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Brewery Description:
The Penn Brewery, as it is called by the locals, was opened in 1986 by brewing pioneer Tom Pastorius. This wonderful German brewpub is located in the old Eberhardt and Ober Brewery on Vinial Street across from the world headquarters of Heinz Foods. This old rustic building gives the beer adventurer in all of us the feel of actually being in a German Hofbrau, with a solid beer menu, excellent German cuisine, and an atmosphere where the brew tanks are in full view as you dine. Brewing their lagers under the strict German purity law (or the Reinheitsgebot), the masters at the Penn Brewery offer a wide variety of award winning malt pleasure. Their standard year round elixirs include Penn Gold, a refreshing Munich Helles beer that is medium in body with a delicate hop aroma. Penn Dark is a well-balanced smooth burnt dark German lager. And Penn Pilsner is the microbrewery’s signature beverage that uses two-row barley malt, caramel-roasted malt, and a variety of hops to make it full bodied and mellow. Penn Brewery’s seasonal offerings include a German Maerzen for the Mardi Gras-St. Patrick Day season, a Maibock for the spring, a Bavarian Weizen for the summer, a hearty Oktoberfest for the fall, and St. Nikolaus Bock, a strong rich dark red brew for the Christmas season. Kaiser Pils and Crew Lager round out the Penn Brewery beer menu. The Penn Brewery is more than just a brewpub. Live entertainment from German oompha music to reggae and rock takes place on the weekends in the outdoor Biergarten during the warmer weather months, and indoors during the chillier times of year. Annual events at the Penn include a rambunctious Oktoberfest in late September that would make Munich sit up and take notice, the St. Nicholas Day Party in December that kicks off the holiday season and the taping of the St. Nick’s Bock, and the Pennsylvania Microbrewer’s Festival held in June. The Microbrewer’s Festival is where regional brewers come to show off their creations and compare notes. Since it’s opening, the Penn Brewery has experienced phenomenal growth, and continues to do so today as their beers are available in distributors and taverns around the region, and at PNC Park and Heinz Field for sporting events.
