Hidden Key Brewing Company held its official grand opening recently on February 20th, at 101 W. Baltimore Street in Greencastle, PA.
The new brewery is owned by brothers Tim and Rick Houck, and friend Steve Bandstra. All three also currently share brewing responsibilities. We recently spoke with all three owners to get some insight into the brewery and what beer fans can expect when visiting.
We first asked, “Why did you name your brewery Hidden Key? They told us that it was originally a name for a beer, but then thought it was better suited for the name of their brewery. “Our beer is the hidden key that unlocks good times with family and friends”.
BIPA: How did you become initially interested in craft beer?
Hidden Key: Three of us are engineers and the science of it always appealed to us and we are passionate beer drinkers. we started homebrewing 8 years ago.
BIPA: What styles of beers will you focus on?
Hidden Key: One of our benefits is that we have three brewers, so we can cover a wide range of styles. We currently offer 12 different beers right now, of which only are 3 IPAs.
BIPA: Can you describe the space you opened?
Hidden Key: The building was built in the late 1800s and borders the High Line train. We currently occupy the new addition space, and most recently it was a restaurant in the mid-2010s. We have about 2,000 sq/ft, with 800 sq/ft at the main bar, and about 1,200 sq/ft in an all-season covered patio. There are two ten foot glass garage doors that will be open to our outdoor seating during the warmer months.
There is seating for about 100 inside between the main bar area and covered patio. Outside, we can seat an additional 150 people in our two outside areas, called the beer garden and the secret garden. We currently brew on a 5BBL brewhouse that feeds 12 taps at the inside bar, and soon to be a few taps outside in the beer garden.
BIPA: Will you release crowlers/cans there as well?
Hidden Key: We currently have growlers for sale and to go. In the next few months, we will also have cans to go as well!
BIPA: Will there be food offered?
Hidden Key: We do not offer food, but instead we have partnered with Belle’s Kitchen next door, which has a southern menu to compliment Hidden Key’s beer. Belle’s Kitchen has Southern-inspired cuisine, with items such as shrimp and grits, and some BBQ sandwiches.
BIPA: Anything else our readers should know about the Hidden Key Brewery?
Hidden Key: We are currently building out our walk-up bar in the beer garden. The beer garden will have picnic tables, lots of seating, and entertainment. We will be dog-friendly outside, and feature cornhole and a few other lawn games. The plan is to make this a “destination beer garden”. Out here we will serve limited beers, mixed drinks, cider, and some wine as well.
Out front, we also have an outdoor area! We are calling this the “secret garden”, and there is limited seating for those who want a quieter experience outdoors. We are currently open Thursdays 4-9 PM, Fridays 4-10 PM, and Saturdays 11 AM-10 PM, and we will be adding Sunday and Monday hours, as well as lunch hours shortly. Starting March 13th, our NEW hours will be Mondays 4-9 PM, Thursdays 4-9 PM, Fridays 11-10, Saturdays 11-10, and Sundays 10-4 PM.
Make sure to follow Hidden Key Brewing Company on Instagram and Facebook for all the latest news and beers they offer.
