The old saying goes “the only constant is change” and that’s the case for the brewery formerly known as Holy Ghost Brewing. The business will now be known as Hairy Guys Brewing as they inch closer to their opening in Jim Thorpe, PA.
So what exactly prompted the name change? For answers to that question, we went to brewery owners Tim Benyo and Tommy Whitehead for the answers. As we learned, the change of the name was prompted by the response they were receiving from the local area. The town felt the name “Holy Ghost” was not aligned with their community values. With both Tom and Timmy being from that area, and having a strong connection of family and friends in the community, they were open and receptive to the feedback.
“If it takes a name change for the local community to be happy with the name, then we are more than ok with changing it” the duo said about the change. Going on to say “we are here to make a quality product for the community to enjoy and that is our main focus. In the end, it was a good decision. We are not here to upset anyone.”
The name “Hairy Guys” came from wanting to keep the “H.G.B.” moniker of their former name. The team felt like it was a fun name that made sense moving forward, and thus Hairy Guys Brewing was born.
As for when Hairy Guys will open, the pair confirmed that “everything is installed and ready to go. We are just waiting on a few inspections to go before opening.” As of this writing the expectation is for the brewery to open at 204 Center Street in Jim Thrope later this Summer.
Prior to the name change, we also spoke with Tim and Tommy to learn more about the brewery and the space, so beer fans know what to expect when they open. You can read more from that conversation below.
BIPA: What stage are you currently in?
Tim/Tommy: We are currently waiting on our LCB approval. We are making the last renovations to the space and then we will need final inspections.
BIPA: Who is involved in the brewery? How did you become initially interested in craft beer?
Tim/Tommy: It’s the two of us, Tim Benyo and Tommy Whitehead. We both started out as home brewers out of Tim’s garage and around 2014/2015, decided they needed to open a brewery. We tried to open a few years ago, and the building fell through, and we decided to put it on the back burner for a while.
BIPA: What styles of beers will you focus on?
Tim/Tommy: We have been looking and focusing on what people have been drinking more of. We will have many different styles, from IPAs to lagers, and have many beers on the light side and dark side.
BIPA: Can you describe the space you are opening?
Tim/Tommy: We are leasing space next door to the Union Publick House. The Victorian house was originally a boarding house in the 1800s and the owners have documented their restoration on their website, Pigeon Manor.
Hairy Guys Brewing will occupy half of the first floor, in a little less than 1,000 sq/ft. They will have two rooms – a bar room and a “parlor room”. The owners have kept with the original features of the house, so the room has floor-to-ceiling windows that open, as well as decorative woodworking.
We will have a small bar with 6 seats and 12 taps. There will be a few tables in the bar room, as well as some chairs in the parlor room, with seating for about 18-20 in total. We are brewing on a 1BBL brewhouse while rotating a lot of different beers.
BIPA: Will you release crowlers/cans there as well?
Tim/Tommy: We will have draft and growler fills at first. Cans will come shortly after, and crowlers may be down the road.
BIPA: Will there be food offered?
Tim/Tommy: We will not have a kitchen, instead we will have food trucks, or possibly have people order from the Union Publick House.
BIPA: Anything else our readers should know about Hairy Guys Brewing?
Tim/Tommy: We are excited to be the second brewery to go into Jim Thorpe. We love our small space, it’s manageable for us right now.
Make sure to follow Hairy Guys Brewing on Facebook and Instagram. We will follow up once the brewery is ready for its grand opening!
