Since 2016, The Referend Bier Blendery has produced beer in New Jersey using strictly spontaneous fermentation, sourcing yeast passively from the environment and open-air, and actively sourcing locally-grown grain and fruit. And this year they are taking their operations, which have been in NJ since the fall of 2015, across the river and relocating their brewery to Kutztown, Pennsylvania.

The brewery has purchased Pinnacle Ridge Winery and will become a farm brewery. Throughout 2021 they’ll be moving operations from their warehouse in Pennington, NJ to this roughly 6-acre farm property in Kutztown. NJ service will continue throughout the year and the move will be completed in full by next January 2022.

We spoke with owner James Priest about the move to Pennsylvania, and what beer fans can expect. The group involved with the brewery includes James Priest and his wife Melissa Priest, and Tom Frenchu, Referend’s cellarman and brewer.

As she shared with us at The Referend, they are looking to educate beer fans about the process, why they do things certain ways, and why the beers taste the way they do.

“When we opt to referment our beers for carbonation in the bottle, can, or keg, we do so naturally, without the use of force carbonation or the addition of yeast cultures. We do not add and have never added yeast or other bacterial cultures to any of our beers at any point in their production”, says James.

For those not familiar, The Referend Bier Blendery practices the “neglected art” of waiting, of letting nature run its course, to produce a beer of depth and character, inimitable through technological shortcuts or chemical interference. These naturally wild beers develop on their own timeline, with total production times ranging from nine months to five years, producing bottles carrying cellaring potentials of three to fifty years.

Read our conversation below with James to get more details on the move to PA.

BIPA: What stage are you currently in?
James: We are still completing the purchase of the property and licensing. We will be starting the move in March/April and then it’ll be ongoing since for a short time we will be maintaining both locations. We are aiming to open in some fashion outdoor or bottle pickups by this Fall 2021.

BIPA: How did you become initially interested in craft beer?
James: I went to school in Boulder, Colorado, and my first job out of college was at Baxter brewing in Maine, 10 years ago when they started. I was then the packaging manager at Flying Dog in Maryland. It was then, that I  started forming ideas for Referend and an all spontaneous blendery. I also worked at some wineries in NJ and was really interested in Lambic-style beers.

BIPA: What styles of beers will you focus on?
James: We are focusing on 100% spontaneously fermented beers, no yeast cultures are added at any point in the process. They are fermented and matured in oak barrels, as neutral oak imparts little flavor and allows the beer to breathe. They are unfiltered, unpasteurized, and unsweetened to sustain the beer’s natural essence. Our bottles are built for posterity and are capable of decades of aging.

BIPA: Can you describe the space you are opening?
James: We have purchased Pinnacle Farms, which used to be a dairy farm at one point, and most recently a winery. Most of the buildings on the property date back to 1850. We will be installing a 7 barrel direct-fire brewhouse. We won’t have glycol or fermenters in the conventional sense. We will have open-top stainless tanks, as well as 1 koelschip, and then the beer will go into oak right after.

We will have a taproom in the barn, with no bar seating. You will order at the bar, and then seat yourself. The barn can seat around 100 and will be a great event and music venue too.

We will most likely have 5 of our own beers available, with 3 guest taps. Guests will also be able to buy our vintage bottles as well. There is a second bar downstairs, under the barn, where our barrel cellar will be. In non-pandemic times it can fit around 20-25 people.

BIPA: What else can you tell us about the location and the brewery?
James: We will be releasing mostly bottles at this location, maybe some cans occasionally. You will always be able to buy the bottles and enjoy them in the barn, or on the property if the weather is nice. 

As far as food, we will most likely have some small food plates available and we will be utilizing food trucks as well. We will also be both dog-friendly and kid-friendly, as our large property will allow people to spread out and have fun.

Thanks to James for speaking with us about The Referend Bier Blendery. Make sure to follow them on Instagram and Facebook for updates as they start their move to PA.