Weyerbacher Brewing Company

Weyerbacher Brewing Company is a brewery in Easton, Pennsylvania, United States, founded in 1995 by Dan and Sue Weirback.

History

Weirbach family
Weyerbacher Brewing was founded in 1995 by Dan and Sue Weirbach originally operating out of a repurposed livery stable in downtown Easton. Their beer quickly grew in popularity, and in the mid-2010's they underwent a costly expansion, moving out of their original location to a new 30,000 sqft brewery. In 2018 Weyerbacher's original brewmaster, Chris Wilson, left for another position at Free Will Brewing. Additionally, in 2018 Weyerbacher partnered with White Castle to become their exclusive beer partner, putting their beer on draft in over 400 locations, until bankruptcy in 2019. During their expansion, the craft beer market became saturated and their sales dropped off quickly resulting in Weyerbach having $2.1 million in debt and filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2019. 

Going into the first bankruptcy a Philadelphia based investment firm, 1518 Holdings, was set to purchase a 55% majority stake in the brewery. However, they abandoned these plans and the interim leadership group led by Josh Lampe had to work through the bankruptcy on their own, and ultimately emerged and resumed production, albeit with a much smaller slate of products. Weyerbach opened a second tap house in New Hope in an effort to increase their on-site sales. However, the debts and restructuring from the transfer hampered production, and quickly another $1.5 million of debt was amassed. Chapter 11 bankruptcy was again declared in July 2022 as production was unable to return to pre-2019 levels.

Savant Beverages
Following their second bankruptcy, Weyerbacher was purchased by Savant Beverages LLC, owned by Edwin Lozano, a former executive at the Miller Brewing Company and a resident of Palmer Township. Lozano purchased the company in part due to their brand-recognition as one of the pioneering craft beer producers in Pennsylvania, and the first in the Lehigh Valley.

The new ownership group entered a partnership with the Colony Meadery to share their large brewery to also produce their mead. Lozano is a friend of one of Colony Meadery's co-founders, Greg Heller-LaBelle, who used to run a craft-beer blog and was one of the more respected figures in the Lehigh Valley beer scene before transitioning to mead in 2012. Additionally, the new ownership group has broken with the old tradition of the brewery and began serving food in-house, although produced and catered by the nearby Marquee Kitchen.

After opening their tap-room with limited hours in December 2022, Weyerbacher had a grand reopening in late January 2023. The company hosts a 5K run, the Weyerbacher Hill Challenge, where participants are gifted two free beers for signing up. The comapany has also increased their participation in local brewing events in the Lehigh Valley with other brewers.

Products
Merry Monks: he company's flagship beer, a Belgian tripel ale with an ABV of 9.3%. Merry Monks won a bronze medal at the 2010 World Beer Cup in the Belgian-style tripel category and was named best Belgian beer by Philly Beer Scene in 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2015.

Tiny: A Belgian tripel ale with an 11.8%.

Last Chance IPA: A balanced, citrus-flavored India pale ale

Imperial Pumpkin Ale: A seasonal fall beer with an ABV of 8% and flavored to taste like caramel, toasted bread, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Rico Guave: A 9% ABV sour ale brewed with pineapple and guava. The beer was designed to taste tropical and tart.

Warborn Pale Ale: A partnership with the death metal band The Black Dahlia Murder named after the closing track of their third album, Nocturnal. The can featured Bolt Thrower themed artwork by a Warhammer 40k artist, John Sibbick. The beer itself is a  dank and piney rye pale ale aged in white oak barrels with an ABV of 5%.

Paradise 160: An IPA made in collaboration with the Cape May Brewing Company, named after the 160 miles that separate Cape May, New Jersey from Easton. Produced with important hops from New Zealand and Germany, the beer had flavors of white wine, fruit, flowers and lime.

Jester’s Tale: A divergence from what Weyerbacher usually produces, Jester’s Tale is a vodka produced in collaboration with Triple Sun Spirits. A corn vodka, it’s six times distilled, charcoal filtered and gluten free.

Insanity: Blithering Idiot that is then aged in oak barrels. It has an intense malt profile with hints of vanilla and oak.

Dallas Sucks: An IPA that was a limited run homage to the Dallas Cowboys released in the lead-up to the 2017 NFL season. A portion of the proceeds where donated to the Hurricane Harvey relief fund. The beer prompted the Dallas based Noble Rey Brewing Co. to release the "Eagle's Tears" Gose in response.

Sunday Morning: An American imperial stout aged in Bourbon barrels. It has an ABV of 12.7% and features a darker head with hints of chocolate, roasted malt, vanilla and caramel.

Blithering Idiot: The company's original Barleywine with 11.1 percent ABV.

Tarte Nouveau: A “session sour.”

Line Street Pilsner: A hoppy 5.3% ABV Pilsner.

Blasphemy: A 11.8% ABV Belgian quadrupel ale aged in bourbon barrels.

Quad: A 11.8% ABV Belgian-style quadrupel ale.

21st anniversary beer: A limited run for the brewery's 21st anniversary, it is an 11.9% ABV chocolate cake flavored stout with bourbon-bacon frosting.

Riservia: An American wild ale with raspberries.

Double Simcoe:

Heathen Imperial Stout

AutumnFest: The brewery's original seasonal summer beer, it would be retired in 2017.

Mellow Monks: A 4.5% ABV Belgian-style ale with a golden color and notes of apple, pear and banana.

Sunday Molé Stout: A Mole themed Stout with flavors of coffee, chocolate, heat and smokiness.

Berry Monks: A variation of Merry Monks spiced with cranberries, orange peel and ginger.

Cinnsanity: A variation of Insanity heavily spiced with cinnamon. It pours medium amber-orange and is very murky. Alongside the cinnamon, it is flavored with ginger, bourbon, jammy raisins, graham crackers and apple.

Crancuddle: A winter seasonal beer spiced with cranberry.

Decadence: A limited run brew for the tenth anniversary of the brewery with a 13% ABV.

Old Heathen: An  imperial stout.

Heresy: Barrel aged Old Heathen.

Prophecy: Barrel aged Merry Monks.

Harvest Ale: A limited run IPA in 2008 with an ABV of 6.2% with Cascade and Nugget hops grown by the Weirbacks on their family farm.

References

American beer brands
Beer brewing companies based in Pennsylvania
Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2019
Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2022