The Bucks County, Pennsylvania brewery scene expands with the future opening of Bitchin’ Kitten who plans to open their brewpub later this year. The future brewery will be located at 58-B E. Bridge Street in Morrisville, PA. We recently spoke with brewery owner Michael Crosson who, with his wife Brigitte, is spearheading the project.
As you can see in the name, the influence behind the business originally came from Brigitte’s cat Shadow. Shadow gained the moniker as the bitchin’ kitten because she was a little picky about who she liked. Truth be told, she only liked Brigitte (and tolerated Michael). But she made quite an impression on both Brigitte and Michael. When Michael started homebrewing 20 years ago, Shadow was the original inspiration and it has stuck ever since. Nikita, who Michael describes as “our dear departed kitty“, is the cat in the brewery’s main logo.
Of course, since that time, the family has raised a number of cats and has only increased their feline appreciation. So much so that the brewery plans to donate a portion of its profits to local non-profit cat rescues. In addition, their beer labels will feature a different kitten that is available for adoption with a QR-Code to take folks right to the adoption page.
The brewpub will operate in a more than 2,000 square feet location which includes an almost 1,700 square foot indoor space adjoined by an additional 500 square foot outdoor beer garden. Beer will be brewed on a 5 barrel brew system offered over a variety of 12 beer taps.
Michael will also be handling the brewing process along with brewer Scott Wills. The two have both been homebrewing for years. Michael shared that his approach to brewing is much like cooking: “looking for flavor combinations and pulling apart a beer to see what makes it tick. Scott is a real-life scientist and approaches brewing from an analytical and precise fashion when it comes to styles and flavors. He’s a real pro and the best brewer I know.”
Crosson went on to explain more about his brewing background saying “I started brewing over 20 years ago. For the past 18 months, I have been working on-and-off at Tindall Road Brewery in Bordentown, NJ. Head Brewer Dan showed me the ropes of large scale brewing and gave me the inspiration to try out running a brewery myself.”
As Michael shared “our beers will be focused on 2 words: ‘traditional’ and ‘drinkability’. While so many other breweries are focused on Double-Dry-Hopped-Triple-
He went on to clarify; “sure…we like to have fun with styles too. Like our Raspberry Wheat and Bourbon Barrel Maple Porter. But everything we brew is through that lens of ‘drinkability’. When you’re done with one of our beers, you’ll be ready for another. In addition, all of our beers will be vegetarian and vegan friendly.”
Since this is a brewpub, after all, beer will not be the only offering found here. Bitchin’ Kitten plans to offer a food concept that is hi-end pub grub tapas. Tony Casselli will be responsible for the food end of the business. Tony brings over 20 years of experience with him to BKB and the Crossons are excited he will be part of the team. With the menu, the intention is to provide “small, inexpensive plates with new twists on classic grub like sliders, pizza, wings and tacos. In addition, we will be focusing on dietary restrictions and ensure that we have gluten-free options and keep our entire location nut-free. We want to create an environment that’s inclusive for everyone and offer real food options for non-meat eaters. Vegans get sick of salad too!” Crosson went on to say.
Finally, Brigitte emphasized that the key to their success will be not only a focus on beer and food, but also on service and atmosphere. “We want people to feel comfortable at BKB and enjoy their time here.”
As of this writing, the plan is to open in the late Summer of this year. You can follow the brewery on Facebook and Instagram to continue to stay up to date on their growth.
