The Erie Brewery Company is an American brewery in

Erie Erie is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the fifth-most populous city in Pennsylvania and the most populous in Northwestern Pennsylvania with a population of 94,831 ...

, Pennsylvania. Founded as a

brewpub Craft beer is beer manufactured by craft breweries, which typically produce smaller amounts of beer than larger "macro" breweries and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as emphasising enthusiasm, ne ...

in 1993, Erie Brewing transitioned to a full-time brewery in 1999. The brewery has won three medals from the

Great American Beer Festival The Great American Beer Festival (GABF) is an annual beer festival hosted by the Brewers Association, held in Denver, Colorado. Typically held in late September or early October, the event is currently held at Denver's Colorado Convention Cente ...

History

The Erie Brewing Company was established in January 1994 as brewpub—a combination brewery and restaurant—called Hoppers that was operated out of

Union Station A union station, union terminal, joint station, or joint-use station is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway company, railway companies, allowing passengers to connect conveniently bet ...

in downtown Erie. In 1999, Hoppers became a full

microbrewery Craft beer is beer manufactured by craft breweries, which typically produce smaller amounts of beer than larger "macro" breweries and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as emphasising enthusiasm, ne ...

, took the name Erie Brewing, and moved into the former

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) oversees transportation issues in the Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The administrator of PennDOT is the Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation, Michael B. Carroll. PennDOT ...

emissions testing Vehicle emissions control is the study of reducing the emissions produced by motor vehicles, especially internal combustion engines. The primary emissions studied include hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ...

building on West 12th Street. It was the first microbrewery to open in

northwestern Pennsylvania Western Pennsylvania is a region in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania encompassing the western half of the state. Pittsburgh is the region's principal city, with a metropolitan area population of about 2.4 million people, and serves as its eco ...

. Erie Brewing filed for

Chapter 11 Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code ( Title 11 of the United States Code) permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is available to every business, w ...

bankruptcy in September 2005; the company was restructured and emerged from bankruptcy protection in 2006. A group of 21 investors from the

private equity Private equity (PE) is stock in a private company that does not offer stock to the general public; instead it is offered to specialized investment funds and limited partnerships that take an active role in the management and structuring of the co ...

firm Cardinal Equity Associates owned the brewery from 2003 until 2012 when it was sold to its current owner Rob Lowther. In June 2016, Erie Brewing announced it was to build and relocate to a new facility in Harborcreek Township at Station Road (

Pennsylvania Route 290 Pennsylvania Route 290 (PA 290, designated by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation as SR 290) is a state highway located in the environs of Erie, Pennsylvania. The western terminus of the route is at Interstate 79 and Penns ...

) and Knowledge Parkway near

Interstate 90 Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain states, Mountain West, Great Pla ...

; the company cited excessive, city fees and taxes for the inability to expand their current brewery and having to leave downtown.

Beer

The Erie Brewing Company currently produces 6 beers year-round, 5 seasonally, and distributes to 13 states. Railbender Ale is Erie Brewing's best seller and most well-known beer; the beer has won two medals—in 2008 and 2009—from the

Awards

References

Sources

External links