Another Lancaster County taproom is about to get a new name.

Fetish Brewing will soon be closing its brewery and taproom, but the space won’t stay empty for long. Cartel Brewing & Blending is taking over the location, giving the brewery its 3rd operating location, which will be called Extended Play (EP).

We caught up with Cartel Brewing owner Adam Chamberland to find out what’s coming next.

The plan is to give the space a bit of a refresh/evolution over time while remaining open and operating, keeping some of what already works well for the space and eventually adding to it.

In addition to continuing Fetish’s vibe of spinning vinyl records for the ambience, Chamberland is also considering more of a live-music and lounge feel, with the possibility of a small stage and open-mic-style events. The food to be offered is still TBD, and more details will be available soon.

Cartel is not currently planning to brew beer at the new location. Instead, beer will continue to be consistently produced at its main facility at 920 Landis Avenue.

Chamberland also said the brewery is interested in eventually bringing back and paying homage to some of Fetish’s longtime popular recipes.

For now, Cartel is taking over the existing lease and plans to use the first year to see what works well for the campus and community before making any major long term changes to the space.

So while one Lancaster County brewery’s chapter is coming to an end, another is just getting started. They are hoping to begin operating by October 1 as they are in the final stage of the PLCB licensing process and the state’s approval timeline will determine when they can officially open.

This expansion also comes with an important clarification about Cartel’s other endeavors. The Cahoots taproom collaboration operates solely under the YAH Brewing license, in Middletown, PA. Cartel’s partnership with YAH Brew has always been a cooperative shared use of the brewery for occasional beer production, collaborations, and some guest taps at the bar.

Cartel is still developing its second location called “The Safe House”, at 26 E High Street in downtown Manheim, a project that has encountered several delays with the full build-out but still intends to open later this year. Extended Play (Lititz) will become Cartel’s official third location operating under a Cartel license. More details will be shared on both locations as things move forward.

A Look Back At Fetish Brewing

Fetish Brewing has been part of the Lancaster County beer scene since 2012, when founders Mike Simpson, Aaron Risser and Brandon Stetser began brewing their small-batch beers on the east side of the city.

Aside from Lancaster Brewing Company, Lancaster’s oldest operating brewery, Fetish joined Spring House and Saint Boniface as early pioneers of Lancaster County’s budding craft beer culture, which has since grown to nearly 30 breweries.

The brewery eventually moved from its original Lancaster location to Rock Lititz, opening its taproom there in January 2018.

After more than a decade of brewing and plenty of memorable beers, Fetish is now preparing to sunset the brand and hand its space over to Cartel Brewing.