Back in February 2022, we brought you the news that Forbes Trail Brewing would be opening in Stoystown at 6108 Lincoln Highway.
While they have been working hard on the construction of the space all year, the time has come for the brewery to have its Grand Opening! The brewery officially opens Friday, July 8th, and is the first brewery to open in Stoystown.
To get a full understanding of what local guests can expect, we sat down with Mike Fahy back in February to profile the future space. You can read part of that conversation below.
BIPA: What’s in the name Forbes Trail Brewing Company?
Mike: In the 1700s, Forbes Trail was built and used to connect the East and West sides of the state. We are located off of RT 30, which is considered the old Forbes Trail. We love the history of this, and want to highlight it! We will do a lot of local things, including a Fort series of beers.
BIPA: Who is all involved in the brewery?
Mike: Currently it’s me, Mike Fahy, and my wife Kaitlin, with the help of some friends! We used to be homebrewers by the name “Bad Moon Brewing”, and I used to brew at both Whitehorse Brewing and Olde Bedford Brewing.
BIPA: What styles of beers will you focus on?
Mike: The main answer is that I want to brew it all. I will try any style of beer, and really enjoy it all. That being said, I want to also brew traditional styles and old-school old-world recipes. A mix of clean, traditional styles and then some “off the wall” styles would be best. We will have some staple beers that are always on, and also some seasonal varieties for people to look forward to.
BIPA: Can you describe the space you are opening?
Mike: We are opening in the former Glades Pike Winery satellite building, which was also Route 30 cafe at one point. Our location is a quarter-mile from the entrance of the Flight 93 Memorial. Also, our neighboring property is putting a privately funded memorial park in called “Patriot Park”. This part will honor every soldier that was lost in the global war on terror.
There will be lots of parking, and an outdoor beer garden for fire pits and cornhole. At the bar, we will have 12 taps, with seating for 8–10, and inside seating overall for almost 50. We won’t have food, but snacks for now, and will be looking into food trucks in the future.
See inside below (Pics courtesy Forbes Trail on Facebook)
For the brewhouse, we have the 3bbl system we got from Fury Brewing with a few 1bbl fermenters. I want to focus on variety and do a little of everything, as I mentioned earlier.
BIPA: Will you release crowlers/cans there as well?
Mike: We will be hand-canning. The plan is to be able to offer fillable on-demand four-packs. This means whatever you see on tap, you can take home with you in a 16oz can. We will still do growler fills as well.
Be sure to follow Forbes Trail Brewing on Facebook and Instagram, and make sure to keep up with Mike and the progress with the brewery!
