Grand Opening of Hemauer Brewing

Finally after a long arduous journey to get opened, Hemauer Brewing is set for their grand opening on May 1st. It certainly hasn’t been easy, especially with the novel coronavirus / COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the world. Typically its far from easy for the opening of any business, let alone a brewery, (especially in PA it seems at times), least of all during one of the biggest outlier times and affects of our lifetimes (hopefully). For those unfamiliar with Brooks Hemauer and Hemauer Brewing, we featured him in a post before where he discussed the current events: A Brief Message from Brooks Hemauer of Hemauer Brewing Co.

Thankfully that journey comes to an end on Friday, May 1st (2020). And from there, a new journey will begin for head brewer and co-owner Brooks Hemauer as Hemauer Brewing will open in Mechanicsburg. So far Google Maps has not been updated, so you can’t do a direct search for the brewery, but you can plug-in the address: 1010 Wesley Dr Ste 109, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania 17055.

For those who might not be familiar with Hemauer Brewing, its worth pointing out that Brooks Hemauer has built a strong following as a home brewer even before jumping into the commercial market. He has been a staple of the home brewing community in the Harrisburg area for a while now, going to all kinds of events, competitions, and charities. He has won several competitions, but in his own words: “But the real success to me is when someone tries our beer and a beer festival for the first time and just absolutely loves it.  Then comes back for more.” If you have done or gone to any of the beer festivals in the area, you’ve probably seen him at Little Big Beer Festival or Brews and Bacon or one of the other numerous events in the area.

For opening day (May 1st), the beer menu will be bountiful and looks great! The food is being put on hold right now due to the current climate and situation, but when the taproom is fully open there will be a full food menu; for right now the only non-beer items are chips and snacks and craft soda. But don’t let that fool you, there is a huge selection of beer to choose from, and certainly something for everyone. Here is their opening day list:
* Americanization (most likely a version of their American Pale Ale)
* Frank-O-Lin (English Bitter)
* Guy Francois
* Hemauer Helles (Lager)
* Leaner is Meaner (pineapple seltzer)
* Jimpy (Pilsner)
* Lucky Lobsta (NE-IPA)
* McFadden (Irish Red Ale)
* Mickey McFinnigan (Irish Stout)
* Oats-n-Hoes (Oatmeal Stout)
* Quaker Race Trail Stout
* Wild Ways (possibly a variant of their Wild Saison)
And in bottles only: Brett Saison (Farmhouse Ale / Saison)

That is a strong line-up to kick things off with and makes for a fantastic Grand Opening! Stouts, IPAs, Pilsners, Lagers, Saisons, and even Seltzers and Craft Soda for the non-beer people, there is definitely something there for everyone! I got to ask Brooks what styles people can expect from Hemauer Brewing and what his personal favorite styles were, he replied: “We offer a broad style offering trying to appeal to a variety of pallets. There will be traditional, sour, barrel aged, experimental, and seltzers.  There isn’t a style per say that I prefer more than the other as long as it’s well received by our guest I’m more than happy to brew it for them.”

From the start Hemauer Brewing will offer curbside, to-go, and online ordering. The preferred method is to call ahead or order online, but you can come inside the store to pick up. If doing so, they remind guests to practice social distancing, wear a mask, and follow safety and health procedures. To order by phone, their number is (717) 477-3002. If ordering online, they have a website specifically for that: https://shop.arryved.com/preOrder?locationId=BKeRyYFD. For more information you can always visit their website: Hemauer Brewing or their Shop Site. Their hours of operation will be:
* Monday – CLOSED
* Tuesday – 11AM – 7:30PM
* Wednesday – 11AM – 7:30PM
* Thursday – 11AM – 7:30PM
* Friday – 11AM – 7:30PM
* Saturday – 11AM – 7:30PM
* Sunday – 11AM – 4PM

To say Brooks Hemauer is excited to finally be open is a bit of an understatement. This has been a goal and a dream for a very long time. Made all the more difficult by the current issues of the world, but finally a dream and goal coming to fruition. He shared a few thoughts about what he’s looking forward to once open: “I guess it would be finally being able to implement all the plans and hard work which has been done for such a long time. All the hard work was worth it to achieve my dream. Also just to see everyone again who have been waiting so patiently all this time once we made the initial announcement that we were starting the brewery. ” It is unfortunate to see them opening on a restricted basis rather than getting to FULLY open, but the realities dictate things go differently. Hemauer is very optimistic, not just on the opening, but for the brewery as a whole.

What were some of the difficulties getting to this point? “First and foremost was the uncertainty of our license.  I was 3 days away from contacting the PLCB to schedule our final inspection to receive our license when the forced shut down happened.  There was a real fear that all my hard work from the last 3.5 years will be lost and just right before we were available to achieve it.  Being members of the Brewers of PA they helped us work with the PLCB to achieve our license to open for business. And also the unknown.  How long will the shutdown last?  My wife and I are both self employed and how are we going to be able to support our family when we have no source of income.  Our staff was just recently hired and all were excited for the taproom to open but then suddenly having to tell them that we will have to wait out the pandemic before we all can get back to work.“

Especially with the coronavirus/COVID-19 and everything that changed because of that?
“One big thing is trying to figure out how to survive when the taproom is closed?  Since we are not able to pour draft beer for consumption on site, what means do we have to package beer to go?  We purchased a crowler machine and cans which was part of the original plan but not to be implemented until after things died down.  We recently purchased a small canning system to offer 16oz cans to go for mixed 4 packs.  Now we believe this option will not be available May 1st but as soon as the equipment arrives we will work hard to provide the option.” For more that Brooks had to say about everything, you can check out the blog post we did with him back on March 22nd; ‘A Message From Brooks Hemauer of Hemauer Brewing Co.’

Since I haven’t gotten an opportunity to visit the location and go inside yet, Hemauer was nice enough to send a few pictures of the newest Central PA brewery and tap-room.

As you can see from these two pictures, there is a nice bar and counter area for ordering. Non-register digital pay-screen that is fast, easy, and common in many restaurants (I know Ever Grain Brewing, Troegs Brewing, and Boneshire Brew Works use it). Behind the bar you can see they have a digital list using Untappd on big easy to read screens which should make it nice and simple and easy to pick exactly what beer you want when ordering.

The taproom is sparse, Spartan, and with varied and plenty of seating. Different style seats and tables, and plenty of room to move about. I count 12 tables in total; 4 that seat 3, 4 that seat 4, and 4 that seat 2, plus the bar itself. This should provide an intimate atmosphere, and have enough seating and still also feel intimate and personal. The building set-up looks nice and the tables can be moved to change the layout for events and for different seating arrangements. The bar area is nice, pretty, and roomy as well. Overall I really like the setup and look of the brewery and tasting / tap room.

This is such good news for Hemauer Brewing, for craft beer lovers and enthusiasts, for the beer community, for the community itself, for the Mechanicsberg area, and for everyone involved. In this time of uncertainty for the industry it is so great to see this brewery finally open and it is such an uplifting event. I know I’ll be stopping out Friday to check them out and order some delicious beer, and I definitely know I’ll be checking them out once all of this craziness subsides and they can fully open their taproom. I can’t wait!

To learn more about Hemauer Brewing and to follow them, you can follow them through these various ways:

• Website: Hemauer Brewing Co. Official Site
• Facebook: Hemauer Brewing
• Instagram: Hemauer Brewing
• Twitter: Hemauer Brewing on Twitter

Thank you everyone for taking the time to read this. If you are interested in our blog, you can check us out through our various ways as well:

• Website: The Beer Thrillers Blog
• Facebook: The Beer Thrillers on Facebook
• Twitter: The Beer Thrillers @ Twitter
• Instagram: The Beer Thrillers on Instagram

We here at The Beer Thrillers would like to thank Brooks Hemauer and Hemauer Brewing Company and wish them a very successful grand opening, and a cheers to their anniversary in a year… and their ten year anniversary in 2030! Cheers Brooks and cheers Hemauer Brewing Company! Good luck!

Thank you everyone for reading, and looking forward to reading your comments after the opening day. And here’s to getting out soon and enjoying a pint together at Hemauer Brewery! Please stay safe, and can’t wait to see you all after this is all over! Cheers!

Be sure to check out our other articles on brewery openings:

• A Sneak Preview of Rubber Soul Brewing (Hummelstown)
• Midwest Coast Brewing Opens (Chicago)
• Grand Opening of Hemauer Brewing
• Rally Point – Cox Brewing Taproom Opens (Elizabethtown)
• Boneshire Brew Works to Open Second Taproom in Harrisburg (Harrisburg)
• Irv’s Pub Rebranded as Rotunda Brewing Pub (Hershey)
• Official BBQ (Pizza Boy Secondary Location) (Rutherford)
• Pilger Ruh Brewing Needs Your Help (Pottsville)
• Highway Manor Brewing Co. (Camp Hill)
• Grand Opening: Rubber Soul Brewing Company (Hummelstown)
• Tap Room Opening: Howling Henry’s Brewery (Hummelstown)

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Influence. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

Cheers!

-B. Kline