Brewery Day Trips
by Emily Kovach
Making Beer and Creating Community at Levante Brewing
This West Chester-based brewery has been exciting local craft beer lovers since its founding in August 2015. Open Wednesday through Sunday, the taproom lines up 17 taps of freshly brewed beer, such as Cloudy and Cumbersome IPA and Kolibri Kölsch. A rotating list of food trucks provide snacking options, and growler and crowler (a 32-ounce can) fills are available for enthusiastic patrons to take home their favorite brews. Levante’s motto is “Elevate your craft,” which the owners live up to with active community and philanthropic engagement. The Chester County Food Bank, SoldierStrong and Brandywine Valley SPCA are just a few of the charities they’ve provided with funding or sponsorships.
Hidden River Brewing Offers Apparitional Brews
Take a drive to Douglassville in Berks County, about an hour outside of Philadelphia, to visit Hidden River Brewing Company, a small brewery and pub housed inside the allegedly haunted, 300-year-old Brinton Lodge. This ambitious brewery has made 240 different beers in a wide variety of styles during its first year and a half in business, offering 12 beers on tap. Hidden River eschews the common model of “flagship” beers, meaning every week between two and four new beers surface, and a few others disappear. They aim to create beer and food that reflects the Southeastern Pennsylvania region, using locally grown fruits, herbs, grains and hops in a number of their beers, while serving up dishes made with local produce, cheese, charcuterie, breads, honey and jams.
Coming Soon…
Later in 2017, keep an eye out for socially responsibly local brewing venture Triple Bottom Brewing Company. This startup is cofounded by three friends, each with a set of expertise that lends itself to the company’s three-pronged mission: great beer, environmental responsibility and workforce development for folks who traditionally have a hard time securing jobs because of homelessness or arrest records. Pictured here are team members Kyle Carney, Tess Hart and Bill Popwell.
