Some brewery releases announce themselves with a bigger hop bill or another round of fruit additions. Others take a quieter route: an interesting style, a familiar brewing tradition, and a flavor description that makes you stop scrolling.

Tröegs’ Scratch #561 Weizenbock belongs in that second category. A recent addition to the Hershey brewery’s experimental series, it checks in at 6.8% ABV with brewery-described notes of banana bread, candied clove, and subtle black pepper. That sounds like a pretty convincing invitation to explore something beyond the usual fall beer rotation.

The Beer at a Glance

Scratch 561 – Weizenbock by Troegs Brewing Company

• Brewery: Tröegs Independent Brewing

• Location: Hershey, Pennsylvania

• Series: Scratch

• Release number: 561

• Style: Weizenbock

• ABV: 6.8%

• Brewery tasting notes: Banana bread, candied clove, subtle black pepper.

A Scratch Release Worth Slowing Down For

The appeal of the Scratch Series is right there in its purpose. Tröegs describes its small-batch Scratch beers and three-barrel Scratch Lab as places to explore the relationship between ingredients, technique, and flavor. These releases give drinkers a look at a side of the brewery that extends beyond the familiar year-round lineup.

Scratch #561 arrived among a recent group of releases that also included Scratch #559 Blueberry Gose and Scratch #560 Roggenbier. That lineup offers three different reasons to pay attention, rather than three variations on the same idea. For this review, the Weizenbock’s combination of bread-like fruit character and spice makes it the most intriguing starting point.

Aroma and Flavor: More Bakery Than Candy Shop

“Banana bread” is the description doing the heavy lifting here. It suggests a different direction from a straightforward banana note: something rounded and bread-like, with fruit folded into the overall impression rather than standing apart from it.

That is an interpretation of the brewery’s wording, not a claim about a glass in front of us. Still, it provides a useful starting point for understanding what Tröegs wants drinkers to notice. Banana bread is the first descriptor on the brewery’s menu, followed by candied clove and subtle black pepper.

The distinction between those two spice notes is especially interesting. “Candied clove” evokes a sweeter aromatic impression, while “subtle black pepper” points toward a restrained counterpoint. Neither description establishes that actual candy or pepper went into the beer; they are tasting notes, not an ingredient list.

Taken together, the published profile suggests a beer built around complementary flavors rather than one dominant attraction. The question for a firsthand tasting would be how those elements interact: whether the banana-bread character leads throughout, how prominently the clove presents itself, and whether the pepper emerges most clearly toward the finish.

A Different Kind of Fall Beer Story

What makes Scratch #561 an appealing subject isn’t simply that its tasting notes sound seasonally appropriate. It’s that the beer offers a different story to tell.

There is room in the fall rotation for a release whose calling card is banana bread and spice rather than a familiar seasonal label. At 6.8% ABV, this Weizenbock also has a clearly stated identity without needing an enormous alcohol number to attract attention. Its interest lies in that specific combination of style and brewery-described flavor.

For a Central Pennsylvania beer audience, that makes it a worthwhile example of what the Scratch program contributes: another reason to look beyond the beers you already recognize and see what the brewery is working on next. Exploration is the program’s stated purpose, and a Weizenbock gives that mission a different expression from another hop-forward release.

Final Thoughts

Scratch #561 Weizenbock has an enticing premise: banana-bread character, candied-clove aromatics, a touch of black pepper, and a 6.8% ABV framework. Those details make it a compelling recent Scratch release to feature, particularly for readers interested in the malt-and-spice side of Tröegs’ experimentation.

There are a few things I look forward to every fall: cooler weather, changing leaves, the return of football, and, of course, Oktoberfest beers. While some people celebrate the season by pulling out their sweaters and decorating their porches with pumpkins, I prefer to celebrate with a good beer in hand. And when it comes to seasonal releases, Sierra Nevada is a brewery that knows how to make an impression.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. has built a reputation for producing quality craft beer, and its annual Oktoberfest release is another opportunity to showcase what happens when American craft brewing meets German brewing tradition. For its 2026 edition, Sierra Nevada teamed up with Bavaria’s Hoppebräu to create a Festbier that balances traditional malt character with a little modern American hop personality.

Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest (Hoppebräu collaboration) (2026)

The Beer: Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest (2026 Hoppebräu Collaboration)

Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Style: Festbier

ABV: 6.0%

Appearance

Pouring this beer into a glass brings out the golden appearance you’d expect from a modern Festbier. It’s an inviting-looking lager that feels right at home alongside a plate of German sausages, a soft pretzel, or whatever else happens to be on the menu at your local Oktoberfest celebration.

It’s not trying to be some dark, mysterious stout that requires a philosophical discussion before the first sip. This is a beer that looks like it wants to get the party started.

Aroma

The aroma leans into the malt side of things, with a pleasant bready character reminiscent of freshly baked bread. There’s a touch of honey-like sweetness, accompanied by subtle floral and herbal notes from the hops.

It’s an appealing combination that gives the beer some character without overwhelming the senses. Nothing here needs to scream for attention. Sometimes a beer can make its point without shouting across the bar.

Taste

The malt character is where this Oktoberfest makes its strongest impression. Expect a combination of bready, biscuity malt flavors and a gentle sweetness that brings honey to mind. The Munich and Pilsner malts provide the foundation, while the hops add a floral, herbal counterpoint.

That balance is important. Malt-forward beers can occasionally become a little too sweet or heavy, particularly when you’re drinking them alongside a meal. The hop character helps keep things in check, adding enough contrast to prevent the malt from dominating the entire experience.

The collaboration with Hoppebräu also gives this year’s release an interesting identity. Sierra Nevada brings its American craft-brewing experience to the table, while its Bavarian partner helps keep the beer grounded in German tradition. The result is a modern interpretation of an Oktoberfest beer rather than an attempt to reinvent the style entirely.

Mouthfeel and Drinkability

At 6% ABV, this Festbier has enough strength to feel substantial without turning into a heavyweight. Its medium-bodied character and clean lager finish make it suitable for sipping alongside food or enjoying while catching up with friends.

And that’s really the appeal of a good Oktoberfest beer. You want something with enough flavor to keep you interested, but not so much weight or intensity that one glass feels like a commitment.

It’s the kind of beer that fits naturally into a fall afternoon, whether you’re sitting around a backyard fire, watching football, or taking a break from whatever responsibilities adulthood has decided to throw your way this week.

Final Thoughts

Sierra Nevada’s Oktoberfest is a reminder that a seasonal beer doesn’t need to be complicated to be enjoyable. A solid malt backbone, complementary hop character, and a crisp finish are a pretty good foundation for a beer designed to celebrate the arrival of autumn.

The annual German brewery collaboration adds another layer of interest, and the 2026 partnership with Hoppebräu gives this release a distinctly modern Festbier identity. If you’re looking for a fall beer that balances traditional German-inspired flavors with Sierra Nevada’s craft-brewing sensibilities, this one deserves a spot on your seasonal shopping list.

Oktoberfest beers won’t solve life’s problems, unfortunately. If they did, I’d have a few more steins and considerably fewer questions about the universe. But they can make a chilly autumn evening a little more enjoyable, and there’s something to be said for that.

So grab a pretzel, raise a glass, and enjoy the season while it lasts. As always, prost!

Cheers!

B. Kline
The Beer Thrillers

Dylan Austin reached out to me wondering if I would be interested in getting a tumbler from Revive Drinkware with our logo on it. Without asking for a review or anything in return, all he asked for was our logo on the tumbler, and before I knew it, it was in my hands, and ready for a cold beer inside of it. So I want to say thank you to Dylan Austin and Revive Drinkware for the Tumbler, and for reaching out to us and thinking of us, and for the great job they did with the logo and the tumbler itself. You can find their website here: Revive Drinkware. Also, I will be discussing how I drank the XX Anniversary Beer by Jackie O’s Brewery in this review. To read the beer review of that, go here: XX Anniversary Blend.

XX Anniversary Blend by Jackie O’s Brewery in a Revive Tumbler

REVIVE Tumbler Review: Drinking Great Beer With Your Own Branding

Every now and then, you come across a product that makes you appreciate something you already enjoy doing just a little bit more. For me, that means drinking great craft beer, discovering new breweries, and occasionally finding something that makes the entire experience a little more enjoyable. Enter the REVIVE Tumbler.

If you follow The Beer Thrillers, you know I’m always looking for new beers to try, new breweries to explore, and new ways to enjoy this wonderful, occasionally wallet-destroying hobby. But while most of the attention understandably goes toward what’s inside the glass, the vessel itself deserves a little recognition, too.

And when REVIVE gave me the opportunity to feature a tumbler sporting The Beer Thrillers’ very own logo, well, you can imagine that got my attention.

Putting the REVIVE Tumbler to the Test

I recently put the REVIVE Tumbler to use with a beer that certainly deserved a little extra attention: XX Anniversary Blend from Jackie O’s Brewery.

As I discussed in my review of XX Anniversary Blend here on The Beer Thrillers, this is no ordinary beer. At 14.8% ABV, this anniversary blend brings together 16 barrels of stout and barleywine-style ales, creating the kind of big, ambitious beer that practically demands you slow down and appreciate what you’re drinking.

Naturally, I figured this would be an excellent opportunity to give the REVIVE Tumbler a proper outing.

There’s something particularly fitting about pairing a special occasion beer with a dedicated drinking vessel. When you’re opening a beer like XX Anniversary Blend, you’re not exactly looking to knock it back like a cheap lager at a backyard barbecue. This is a beer to sit with, examine, savor, and contemplate while wondering whether your next beer purchase should really cost as much as it does.

Using the REVIVE Tumbler added another element to that experience. It became part of the presentation, part of the ritual, and part of the enjoyment of sitting down with a beer worth remembering.

And yes, it looked pretty damn good doing it.

The Beer Thrillers Logo: A Personal Touch

Revive Tumbler featuring The Beer Thrillers logo with the XX Anniversary Beer from Jackie O’s Brewery

Let’s be honest: I’m a little biased when it comes to seeing The Beer Thrillers’ logo on things. After building this blog and spending years writing about craft beer, breweries, and the people behind them, seeing the brand represented on something I can actually use is pretty satisfying.

One of my favorite aspects of this tumbler is that REVIVE put The Beer Thrillers’ logo right on it.

That personal touch takes the tumbler beyond being just another piece of drinkware. It gives it a connection to the blog and the community I’ve been building around craft beer. It’s one thing to put a logo on a website or a social media profile; it’s another to have it on something that comes along for the ride when you’re sitting down to enjoy a great beer.

I also appreciate that it gives me another way to represent The Beer Thrillers outside the digital world. The blog has always been about more than simply listing tasting notes and assigning opinions to whatever happens to be in my glass. It’s about the experiences, the stories, the breweries, and the people who make craft beer such an enjoyable hobby.

Having our logo on the tumbler feels like a natural extension of that.

I even featured the REVIVE Tumbler on Instagram at @the_beer_thrillers, alongside my craft beer content. If you’ve seen that post, you already know this isn’t just a product sitting in a cupboard waiting for a special occasion. It’s something I’ve incorporated into my actual beer-drinking experience.

(Beer Review: XX Anniversary Blend (Jackie Os Brewery) (XX Anniversary Blend by Jackie O’s Brewery: Twenty Years of Brewing, One Big Barrel-Aged Celebration))

Why the Glassware Matters

I’m not going to pretend that buying a new tumbler will magically transform an average beer into an award-winning masterpiece. If a beer isn’t good, no amount of fancy glassware is going to save it. And if a brewery makes something exceptional, chances are I’m going to enjoy it regardless of what I’m drinking it from.

But presentation and the overall drinking experience do matter.

Craft beer is full of little rituals. You choose the beer, inspect the label, pour it, take in the appearance, smell the aromas, and finally get to work figuring out what the brewer was trying to accomplish. Sometimes you discover something unexpected. Sometimes you find a new favorite. Sometimes you spend twenty minutes trying to decide whether that flavor is dark chocolate, roasted malt, caramel, or just your imagination getting carried away.

That’s part of the fun.

A good drinking vessel becomes part of that process. And when you’re enjoying a complex, high-ABV beer like Jackie O’s XX Anniversary Blend, taking your time is practically mandatory. Having a tumbler that I enjoy using makes that experience feel a little more personal.

Of course, the custom logo doesn’t hurt, either.

Final Thoughts: Is the REVIVE Tumbler Worth a Spot in Your Beer Collection?

For me, the REVIVE Tumbler has already earned a place in my craft beer routine. I’ve used it to enjoy Jackie O’s XX Anniversary Blend, featured it on Instagram, and had the opportunity to see The Beer Thrillers’ branding represented on a product I can actually put to use.

That combination makes it more meaningful to me than a generic piece of drinkware.

Would I recommend finding a good drinking vessel for your favorite craft beers? Absolutely. Do you need a branded tumbler to appreciate a great stout, barleywine, or imperial stout? Of course not. But when a product combines practical use with a personal connection to something you care about, it can make an already enjoyable hobby feel that little bit more special.

And if you’re a fellow beer blogger, brewery enthusiast, or someone who simply appreciates having a favorite piece of drinkware, there’s something pretty cool about having your own branding on the vessel you’re using to enjoy your next beer.

As for me, I’ll keep putting the REVIVE Tumbler to work. There are plenty more beers to drink, plenty more breweries to discover, and plenty more excuses to sit down with something interesting in my glass.

Cheers!

B. Kline
Founder & Writer, The Beer Thrillers
TheBeerThrillers.com
Instagram: @the_beer_thrillers

Some beers are meant to be cracked open on a random Tuesday night. Others deserve a little more attention. And then there are beers like XX Anniversary Blend from Jackie O’s Brewery, which practically demand that you slow down, find a comfortable seat, and give yourself some time to appreciate what’s in the glass.

Brewed to celebrate Jackie O’s twentieth anniversary, this barrel-aged blend brings together two of my favorite categories of big, bold beer: stouts and barleywines. At a hefty 14.8% ABV, this isn’t exactly a session beer, unless your idea of a session involves one carefully poured glass and absolutely nowhere to be for the next couple of hours. The brewery combines 16 barrels of single- and multiple-vintage stouts and barleywine-style ales to create a beer built around rich toffee, chocolate, and oak-derived vanilla character.

And honestly, combining stout and barleywine sounds like a pretty good way to celebrate two decades of brewing.

The Beer: XX Anniversary Blend

XX Anniversary Blend by Jackie O’s Brewery in a Revive Tumbler

Beer: XX Anniversary Blend

Brewery: Jackie O’s Brewery · Athens, Ohio

Description Notes: A blend of barrel-aged stouts and barleywine-style ales, created for the brewery’s 20th anniversary.

What makes this beer particularly interesting is that it’s not simply a stout with a little barleywine thrown into the mix, or a barleywine trying to borrow some of a stout’s personality. The concept is to bring together the characteristics of both styles and let them complement one another.

A good barrel-aged stout can deliver roasted malt, dark chocolate, and a deep, almost dessert-like richness. A good barleywine brings its own malt-forward character, caramel sweetness, dried-fruit complexity, and warming alcohol. Put them together, and there’s plenty of potential for a beer that offers something a little different from either style on its own.

The trick, of course, is balance. At nearly 15% ABV, a beer can easily become a boozy, syrupy mess if the individual elements don’t play nicely together. The appeal of a blend like this is seeing whether the barrel character, dark malt, and rich sweetness can come together as something cohesive rather than competing for attention.

A Toast to Barleywines

If you’ve read my recent review of #400 Barleywine by Boneshire Brew Works, you already know I’ve been giving barleywines some attention lately. And there’s a reason for that: I genuinely enjoy the style.

Barleywines are one of those beer styles that deserve more appreciation than they sometimes get. They’re big, they’re bold, and they don’t apologize for being either. They can deliver layers of caramel, toffee, dark fruit, malt sweetness, and alcohol warmth, with enough variation between brewers and vintages to keep things interesting. They’re beers that reward patience, and they’re often better when you take your time instead of treating them like just another can in the fridge.

That’s a big part of the appeal for me. I enjoy beers that give you something to think about while you’re drinking them. Barleywines have that ability to turn a simple beer into an experience, especially when barrel aging enters the picture.

And that’s where XX Anniversary Blend gets particularly interesting. Rather than presenting a barleywine on its own, Jackie O’s has brought it together with barrel-aged stouts. The result is an opportunity to explore the overlap between two styles that I think deserve a place in any serious craft beer enthusiast’s rotation.

My recent #400 review was a celebration of barleywine in its own right. This beer takes that appreciation in a different direction, pairing the style’s malt-forward foundation with the darker, richer character of barrel-aged stout. For someone who enjoys barleywines, that’s a combination worth exploring.

(See Beer Review: #400 by Boneshire Brew Works)

Drinking XX Anniversary Blend With the Revive Tumbler

Revive Tumbler featuring The Beer Thrillers logo with the XX Anniversary Beer from Jackie O’s Brewery

I’ll admit that glassware and drinkware can be an overlooked part of the beer-drinking experience. We spend plenty of time talking about the brewery, the ingredients, the ABV, and the flavors, but what we drink out of matters, too. The Revive Tumbler brings a different approach to enjoying a beer, particularly if you’re looking for a reusable, practical drinking vessel rather than reaching for a traditional pint glass every time. Since I haven’t verified the exact model and specifications of the tumbler featured on my Instagram, I’ll leave the technical claims aside. What matters here is that it was the vessel I chose for this pour. And with a beer as substantial as XX Anniversary Blend, the occasion is as much about slowing down and enjoying the experience as it is about what’s in the can. If you missed the original feature, head over to The Beer Thrillers on Instagram to check it out.

There is something fitting about pairing a twenty-year anniversary beer with a piece of drinkware that has its own story to tell. Craft beer has always been about more than just the liquid. It’s the people, the places, the equipment, the glassware, the conversations, and the memories that come along with it. The tumbler was part of this particular beer experience, and that’s reason enough to give it a mention.

(See the Tumbler Review)

What to Expect From the Pour

XX Anniversary Beer by Jackie O’s

The brewery describes XX Anniversary Blend with notes of rich toffee, supple chocolate, and oaky vanillin, drawing on the combined character of its barrel-aged stouts and barleywines.

That flavor combination makes sense for a beer like this. Toffee and caramel-like malt notes provide a rich foundation, while chocolate brings in the darker, roasted side of the stout. The oak-derived vanilla character adds another dimension, connecting the malt and barrel influences.

The interesting question with a blend like this is which side takes the lead. Does the stout provide the dominant impression, with its chocolate and roasted character? Does the barleywine bring more caramel, fruit, and malt sweetness to the forefront? Or does the barrel aging tie everything together into something that doesn’t fit neatly into either category?

That interplay is what makes anniversary blends appealing. They give a brewery the opportunity to draw on years of brewing experience and bring different beers together in a way that tells a larger story.

Of course, a beer’s published tasting notes are only part of the picture. Every drinker’s experience is different, and I won’t pretend to have detected specific flavors or mouthfeel characteristics in my own pour without recording those impressions. What I can appreciate about the concept is the ambition behind it: a celebratory blend that brings two substantial beer styles together rather than relying on a single barrel-aged stout to do all the work.

Final Thoughts

XX Anniversary Blend is a fitting concept for celebrating twenty years of Jackie O’s Brewery. Bringing together barrel-aged stouts and barleywine-style ales gives this beer plenty of potential complexity, and the 14.8% ABV makes it a clear candidate for sipping rather than rushing through.

For me, the barleywine connection is what makes this one especially worth discussing. As I mentioned in my recent review of Boneshire Brew Works’ #400 Barleywine, I’m a fan of the style. I like the malt-forward character, the richness, and the way a good barleywine encourages you to take your time. Pairing those qualities with barrel-aged stout is an intriguing variation on that theme.

And naturally, I enjoyed this one with the Revive Tumbler featured on my Instagram at @the_beer_thrillers. It’s another reminder that the craft beer experience doesn’t stop at the brewery door or end when the can is opened. The beer, the vessel, and the occasion all play their part.

Twenty years of brewing is worth celebrating. And if you’re going to raise a glass to that kind of milestone, a blend of stout and barleywine seems like a pretty good way to do it.

Cheers, everyone!

— B. Kline, The Beer Thrillers

After eight years, more than two million visitors, hundreds of experimental beers and countless pints, the Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Halethorpe is coming to an end.

Guinness has announced that its Open Gate Brewery in Halethorpe, Maryland, will close to the public on Sunday, November 1, 2026.

For Maryland beer drinkers, Baltimore-area beer fans and anyone who made the trip to 5001 Washington Boulevard over the past eight years, the news marks the closing of one of the most ambitious brewery projects to arrive in the region in decades.

Diageo, the parent company of Guinness, announced the closure October 1, saying the decision followed a review of its operations and long-term business priorities. The company cited increasing operating costs, changing consumer demand and broader economic pressures as factors that made the Baltimore operation increasingly difficult to sustain.

The brewery’s operations are expected to completely wind down by the end of 2026.

And just like that, the Guinness gate in Baltimore is about to close.

Guinness Halethorpe Location

Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Halethorpe

The Guinness Open Gate Brewery is located at 5001 Washington Blvd, Halethorpe, MD 21227, just about 10 miles southwest of downtown Baltimore and a quick drive from BWI Airport

Guinness Social Media Posts

The following is their post to Instagram announcing their upcoming closure:

Guinness Open Gate’s post on Instagram

That was posted on their Instagram at Guinness Open Gate.

An Eight-Year Experiment

When Guinness Open Gate opened in 2018, it was a pretty big deal.

The facility represented Guinness’ return to brewing on American soil for the first time since 1954. The roughly $80-$90 million project transformed the former Maryland brewery site into something considerably more ambitious than simply another taproom.

There was a brewery.

There was a restaurant.

There was a large beer garden.

There were tours, tastings, events and experimental beers.

And, of course, there was Guinness.

The idea behind Open Gate was particularly interesting because Guinness wasn’t simply trying to recreate St. James’s Gate in Maryland. The concept gave Guinness brewers an opportunity to experiment, producing beers that could be served fresh to visitors and giving the massive international brand something resembling a local brewery personality.

It worked.

At least for a while.

The brewery welcomed approximately 400,000 visitors during its first year, exceeding its original projection of 300,000.

Over its eight years, Guinness says more than two million people visited the Baltimore brewery.

The brewery also says its brewers produced more than 700 different beers during its time in Maryland.

That’s a lot of beer.

And a lot of people walking through those gates.

More Than Just Guinness Draught

One of the most interesting things about Open Gate was that you could walk into a Guinness brewery and discover that Guinness was capable of being considerably more than Guinness.

The Maryland brewery became a laboratory of sorts.

There were experimental ales, lagers, IPAs, stouts, fruited beers and limited releases. Some were tied to Maryland events and traditions, including beers associated with the Preakness Stakes.

The brewery also became known for Baltimore Blonde, a beer that became one of the more recognizable products associated with Guinness’ Maryland experiment.

That production, however, eventually moved elsewhere.

The Baltimore operation had already undergone a major transformation before this week’s closure announcement.

The Writing Was Already on the Wall

The November closure didn’t come completely out of nowhere.

In 2023, Diageo announced that it was ending the larger-scale manufacturing operation at the Halethorpe facility and laid off more than 100 employees.

The Baltimore Blonde was no longer being produced there, either.

What remained was essentially the destination brewery: the taproom, restaurant, beer garden and smaller innovation brewery.

In other words, the Guinness brewery had already gone through one significant contraction.

The brewing operation that once represented Guinness’ return to American manufacturing had become primarily an experience.

And now even that experience is going away.

Why Is Guinness Closing?

This is where the story gets considerably more interesting than simply “Guinness brewery closes.”

Diageo’s explanation is familiar to anyone paying attention to the beer business in 2026.

Operating costs are up. Consumer preferences have changed. Economic pressures are making it harder to operate large physical destinations.

That’s essentially the same cocktail of problems that has been hammering breweries across the country.

The Guinness operation had another challenge that many independent breweries don’t necessarily face: scale.

Open Gate was built as a destination.

That meant a large property, extensive facilities, hospitality operations, food service, events, employees and all the costs that come with maintaining a major brewery attraction.

A small neighborhood brewery can sometimes survive by keeping things relatively simple.

A major corporate brewery destination has a considerably larger financial machine to feed.

And apparently the numbers no longer worked.

Diageo said the decision was made after a “careful review” of operations and long-term priorities. The company also emphasized that the closure was not a reflection of the employees or the support Guinness received from Baltimore.

That’s corporate language, certainly.

But there’s an important reality underneath it.

A brewery can be incredibly popular and still not be profitable enough to justify continuing to operate.

Other Guinness Related Articles

• Beer Review: Guinness Draught (Guinness)
• Beer Review: Baltimore Blonde (Guinness Open Gate Brewery)
• Guinness Baltimore Blonde Beer Production Moving to New York
• Guinness Brewing is Closing Their Maryland Production Facility

The End of Guinness Brewing in Maryland

For Maryland beer history, this is a significant loss.

Guinness Open Gate wasn’t simply another brewery.

It was one of the largest and most recognizable brewery destinations in the state, backed by one of the most recognizable beer brands in the world.

Its arrival also represented a strange moment in American beer.

The craft beer boom had convinced consumers to seek out breweries as destinations. Breweries weren’t merely places where beer was made anymore.

They became restaurants.

Tourist attractions.

Event venues.

Social gathering places.

Weekend destinations.

Guinness essentially took that idea and applied it to a global beer brand.

For a while, it was an impressive combination.

But the fact that Guinness is now closing Open Gate is another reminder that the brewery-as-destination model isn’t immune to the economic realities affecting the rest of the industry.

Guinness Isn’t Going Away

It’s worth making an important distinction here.

Guinness isn’t leaving America.

You aren’t going to wake up November 2 and discover that Guinness Draught has disappeared from American bars.

The Guinness brand remains one of Diageo’s major global beer brands, and the company has made clear that it intends to continue investing in Guinness.

What’s disappearing is the Baltimore brewery experience.

Once the Halethorpe operation is gone, Guinness will have just one remaining Open Gate brewery in the United States: Chicago, which opened in 2023.

So if you wanted to visit an American Guinness brewery, the list is about to become considerably shorter.

A $250,000 Goodbye to Baltimore

Diageo says it understands that the brewery’s closure affects more than its own business.

The company plans to establish a $250,000 community fund supporting local organizations and initiatives focused on economic opportunity and the hospitality industry.

The company has also said that its immediate priority is supporting employees affected by the closure and providing resources and assistance during the transition.

The closure also affects hospitality workers at the site.

Aramark, which provided hospitality services at the brewery, said 174 of its employees supporting the location would be affected and that it was looking for opportunities elsewhere within the organization where possible.

Those numbers are worth remembering.

When a brewery closes, it’s easy to focus on the beer.

The people who brewed it, served it, cooked the food, gave the tours, cleaned the building and made the place function are the ones whose lives actually change.

Eight Years Is a Long Time in Beer

Eight years doesn’t sound like an eternity.

In the beer business, though, it can feel like a lifetime.

When Open Gate opened in 2018, the American craft beer landscape looked very different.

There were more breweries opening than closing.

Consumers were still aggressively chasing new releases.

The brewery taproom was one of the hottest concepts in the industry.

The idea that people would drive significant distances simply to spend an afternoon drinking beer at a brewery seemed almost unquestionably sound.

Then came the pandemic.

Inflation.

Higher labor costs.

Higher real estate and operating expenses.

Changing drinking habits.

The explosion of alternatives to traditional beer.

And a broader correction across the craft beer industry.

Guinness is obviously not an independent craft brewery.

But the closure demonstrates that even one of the world’s largest beer companies isn’t immune to the changing economics of the American beer market.

One Last Pint

There is something fitting about the fact that Guinness Open Gate will have one final month.

The brewery’s final day open to the public will be Sunday, November 1, 2026.

So there is still time.

Time for one more trip.

One more tour.

One more flight.

One more experimental beer.

One more walk through the beer garden.

One more Guinness.

And, for those of us who have spent years documenting the American beer scene, one more opportunity to visit a brewery that will soon become part of beer history rather than part of the current beer landscape.

Because eventually every brewery becomes one of two things:

A place you can still go.

Or a place you remember going.

Guinness Open Gate is about to become the second one.

And that’s a hell of a thing to say about a brewery that only opened eight years ago.

The Last Call

The Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Halethorpe will close to the public on November 1, 2026, with operations expected to wind down completely by the end of the year.

More than two million people walked through those gates.

More than 700 beers came out of the innovation brewery.

Thousands of memories were made.

For eight years, a little piece of Ireland sat just outside Baltimore and invited Maryland to come have a beer.

Now, it’s almost time to close the gate.

So if you’ve been putting off that last visit, you’ve got about a month.

Go have the beer.

Raise the glass.

And give Guinness Open Gate one final Sláinte.

Other Guinness Related Articles

• Beer Review: Guinness Draught (Guinness)
• Beer Review: Baltimore Blonde (Guinness Open Gate Brewery)
• Guinness Baltimore Blonde Beer Production Moving to New York
• Guinness Brewing is Closing Their Maryland Production Facility

This is one of the flagship beers at The Beerded Goat Brewing Company. So let’s dive in and take a good look at it. Firstly, its a Czech Pilsner – Bohemian style, and it weighs in at 5.3% ABV.

(See our article about our sneak preview of The Beerded Goat Brewery: A Sneak Peek at the Beerded Goat Brewery.)

The Standard by Beerded Goat

Beerded Goat Brewing Co. (now operating under the broader “The Goat” sports-bar identity in Lower Paxton Township) opened in 2023 in the former Newfangled Brew Works space. Head brewer Brian Keeney leans toward traditional, well-executed styles, and The Standard is a clear expression of that approach—a clean, classic Czech-style pilsner that serves as one of the brewery’s reliable house pours.

Appearance Crystal clear pale gold with a bright, persistent white head that leaves fine lacing. The spunding (natural carbonation) shows in the lively, tight bead.

Aroma Soft grain and light honey-like malt sweetness up front, followed by classic Czech Saaz character: mild herbal, floral, and grassy notes with a hint of spice. Nothing aggressive or fruity—just clean and inviting.

Taste Crisp and balanced. Mild bready/grainy malt with a soft honey edge gives way to an assertive but refreshing Saaz bitterness that stays dry and clean rather than harsh. The finish is snappy and lingering without any residual sweetness or off-flavors. It drinks true to style: straightforward, sessionable, and focused on drinkability.

Mouthfeel Light-to-medium body with lively, natural carbonation from the spunding process. It feels crisp and refreshing on the palate—exactly what you want in a pilsner meant for multiple rounds or game-day sipping.

Overall The Standard lives up to its name. It’s a well-made, no-frills Czech pilsner that prioritizes clarity, balance, and refreshment over trends or gimmicks. At 5.3% it’s highly sessionable and pairs easily with the brewery’s food (pizza, wings, burgers) or simply stands alone as an easy, reliable pour. Keeney has called it one of his favorites, and the brewery itself positions it as a go-to first-round choice.

If you like classic European pilsners that emphasize clean malt and noble hops over modern hop bombs or haze, this is a solid local example worth seeking out on draft at the brewery. Cheers.

My Untappd Rating: ****
Global Untappd Rating: 3.66 (as of 8.1.26).

Untappd Description:

Brewed with 100% Weyermann floor malted Pilsner and hopped with 100% Check saaz. Spunded for natural carbonation. Crisp, clean, and crystal clear. Mild grainy notes of soft honey balanced by an assertive and refreshing bitterness. This is the Standard

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If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

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We are working on a massive project here at The Beer Thrillers. We are creating a map of all of the breweries across the United States. State by state we are adding maps of all of the different states with every brewery in each state. (We will eventually get to the US Territories, as well as the Canadian Provinces, and possibly more countries; as well as doing some fun maps like a map of all the breweries we’ve been to, and other fun maps.) You can find the brewery maps here:

• MAPS OF BREWERIES

We are also working on a project of creating printable and downloadable PDFs and resources to be able to check and keep track of all of the breweries you’ve been to. So stay tuned for that project once we are finished with the Brewery Maps of the US States.

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The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #5 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #9 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of May 2025.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

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(Thank you for reading. The opinions, thoughts, and expressions of each article posted on The Beer Thrillers represents the author of the content and only themselves. It does not express the opinions, beliefs, or ideas held by The Beer Thrillers or any company in which the author themselves work for. Each piece of written content is written by the creator(s) listed in the authorial section on each article unless otherwise noted. Their opinions, comments, and words on screen do not represent any company in which they work for and / or are affiliated with or any non – profits that they contribute to. Thank you.)

]]> 16950 https://thebeerthrillers.com/2026/07/24/tree-house-brewing-has-made-a-beer-for-jimothy-the-internets-favorite-raccoon/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tree-house-brewing-has-made-a-beer-for-jimothy-the-internets-favorite-raccoon Sat, 25 Jul 2026 01:36:54 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=16953 Tree House Brewing Has Made a Beer for Jimothy, the Internet’s Favorite Raccoon

There are certain moments when you realize the internet has completely broken the concept of normal.

A raccoon becomes famous.

The raccoon gets a name.

The name is Jimothy.

And then, naturally, one of the most famous craft breweries in America puts Jimothy on a beer can.

Welcome to 2026.

Tree House Brewing Company has apparently decided that the only appropriate way to celebrate the viral Seattle raccoon known as Jimothy is to give him the ultimate craft beer honor: his own can design.

And, honestly, we’re here for it.

Tree House’s Jimothy Beer Can

Who the Hell Is Jimothy?

If you’ve somehow managed to avoid the internet for the past several weeks, first of all, congratulations.

Second, Jimothy is a raccoon from Seattle who became an unlikely internet celebrity after videos and photos of him began circulating online.

Jimothy has a condition known as short spine syndrome, which gives him his distinctive appearance. Rather than looking like your average raccoon sneaking around a trash can at 2 a.m., Jimothy has an unusually compact body that makes him look like someone accidentally hit the “squish” button on a raccoon.

The internet, being the internet, immediately fell in love.

And somewhere along the way, he became Jimothy.

The name is almost as funny as the raccoon himself.

Jimothy has accumulated a considerable following online, with people becoming fascinated by his appearance, personality and general raccoon-ness.

Then Massachusetts got involved.

Because apparently Seattle needed a little more New England IPA in its life.

Tree House Enters the Chat

Tree House Brewing, the Massachusetts brewery best known for beers such as Julius, Green and Haze, recently unveiled a can featuring Jimothy.

The brewery confirmed on Instagram that the cans were real and described them as “beautiful,” while the Jimothy cans went on sale at Tree House’s Charlton location.

And that’s about as much explanation as Tree House apparently felt was necessary.

Which might actually make the whole thing better.

There wasn’t some massive corporate marketing campaign explaining the strategic importance of raccoon-based beer branding.

There wasn’t a 47-slide PowerPoint presentation about “leveraging the Jimothy demographic.”

There was just a picture of a weirdly shaped raccoon on a beer can.

Beautiful.

Is “Jimothy” Actually a Beer?

Here’s where things get slightly confusing.

Despite the internet’s immediate tendency to call it a “Jimothy beer,” the Jimothy connection appears to be primarily a can-design tribute, rather than Tree House announcing an entirely new beer style specifically brewed in Jimothy’s honor.

Tree House has not provided many details about the beer itself, and the brewery’s announcement focused on the can design and its availability.

That’s important because, naturally, the craft beer internet immediately started treating Jimothy like the next legendary Tree House release.

Which, frankly, is exactly what should happen.

Because if we’re going to live in a world where a raccoon can become famous enough to get a Tree House can, we might as well enjoy it.

Tree House Is Probably the Perfect Brewery for This

There are thousands of breweries that could have put a raccoon on a can.

But Tree House?

It somehow makes perfect sense.

Tree House has spent years developing an enormous cult following around its hazy IPAs, limited releases, colorful artwork and highly recognizable branding.

The brewery’s flagship Julius is one of the defining beers of the modern New England IPA movement, while beers such as Green and Haze have become equally recognizable names among IPA enthusiasts. Tree House itself recommends Julius as the starting point for people who haven’t tried the brewery, with Green and Haze as alternatives.

Tree House also has the kind of fan base that will happily travel considerable distances to acquire cans.

So when you put a bizarrely adorable viral raccoon on one of those cans?

People are going to want it.

Badly.

In fact, people were already looking for Jimothy cans almost immediately after the release, with social media users discussing how badly they wanted one.

This is how craft beer works now.

You don’t necessarily need a groundbreaking new IPA.

Sometimes you just need a raccoon.

Jimothy Summer Has Arrived

There is something wonderfully ridiculous about the entire thing.

Craft beer has spent the last decade becoming increasingly sophisticated.

We’ve had pastry stouts.

Triple IPAs.

Barrel-aged everything.

Beer brewed with coffee, fruit, spices, cereal, candy and ingredients that sound like they were selected by someone wandering around a Whole Foods at midnight.

And now?

Raccoon beer.

Or, more accurately, a Tree House beer wearing a raccoon costume.

I’m not complaining.

The craft beer industry has always been at its best when breweries don’t take themselves too seriously. The Jimothy can feels like a reminder that beer is still allowed to be fun.

You don’t need to explain the water chemistry.

You don’t need to give us a dissertation on hop varietals.

You don’t even need to tell us why the raccoon is there.

Just put Jimothy on the can.

We’ll figure it out.

The Internet Has Officially Won

There is also something very 2026 about this entire story.

A creature in Seattle becomes famous online.

People give him a ridiculous name.

The name spreads.

Memes happen.

Then a brewery in Massachusetts thousands of miles away decides:

Yep. That’s going on a beer can.

And suddenly people who couldn’t tell you anything about raccoon biology are discussing Tree House distribution.

That’s the power of the internet.

It’s also the power of craft beer.

The best brewery merchandise has always been about more than just the liquid inside the package. People collect cans because the artwork tells a story, represents a moment or simply looks cool sitting on a shelf.

Jimothy checks all three boxes.

It’s weird.

It’s timely.

And it’s impossible to look at without wondering how the hell we got here.

Will Jimothy Become a Tree House Legend?

That’s probably the fun part.

Tree House has plenty of legendary beer names.

Julius.

Green.

Haze.

Very Green.

And now, at least unofficially, we have Jimothy.

The raccoon probably won’t become a permanent member of the Tree House lineup.

But that’s not really the point.

For a brief moment in the summer of 2026, a viral raccoon became part of the craft beer world.

And that’s considerably more entertaining than another brewery announcing that it has released a 9.2% double dry-hopped triple hazy IPA with “notes of citrus, tropical fruit and dankness.”

Give me Jimothy.

I’ll take the raccoon.

The Bottom Line

Tree House Brewing putting Jimothy on a beer can is exactly the kind of wonderfully stupid, completely unnecessary and strangely wholesome story that makes the craft beer world fun.

No, Jimothy doesn’t need a beer.

No, Tree House doesn’t need Jimothy to sell beer.

And yes, people are probably going to want the can anyway.

Because sometimes craft beer isn’t about hunting down the newest hop combination or arguing about whether a beer is technically a double IPA.

Sometimes it’s about seeing a funny raccoon on a can and thinking:

“I need that.”

So here’s to Jimothy.

Here’s to Tree House.

And here’s to the glorious insanity of craft beer in 2026.

Long live Jimothy.

And somebody please give that raccoon a beer.

The Beer Thrillers will, of course, accept donations of Jimothy cans for extremely serious journalistic research.

News Sources

• Jimothy – The Viral Raccoon Gets His Own Beer
• Jimothy – Beer Advocate
• Jimothy Survived Against The Odds
• Tree House Releases Instagram – Jimothy

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If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

Thanks again for reading everyone. Take some time to check out the site, we greatly appreciate it. We have affiliates and sponsors with Pretzels.com and Beer Drop.com, which can save you money on their products if you are interested. Check out our articles on them. Make sure to check out our beer reviews, brewery reviews, Amy’s (past) weekly columns, book reviews, board game reviews, hike reviews, and so much more. We have several writers to check out: B. Kline, Josh, Paul R. Kan, Drunk Duck; and past writers like Amy.

As always, thank you everyone for reading! Leave your likes, comments, suggestions, questions, etc, in the comments section. Or use the Feedback – Contact Us – page, and we’ll get right back to you! You can also reach out to us at our direct e-mail address: thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting our blog. Please make sure to follow, bookmark, subscribe, and make sure to comment and leave feedback and like the blog posts you read. It will help us to better tailor the blog to you, the readers, likes and make this a better blog for everyone.

We are working on a massive project here at The Beer Thrillers. We are creating a map of all of the breweries across the United States. State by state we are adding maps of all of the different states with every brewery in each state. (We will eventually get to the US Territories, as well as the Canadian Provinces, and possibly more countries; as well as doing some fun maps like a map of all the breweries we’ve been to, and other fun maps.) You can find the brewery maps here:

• MAPS OF BREWERIES

We are also working on a project of creating printable and downloadable PDFs and resources to be able to check and keep track of all of the breweries you’ve been to. So stay tuned for that project once we are finished with the Brewery Maps of the US States.

You can check out our different directories here: Beer Reviews, Hike Reviews, Book Reviews, Brewery News, Brewery Openings, Brewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – Facebook, Facebook Group, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Influence. As well as our brand new Tumblr page. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We are also now on BlueSky as well, so make sure to check us out there also. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

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We also now have a SLACK channel – which acts as a hybrid chat room, message board, Reddit style; workspace and posting area for us. You can hang out with us there and chat about all kinds of things – not just beer, but “off topic” things like movies, TV, books, podcasts, hiking, sports, and more! Join us at: The Beer Thrillers on SLACK.

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We have partnered with an affiliateship with Beer Drop.com. You can check out that partnership and receive great discounts, coupons, and more here: Beer Drop. Going here and logging in and ordering will help you receive your discounts and coupons as well as help support our page. Thank you for helping to support The Beer Thrillers and to help us maintain the site and blog and to keep it running.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #5 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #9 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of May 2025.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

You can also check out our partnership and affiliation with Pretzels.com, where ordering pretzels and using our affiliate code – AFFILIATE CODE IS THEBEERTHRILLERS20 – will help you get wonderful pretzels and help us maintain and keep this blog running. Thank you!

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

(Thank you for reading. The opinions, thoughts, and expressions of each article posted on The Beer Thrillers represents the author of the content and only themselves. It does not express the opinions, beliefs, or ideas held by The Beer Thrillers or any company in which the author themselves work for. Each piece of written content is written by the creator(s) listed in the authorial section on each article unless otherwise noted. Their opinions, comments, and words on screen do not represent any company in which they work for and / or are affiliated with or any non – profits that they contribute to. Thank you.)

Pennsylvania Breweries Celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary

Lehigh Valley: Beer, Industry, and History

The National Museum of Industrial History 250 Celebration (photo courtesy of The National Museum of Industrial History)

The National Museum of Industrial History in Bethlehem is currently hosting Cheers to 250: Brewing in America, a special exhibition running through July that explores how beer production helped shape American industry, transportation, and culture from the colonial era through the modern craft renaissance. To deepen the experience, the museum is partnering with regional staples—including Lehigh Valley Brewers Guild, Lehigh Valley Homebrewers, Hijinx Brewing, and Lost Tavern Brewing—to present community history programs that connect local beer culture to the wider national story.

Celebrate shared history and community spirit at the 250th All-American Picnic in Downtown East Stroudsburg, along Crystal Street and Miller Park, on July 4th from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM. This family-friendly festival offers live music from classic rock and country acts, plus performances by Lilly Moss, Sick Whiskey, and Clodagh Conboy, along with local vendors and refreshing drinks from ShawneeCraft Brewing Company and Bovino’s Brewery.

Western PA: Concerts, Drones, and Local Pours

On Sunday, July 5, 2026, Allegheny County is hosting an official America’s 250th Anniversary Concert and Drone Show at Hartwood Acres Amphitheater. Gates open at 3:00 PM, and local favorite Hop Farm Brewing Company will anchor the on-site beverage offerings alongside Black Dog Winery, setting the stage for an evening that ends with a Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra performance synchronized to a 200+ drone light show.

In Downtown Grove City on July 3rd, the town is throwing an open-to-the-public celebration for America’s 250th birthday, with local bands, kids’ activities, food trucks, and shopping. Local breweries such as Allusion Brewery will be pouring, giving attendees a chance to toast the holiday with hometown craft beer while exploring the downtown businesses.

Northeastern PA: Rails, Lagers, and Railroad Heritage

Photo courtesy of Runaway Train Brewery

Honesdale, known as the birthplace of the American railroad thanks to the historic Stourbridge Lion’s first commercial run on August 8, 1829, will host a historic beer tasting train ride aboard the Stourbridge Line. The train will feature Declaration Lager, Pennsylvania’s official beer for America250PA, with representatives from Runaway Train Brewery on board to walk riders through tasting notes and flavor profiles as they enjoy the scenic ride and the state’s railroading legacy.

Southeast and Philly Region: Orchards, Gardens, and Biergartens

Photo courtesy of Aristaeus Craft Brewing

Aristaeus Craft Brewing will be the official featured brewery at the America 250 Celebration at Styer Orchard on Friday, July 3, 2026, from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM. This ticketed, family-friendly orchard bash pairs Aristaeus’s locally poured craft beers with food trucks, classic lawn games, and live music, all building toward a fireworks display to cap off the evening.

Photo courtesy of Love City Brewing

Love City Brewing is marking Independence Day in its garden and taproom with an event that blends holiday fun and civic values. Highlights include an annual water balloon toss benefiting immigrant and refugee rights organizations, plus cornhole and ladder ball throughout the day, alongside $2 hot dogs and free water ice while supplies last. The celebration emphasizes democratic values, diversity, and inclusion as part of Philadelphia’s 250th anniversary, while offering space for critical engagement with current political issues.

Photo and logo courtesy of Brothers Kershner

Brothers Kershner Brewing in Skippack is again the hub for the town’s 4th of July festivities, hosting the annual Skippack 4th of July Parade after-party on Saturday, July 4th. They’ll open early for front-row parade views from the porch and parking lot, with live music starting as soon as the parade ends. To mark America 250, Brothers Kershner is releasing a special American Light Lager in 12oz six-packs and on draft. Then on Sunday, July 5th, the celebration moves to the Brothers on the Brandywine Biergarten Independence Day event, with the park opening at 1:00 PM and featuring a beer and wine bar, live music, food trucks, vendors, a bounce house, and laid-back creekside vibes.

The Pennsylvania craft beer community is mourning the unexpected loss of Larry Winans, co-owner and co-founder of Jackass Brewing Company in Lewisburg. For the past seven years, Winans helped turn a friendship, a shared love of homebrewing, and a little too much beer into a brewery that became part of the fabric of the local community. Now, as Jackass Brewing Company moves forward, the people who knew Winans are remembering not only the brewer and business owner, but the friend, community member, and relentlessly positive presence behind the beer.

Larry Winians (photo courtesy of Jackass Brewing)

Jackass Brewing Company Carries On the Legacy of Co-Founder Larry Winans

For seven years, Jackass Brewing Company has been part of the craft beer community around Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, bringing locally made beer, friendship, and plenty of good times to the area.

Now, the brewery is moving forward without one half of the friendship and partnership that started it all.

Larry Winans, co-founder of Jackass Brewing Company, has died at the age of 61.

But for longtime friends, customers, and the people who helped build the brewery alongside him, the story of Larry Winans isn’t simply about the loss of a brewery owner. It’s about the loss of a friend—and the legacy he leaves behind at Jackass Brewing Company and throughout the Lewisburg community.

From Friendship to Homebrew to Jackass Brewing Company

The story of Jackass Brewing Company begins, appropriately enough, with two friends and a batch of homemade beer.

Winans, a dentist by profession, and Skip Kratzer, a school teacher, became friends through fitness. The two eventually started talking about brewing beer together after meeting at a pub located across the street from where Jackass Brewing Company would eventually open.

Kratzer asked Winans if he wanted to make beer.

They did.

What started as two friends experimenting with homebrewing eventually became something considerably larger.

“We always joked that we ended up, we had a problem, we had more beer than we knew what to do with,” Kratzer said. “We started giving it to our friends, and eventually, when the demand kept going, we decided this would be a great adventure.”

And so Jackass Brewing Company was born.

The brewery opened in East Buffalo Township and gradually became a fixture in the Lewisburg-area craft beer scene.

For Kratzer, however, the brewery was always about more than beer.

It was about people.

“The Gold Standard of What a Friend Is”

When Kratzer talks about Winans, one word keeps coming back to him: friend.

“If I could use one word that I think the whole world would describe him as, is he was a friend,” Kratzer said. “He is probably the gold standard of what a friend is.”

That friendship was the foundation of Jackass Brewing Company.

The business may have involved beer, taprooms, recipes, equipment, employees, customers and all of the other things that come with running a Pennsylvania brewery. But underneath all of that was the relationship between two best friends who decided to take something they enjoyed doing together and turn it into a business.

That’s a familiar story in the craft beer world.

Breweries frequently begin with a couple of friends making beer in a garage, basement or kitchen before eventually asking the much bigger question:

What if we actually did this for a living?

For Winans and Kratzer, that question became Jackass Brewing Company.

Seven years later, it had become a community.

Jackass Brewing Company Isn’t Going Anywhere

While Larry Winans is no longer here, Kratzer says Jackass Brewing Company will continue.

The brewery’s Lewisburg and Williamsport locations will remain in operation, with Kratzer and the rest of the Jackass Brewing Company team carrying the business forward.

That doesn’t mean moving on from Winans.

If anything, Kratzer says the opposite.

“We exist to carry his memory forward,” he said.

That’s an especially meaningful statement considering what the brewery—and the broader hospitality industry—has already experienced.

Kratzer specifically pointed to the community’s support during the COVID-19 pandemic, when breweries, restaurants, bars and other small businesses across Pennsylvania faced an incredibly uncertain future.

“This community has kept us alive during the difficult times of COVID,” Kratzer said. “I have no doubt that they will continue to do so in the future. We’ll find our way forward from this.”

For an independent craft brewery, community support can mean everything.

People don’t simply visit their local brewery because they want a pint. They go to see friends, meet new people, celebrate birthdays, listen to music, grab dinner, bring their families, watch a game, or simply spend a couple of hours somewhere that feels like home.

That sense of community appears to have been particularly important to Winans.

Captain Positivity

Kratzer described his friend as “Captain Positivity.”

And that positivity wasn’t something he kept to himself.

According to Kratzer, Winans had an infectious personality and a natural ability to bring people together. His legacy, he believes, will be rooted in the way he cared about other people and the community around him.

That’s perhaps one of the more fitting legacies for someone who helped create a brewery.

Beer has always been about more than what’s in the glass.

At its best, craft beer is about bringing people together.

A brewery becomes a meeting place. A table becomes a gathering point. A beer becomes an excuse to sit down with somebody you haven’t seen in a while.

And people like Winans become part of the reason those places matter.

A Bucket List and One Remarkable Item

Among the memories Kratzer shared was something particularly interesting: Winans had a handwritten bucket list containing things he wanted to accomplish during his life.

One item stood out to Kratzer.

Winans wanted to receive “an abundance of public adoration.”

Looking back, Kratzer believes his friend accomplished exactly that.

“I believed he’s achieved it, whether or not he knew he did, is that one of his Bucket List items was to receive an abundance of public adoration,” Kratzer said. “The public adored him.”

It’s a striking thought.

Not because public adoration is necessarily something most of us would put on a bucket list, but because it says something about the relationship Winans had with the people around him.

A successful brewery can be measured in barrels brewed, pints poured, locations opened, awards won or years in business.

But there are other measurements, too.

How many people knew you?

How many people considered you a friend?

How many people felt welcomed when they walked through your doors?

And, perhaps most importantly, how many people are going to miss you when you’re gone?

By those measurements, Winans appears to have left quite a legacy.

The Future of Jackass Brewing Company

Jackass Brewing Company will now enter another chapter.

The brewery will continue operating in Lewisburg and Williamsport, while the people who knew Winans work to keep the spirit of what he helped create alive.

There will inevitably be difficult days.

There will also be beers poured, conversations had, friends reunited and new memories made.

That’s the strange thing about breweries.

They are businesses, but they can also become landmarks in people’s lives.

A place where someone had a first date.

A place where friends meet every Friday.

A place where somebody celebrates a birthday.

A place where a family gathers.

A place where two friends once decided they had made too much homebrew and wondered what might happen if they turned their hobby into something bigger.

That decision eventually became Jackass Brewing Company.

And now, even without Larry Winans physically there, the brewery remains one of the places where his story continues.

Jackass Brewing Company isn’t just carrying on a business. It’s carrying forward a friendship, a community and the legacy of one of the people who helped create it.

Larry Winans is survived by his wife, two adult children, family and friends.

Services will be held Sunday, June 28, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Rooke Chapel on the campus of Bucknell University.

He was 61 years old.

Looks like things are going to get Funky in Elizabethtown again…. This time with a bit of Inspiration. No, Funk Brewing is not coming back to their old location. But – Inspiration Brewing Company – headed by Brian Mills, is coming to the old Funk Brewing taproom spot. Located at 28 S Market St, Elizabethtown, PA 17022 – which is the main way through Elizabethtown, the location was originally the Funk Brewing Taproom and then became the Pine Creek Spirits location until they also left leaving the space vacant until now.

First hints popped up with Inspiration Brewing announcing that they had some “Funky News” with the backdrop being an image (slightly blurred) of the Funk taproom.

Inspiration Brewing’s “Funky News Coming Soon” announcement (photo courtesy of Inspiration Brewing Company)

Inspiration Brewing Company Expanding to Elizabethtown, PA

The original brewery – the old Pour Man’s Brewing spot – in Ephrata isn’t going anywhere and will still be open. (You can read about our attending the soft opening at Inspiration Brewing Company.) This will be their second location. The current spot in Ephrata is located at 284 S Reading Rd. Ephrata, PA 17522. (You can see a map showing travel from Inspiration Brewing’s main location in Ephrata to their new taproom in Elizabethtown here: Inspiration to Inspiration.)

A few days ago Inspiration Brewing posted the vague news post:

“Funky News Coming Soon! Inspiration Brewing” with the backdrop being the Funk Brewery’s taproom building blurred.

We’re just going to leave this right here for you.

#inspirationbrewingco #craftbeer #breweriesinpa #craftbrewery #findyourinspiration #secondlocation

-Inspiration Brewing Company – Facebook Post (June 2nd)

They have now revealed the information, that they are taking over the original Elizabethtown Funk Brewing’s Taproom. Their announcement June 4th:

Welcome! Follow along as we work to open our new location in Elizabethtown.

– Inspiration Brewing Elizabethtown Brewpub – Facebook Post (June 4th)

On their original and main Facebook page, they also posted this on June 4th:

Well, @followers, we have some news. We are getting ready to open our second location! We will be working hard over the next few months to get the doors open. In the meantime, you can follow the page for the new Elizabethtown location here: https://www.facebook.com/ibcetownpub

As for our original taproom, that isn’t going anywhere. We love that location, but also wanted to bring our vision of a full food menu to life. The second location will give us that ability. We hope that you follow along on this journey and look forward to it as much as we are.

-Inspiration Brewing – Facebook Post (June 4th)

A Brewed Up Building

The future home of the Inspiration Brewing Company Elizabethtown Brewpub (photo courtesy of Inspiration Brewing Company)

The 28 S Market Street building has seen some beer in it’s day. It was the Funk Brewing Company’s Taproom for a while, even sustaining a fire in 2022. (Funk Brewing Taproom on Fire) (Funk Brewery Fire Update) Then in February of 2024 Funk Brewing shuttered it as their taproom and it became the Pine Creek Spirits.  Pine Creek Spirits stayed on in the building until they too closed their doors in June of 2025. It has since stayed vacant. (Nearly one full year until Inspiration Brewing Company’s announcement.)

Inspiration Brewing had their grand opening in Ephrata, in March of 2025. (Grand Opening of Inspiration Brewing Company) They took over the original spot of Pour Man’s Brewing who had moved to downtown Ephrata. Pour Man’s had just previously acquired St. Boniface Brewing expanding their brewing capacity, and needed much bigger space and a much bigger restaurant than the current (and now Inspiration) location.

See other articles on Funk Brewing:

• Beer Review: Royal Rumble 
• Beer Review: Griddle

See also:

• A History of Pour Man’s Brewing
• A History of St. Boniface Brewing
• Pour Man’s Brewing Releases Crisp and Crushable Variety Pack

For More Information on Inspiration Brewing Company

Inspiration Brewing logo

For more information on Inspiration Brewing, the following comes via Untappd. Inspiration Brewing is listed as a Brew Pub from Ephrata, PA. With 15 uique beers and over 2,200 ratings, with a global average rating of 3.84 (as of 6.9.26). Their Untappd description formerly read: “Coming soon to Lancaster County, PA
#findyourinspiration .” Now currently reads: “Ephrata, PA #findyourinspiration ”

You can find them at these social media platforms:

• Inspiration Brewing – Official website
• Inspiration Brewing – Facebook
• Inspiration Brewing – Instagram
• Inspiration Brewing – Untappd