Central PA-based YAH Brew is getting ready to open its taproom. YAH Brew was started in 2022 by husband and wife duo Justin and Aimee Hoak. Justin has experience in the industry for a while (Tattered Flag, Joboys, Springhouse), and opening their own brewery has been something they have been wanting to do for quite some time.
The two went all in, and in 2022 were approved and licensed for beer production. The brewery has been going to as many festivals as they can, local to PA and in the eastern US. The time has come for the brewery to open its taproom at 251 West Chocolate Ave in Hershey. This space will be familiar to beer fans, as it was most recently a Tattered Flag location, and before that the Hershey Beer Garden.
Tony DeLellis, Co-owner of Tattered Flag, had this to say about Yah Brew going into their old location: “Coming out of the pandemic and the labor shortage, we knew five locations was more than we wanted. Closing a location gave us the opportunity to avoid stretching our people too thin. We’ve been so excited about Justin and Aimee’s venture with YAH BREW, but we knew finding a retail space can sometimes be time-consuming and stressful. It just felt right to have them go into one of our spots as they are such an important part of the Tattered Flag family.”
We spoke with co-owner Justin Hoak to learn more about the brand and what beer fans can expect from their new taproom. We first had to ask, “What does the name YAH BREW mean?”. Justin told us that YAH stands for “Young At Heart”, which is reflected in their way of thinking, and the 90s theme they apply to everything they do.
BIPA: What stage are you currently in?
Justin: We have been licensed as a brewery since May of 2022, and just waiting on our PLCB license. Currently, we are doing some light construction and painting. We have been doing as many festivals and selling at some markets as we can. We are aiming to be open by spring 2023.
BIPA: What styles of beers will you focus on?
Justin: There will be a big focus on our varietal seltzers that use real fruit. We also brew a lot of fruited sours and hazy IPAs, with a balance of our own traditional light beers. There will be 1-2 guest taps on at all times too. The light beers will be contracted to avoid running out of product.
BIPA: Can you describe the space you are opening?
Justin: The taproom is about 1,000 sq/ft, with seating for about 50. There is a bar at the back wall with 12 taps and about 10 seats. We will of course be ’90s themed with bright colors. There will be some pinball machines, and we will have 90s music videos playing on a loop for some casual entertainment.
We will offer many beers of our own, as well as a curated PA bourbon selection, and some non-alcoholic cocktails. In addition, we are planning to do brunch on weekends paired with seltzer-based mimosas. All brewing will continue to be done on our 1BBL system in our garage, and we will look to upgrade to a 3-5bbl system by the end of the year if possible.
BIPA: Will you release crowlers/cans there as well?
Justin: We will be filling crowlers to-go to get started, and possibly cans in the near future.
BIPA: Will there be food offered?
Justin: Yes, we will have a kitchen. We are still ironing out the specifics of the menu, but our main focus is customer affordability. The goal would be to have some pizzas/flatbreads, some simple bbq items with chicken and pork, and maybe some rice bowls.
BIPA: Anything else our readers should know about YAH Brew?
Justin: Keep an eye out for our mug club membership dropping soon. We are calling it “Brewbuster”, and will be themed just like cards from that former movie store that no longer is in business. We will be dog-friendly outside on the front patio, and we also plan on doing a lot of beers/events for animal-focused charities. Also, check out our website for YAH merch!
We will follow up once YAH Brew is ready for its grand opening. In the meantime, make sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
