Pennsylvania’s craft beer scene continues to grow in unique ways with the first Ginger Beer Brewery planning to open. Jackworth Ginger Beer will soon be the Keystone States’ only Ginger Beer producer when they open in Pittsburgh’s East End at 6615 Hamilton Avenue.

To learn more about this unique offering we spoke with head brewer and owner Jackworth Smith about the future of their brewery. Growing up in Pittsburgh Smith spent much of his time bartending as far back as his teen years when he started out at his father’s restaurant which was also in the East End of Pittsburgh, a short 2.5 miles away from his soon to be open brewery.

After graduating college, he would move to the Philly area where he would continue his work in the service industry eventually finding himself all over the country in places such as Seattle, Connecticut, and Detroit before making his way back to Pittsburgh to pursue his dreams of small business ownership.

Throughout this time Smith came across old recipes of how to make Ginger Beer and began the process of teaching himself how to produce the product by researching different methods from books, videos, and podcasts. He originally brewed his first batch in 2013 and has been working towards being able to offer the product commercially ever since.

As the former Front of House Operations Manager of Pennsylvania favorite Brew Gentlemen and Tasting Room Manager at Half Full Brewery in Connecticut Smith honed the skills needed to bring not just another small business to town, but a business with passion, desire, and a sense of community. “I grew up bartending, I want to create a sense of community with bartenders and bars alike,” Smith said about how he views his future business.

As Smith went on to share, the Ginger Beer Brewery will look much like any other traditional craft brewery guests visit. Ginger beer is still a fermented product, and while production is different from brewing barley beer, the look of the brewing process will appear very similar to guests who visit the taproom.

The product at Jackworth Ginger Beer will be produced in electric kettles where sugar is dissolved and ginger tea and yeast is added. It will then be fermented for two weeks in 10 barrel jacketed fermenters before heading to a 10 barrel brite tank for packaging.

Currently, the plan is to offer both non-alcoholic (N/A) and alcoholic ginger beer. As Smith shared the more common view of ginger beer by consumers is on the N/A side. However, that wasn’t always the case. As someone who has spent much of his time researching the product, Smith was able to dive deep into the history of ginger beer. Prior to prohibition ginger beer was quite popular. So much so that before lager beer came around ginger beer would regularly outsell both hop beer and cider. More commonly ginger beer has been non-alcoholic, but traditional ginger beer was an alcoholic beverage.

As of this writing the plan is to offer the alcoholic version of their ginger beer at 5% which will be completely gluten-free. However, Smith did note that he may explore ABVs as low as 2% (although this is not in the current plans). The goal for the variety is due to them “wanting our products to be open to everyone’s lifestyle whether they enjoy alcohol or not” Smith said.

Jackworth Ginger Beer will open in a 1,500 square foot former print shop located in Pittsburgh’s East End. Smith confirmed that “we want it to feel like a bar” when describing the space. And if you are not exclusively looking for Ginger Beer then you are in luck. In addition to serving its own product, the brewery will also offer a wide variety of Pennsylvania made beers, wines, and spirits. In total, they expect to offer 40 seats inside with a mix of high tops, bar seating, and lounge area while also offering space outside in what Smith described as an “intimate alleyway” adjacent to the taproom.

Smith explained how much he is looking forward to taking his many years of restaurant management to bring a top-tier customer experience to Pittsburgh. And more importantly, highlight all the great local makers the Keystone State has to offer. “I am excited to showcase what is happening in PA. We will be having a full lineup of PA liquor, beer, wine, cider, and non alcoholic drinks. This is a way to showcase PA craft, and normalize our ginger beer alongside the more familiar brands/beverages. We will have 10 rotating taps pouring a variety of styles from different breweries around the commonwealth as well as our ginger beer and a cider or two. We will regularly introduce new beers and promote the makers/breweries. I want our bar to be somewhere you can come to explore all of the options Pennsylvania is offering.”

Smith went on to say about the future space; “I would like to create a cocktail program that will feature classic cocktails with PA spirits. You can walk in and order an Old-Fashioned and we’ll make it with New Liberty Bourbon or Liberty Pole rye. A traditional daiquiri will feature Maggie’s Farm rum, etc. Folks will be able to interact with our bar like any other bar and our offerings will be less limited than most breweries menus are today. This includes the non-alc offerings of ginger beer, flavored NA seltzers, iced teas, etc. Truly something for everyone.”

He mentioned that the neighborhood they plan to open features many great local beverage makers. Businesses such as Goodlander Cocktail Brewery, East End Brewing, and KLVN Coffee Lab all call the local area home. A neighborhood Smith knows very well when he noted “my mom used to take me to East End to fill up growlers.” Smith is looking forward to building a business that lives up to the neighborhood’s reputation.

Beyond the local area, it is the goal of Jackworth Ginger Beer to be the go-to ginger beer option in Pittsburgh and beyond. Smith understands that the world of ginger beer in Pennsylvania is still emerging. In the future, he would like to offer both his N/A and alcoholic ginger beer to all other Pennsylvania producers from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia and everywhere in between.

As for local production, the plan is to package all beer in 12 oz glass bottled four packs with the idea of exploring canned options in the future. Guests can expect Jackworth Ginger Beer to open in late summer/ early fall of 2023.

For now be sure to check out their website, and follow the brewery on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to see the progress of their brewery buildout and keep up with all of their latest news.