What started as a craft brewery has evolved into a Pennsylvania craft beverage company, featuring a brewery, seasonal beer garden, winery, gastropub, and now a distillery.
Kevin and Basil Kershner founded Brothers Kershner in 2015 before opening Brothers Kershner Brewing in Skippack in July 2018. The company expanded with Brothers on the Brandywine Beer Garden in South Coatesville in 2021, launched Brothers Kershner Cellars in 2024, opened The Barrel by Brothers Kershner in Avondale during the summer of 2025, and established Brothers Kershner Spirits in 2026, with plans to release ready-to-drink cocktails, bottled vodka and gin, and house-blended whiskey.
The Barrel brings those brands together in one place. Located inside the former National Bank of Avondale at 122 Pennsylvania Avenue, the gastropub pairs the brewery’s beers with Brothers Kershner Cellars wines, handcrafted cocktails, hard seltzers, and non-alcoholic options inside a landmark stone building dating back to the 1700s. One of its most unique features is the original bank vault, which has been transformed into a beer vault.
The food is every bit as much of a draw, with elevated pub fare including house-made brisket egg rolls, Bavarian pretzels, smoked or fried wings, brisket sandwiches, burgers, fish and chips, shrimp po’ boys, fresh salads, and more. Weekly specials include half-priced Wing Night on Wednesdays and Rib Night on Thursdays, along with trivia, live music, and other events throughout the year.
“A critical part in any business is adapting the plan to focus on meaningful growth,” Kevin Kershner said. “We’ve been pushing the envelope since the beginning and are especially proud of our new pub as it’ll serve as a great showcase for the labor of love we’ve been living. Couldn’t be more proud of our tight team and what we have accomplished, and can’t wait for what the future holds.”
For Basil Kershner, creating places where people want to gather has always been part of the vision.
“There seems to be a trend for spaces and experiences as well as getting together again, and sharing a pint or drink, and we’re all for it,” Basil Kershner said. “We have the spaces, and we have the experiences.”
The Barrel reflects how Brothers Kershner has evolved over the past decade while giving visitors one place to experience everything the brand has become. Whether you’re stopping in for PA craft beer, Brothers Kershner wines, handcrafted cocktails, or elevated pub fare inside one of Chester County’s most unique historic buildings, it’s a destination worth adding to your next brewery tour.
