- List of Great American Beer Festival medalists
References[edit]
- ^ a b Bryson 2010, p. 276.
- ^ a b Bryson 2010, p. 277.
- ^ Martin, Jim (December 11, 2006). "Beer biz hops". Erie Times-News. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
- ^ Martin, Jim (July 24, 2010). "Erie Brewing grows, faces lingering money issues". Erie Times-News. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
- ^ "Harborcreek supervisors approve Erie Brewing Co. land development plan". Erie Times-News. June 15, 2016. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
- ^ "Erie Brewing Company is moving to Harborcreek". YourErie.com. June 2, 2016. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
- ^ Bryson 2010, p. 278.
- ^ "Bayfront Blonde". Our Brews. Erie Brewing Company. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
- ^ "Derailed Ale". Our Brews. Erie Brewing Company. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
- ^ "Erie Oktoberfest". Our Brews. Erie Brewing Company. Archived from the original on August 15, 2016. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
- ^ "Final Destination". Our Brews. Erie Brewing Company. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
- ^ "Johnny Rails". Our Brews. Erie Brewing Company. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
- ^ "Mad Anthony's APA". Our Brews. Erie Brewing Company. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
- ^ "Misery Bay IPA". Our Brews. Erie Brewing Company. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
- ^ "Ol' Red Cease and Desist". Our Brews. Erie Brewing Company. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
- ^ "Railbender". Our Brews. Erie Brewing Company. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
- ^ "Soleil Shandy". Our Brews. Erie Brewing Company. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
- ^ "Skipper's Stout". Our Brews. Erie Brewing Company. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
- ^ "Great American Beer Festival Winners List" (PDF). Great American Beer Festival, Brewers Association. 2008. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
- ^ "Great American Beer Festival Winners List" (PDF). Great American Beer Festival, Brewers Association. 2009. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
- ^ "Great American Beer Festival Winners List" (PDF). Great American Beer Festival, Brewers Association. 2011. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
Sources[edit]
- Bryson, Lew (2010). Pennsylvania Breweries (4th ed.). Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-3641-1.
