VK Brewing Officially Opens at Historic Ship Inn

VK Brewing Opens

Today – November 23rd 2022 – VK Brewing officially opens their brewery at the historic Ship Inn in Exton, Pennsylvania. The Ship Inn was built in 1796 along the then Lancaster Turnpike in West Whiteland Township in Chester County, Pennsylvania. The building is recognized as being 226 years old.

The Ship Inn was purchased last summer by VK Brewing; which is a veteran owned business. Officially its called “VK Brewing Co. and Eatery”. The owners are Jason Van Keuren and Najib Abiaad.

Owners Jason Van Keuren and Najib Abiaad celebrated the grand opening of the restaurant last week. On Facebook, they shared photos featuring some of the taproom’s food, which runs the gamut of burgers, sandwiches, pizza, pasta and oysters. Abiaad, who runs the food operation, also will introduce specials and menu items from his native Lebanon.

VK Brewing Company opens restaurant at historic Ship Inn in Exton

They celebrated their grand opening on November 15th as a restaurant; as a soft opening, with today – November 23rd – as the full swing opening for the brewery and restaurant.

You can find VK Brewing Company at 693 East Lincoln Hwy in Exton, Pennsylvania.

Ship Inn

As stories go, the Ship Inn sounds like most country side and cross roads pub and hotels across Pennsylvania. Usually with the go to story or rumor that former Presidents George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Andrew Jackson stayed and / or visited the Inn. (The Warwick Hotel in Hummelstown has also made several claims of a similar nature, as has many pubs, and 18th century hotels and hostels in Colonial American States.)

The Ship Inn has been a restaurant for much of its 226 years. In July 2021 it was featured on Chef Robert Irvine’s Food Network show – Restaurant: Impossible. A YouTube channel called Ghost Detectives also featured the Ship Inn in an episode in 2015. You can view the episode here: Ghost Detectives The Ship Inn Season 6 Episode 3. (Side note – they also did an episode at the Battlefield Brew Works that same year, you can see that video here: Ghost Detectives Battlefield Brew Works Season 6 Episode 6. You can also read our brewery review of Battlefield Brew Works here: Brewery Review: Battlefield Brew Works.)

Built in 1796, the stone building was designed to be a place for travelers to eat and rest along the recently completed Lancaster Turnpike — designated today as part of U.S. Route 30. It served as a western milepost for Philadelphia, about 25 miles away, welcoming dignitaries like former presidents George Washington and Andrew Jackson and, in the 20th century, former first lady Jackie Kennedy Onassis.

The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. It has been praised as one of the best-preserved inns from the era and an enduring example of Georgian and Federal architecture.

VK Brewing Company opens restaurant at historic Ship Inn in Exton

The Brewery

The brewhouse will be located in the carriage house, adjacent to the Inn building proper. The brewhouse will be a 10 BBL system and the carriage house has room for roughly one thousand square footage. This gives enough room for four fermenters. This is roughly the same size as most craft breweries given the adequate space.

The Restaurant

The Inn itself will be the restaurant and eatery. It is roughly fourteen thousand square foot and will have a decent size bar, that will have ten taps. VK Brewing Co and Eatery has a full liquor license for its restaurant.

The building itself is three floors, with the first floor for seating and eating that will have a maximum occupancy of around one hundred.

For More Information

For more information on VK Brewing, you can check out the following social media sites:

• VK Brewing – Official Website
• VK Brewing – Google Maps Location
• News Source: VK Brewing Company opens restaurant at historic Ship Inn in Exton

VK Brewing’s Social Media sites:

• VK Brewing – Instagram
• VK Brewing – Twitter
• VK Brewing – Facebook
• VK Brewing – Untappd

As per Untappd – VK Brewing is a brew pub from Exton, Pennsylvania. They have 2 unique beers with less than 190 ratings for a global average rating of 3.81 (as of 11.23.22). Their Untappd description reads: VK Brewing Co. & Eatery is a veteran-owned brewery, taproom, and restaurant located at the historic Ship Inn building in Exton, PA. We are committed to making great drinks and great food so you can have a great time!

Brewery News

Interested in finding out about many other brewery openings, new locations, closings, movings, and in general brewery news? You can check out our links below:

• Other Half Brewing Company Opening Friday 2.18.22 in Philadelphia
• Midwest Coast Brewery Opening
• Brewery Opening: Howling Henry’s (Hummelstown)
• Brewery Opening: Highway Manor (Camp Hill)
• Brewery Opening: Rotunda Brew Pub (Hershey)
• Is JB LoveDraft’s Opening a Brewery?
• Tattered Flag at Hollywood Casino – Grantville – Opening Their 5th Location
• JB LoveDraft’s Grand Opening (Mechanicsburg)
• ZeroDay Opens Their New Tap Room (Harrisburg)
• Victory Brewery Fire and Explosion (Kennett Square)
• Sign of the Horse Brewery is Expanding in Hanover (Taking Over the Old Miscreation Brewery)
• Brewery Tour: Couch Brewery (Pittsburgh)
• Brewery Visit: Mellow Mink (Mechanicsburg)
• A Sneak Peak at the new Rubber Soul Brewery (Hummelstown)
• Rubber Soul Grand Opening (Hummelstown)
• VooDoo Lancaster Closing
• River Bend Hop Farm and Brewery Closes
• Grand Opening of Hemauer Brewing (Mechanicsburg)
• Rally Point Tap Room Opening – Cox Brewing Company – Elizabethtown
• Spigot Brewing Closes
• Full Pint Brewing Closes
• Night Shift Brewing Cancels Expansion
• Mikkeller Brewing NYC Closes Permanently
• Pilger Ruh Brewing Needs Your Help (Pottsville)
• Official BBQ (Pizza Boy Secondary Location) (Rutherford)
• Aslin Beer Co. Now Ships to Pennsylvania
• Boneshire Brew Works to Open Second Taproom in Harrisburg (Harrisburg)
• Aslin Beer Company Confirms Expanding to Pittsburgh
• Rural City Beer Company Coming to Beamstown PA
• Grand Opening of Forest and Main’s New Brewpub
• New Bells-gium – New Belgium Owned Company Buys Bell’s Brewery
• Human Robot Expanding to Jenkintown
• High Road Brewing Company Coming to Camp Hill, Pennsylvania in Summer 2022
• YAH Brewing’s First Can Drop
• RAR Brewing’s Star Wars Can Drop
• Arboretum Trail Brewing Company Opens Their Doors Tomorrow
• Macklin Brewing Company in Development
• Michaux Brewing Company Grand Opening
• Shy Bear Brewing Announces Two New Locations
• Newfangled Brew Works Announces Closure
• Fourscore Beer Company Celebrates Their 3rd Anniversary
• Penn Brewery Announces Sale and Owner’s Retirement
• Voodoo Brewing Company To Open Brewpub on North Shore of Pittsburgh – August 27th
• Truth Beer Company’s Grand Opening
• Sobel’s Obscure Brewery’s Grand New Location and Opening
• Boneshire Brew Works Celebrates 6th Anniversary
• Funk Brewing Company – Elizabethtown Brewery – Fire
• Funk Brewing Company – Elizabethtown Brewery – Fire Update
• Victory Taproom in Kennett Square Re – Opens
• Pour Man’s Brewery Is Moving Their Tap Room
• Qatar Bans Alcohol Sales at World Cup 2022
• Second Sin Brewery Company Celebrates Third Anniversary
• Round Guys Brewing Company’s Brewpub in Lansdale is Getting a Revamp
• VK Brewing Officially Opens at Historic Ship Inn
• Rocket Frog Brewing Company Announces Closure on December 11th
• Where to Watch the USA vs Netherlands World Cup Game – in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia
• Liquid Noise Brewing Company Announces the Show is Ending (Brewery Closure)
• Old Soul Brewing Starting up in Waynesboro Pennsylvania
• Cox Brewing Company Returning to Their Roots
• Helping the Hemauer Family
• Cellar Works Brewing Closing Cooper Station
• Imprint Beer Company Unveils The GNARCADIUM
• Brewery Openings – Archives

Thanks For Reading

Once again I want to give a big hearty thank you to everyone reading the blog. It really means a lot to us. Especially this busy November month with Scarlet Emma being born just twelve days ago, and just so much more going on. Thank you all.

Cheers All!

-B. Kline

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