Erie Brewing Company

Location| Erie, Pennsylvania, United States
Opened| 1993
Owned by| Rob Lowther
Website| eriebrewingco.com
Active beers
| Name | Type

|

Bayfront Blonde | Blonde-style ale
Derailed Black Cherry Ale | Cream ale
Final Destination | India pale ale
Mad Anthony's APA | American pale ale
Misery Bay IPA | India pale ale
Railbender Ale | Scottish-style ale
Seasonal beers
| Name | Type

|

Erie Oktoberfest | Oktoberfest lager
Johnny Rails | Pumpkin ale
Ol' Red Cease & Desist | Wee heavy ale
Soleil Shandy | Shandy
Skipper's Stout | Stout

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]

1. ^ a b Bryson 2010, p. 276.
2. ^ a b Bryson 2010, p. 277.
3. ^ Martin, Jim (December 11, 2006). "Beer biz hops". Erie Times-News. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
4. ^ Martin, Jim (July 24, 2010). "Erie Brewing grows, faces lingering money issues". Erie Times-News. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
5. ^ "Harborcreek supervisors approve Erie Brewing Co. land development plan". Erie Times-News. June 15, 2016. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
6. ^ "Erie Brewing Company is moving to Harborcreek". YourErie.com. June 2, 2016. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
7. ^ Bryson 2010, p. 278.
8. ^ "Bayfront Blonde". Our Brews. Erie Brewing Company. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
9. ^ "Derailed Ale". Our Brews. Erie Brewing Company. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
10. ^ "Erie Oktoberfest". Our Brews. Erie Brewing Company. Archived from the original on August 15, 2016. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
11. ^ "Final Destination". Our Brews. Erie Brewing Company. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
12. ^ "Johnny Rails". Our Brews. Erie Brewing Company. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
13. ^ "Mad Anthony's APA". Our Brews. Erie Brewing Company. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
14. ^ "Misery Bay IPA". Our Brews. Erie Brewing Company. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
15. ^ "Ol' Red Cease and Desist". Our Brews. Erie Brewing Company. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
16. ^ "Railbender". Our Brews. Erie Brewing Company. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
17. ^ "Soleil Shandy". Our Brews. Erie Brewing Company. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
18. ^ "Skipper's Stout". Our Brews. Erie Brewing Company. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
19. ^ "Great American Beer Festival Winners List" (PDF). Great American Beer Festival, Brewers Association. 2008. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
20. ^ "Great American Beer Festival Winners List" (PDF). Great American Beer Festival, Brewers Association. 2009. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
21. ^ "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.

## External links

[edit]

* Erie Brewing Company

Portals:

* Beer
* Pennsylvania