Some breweries are solely focused on the beer. Others? They’ve got stories steeped into the walls, wild histories in the soil, and buildings that feel like characters themselves. We’ve been on the hunt for spots where the setting is just as interesting as what’s in your glass—and we found exactly that at The Referend Bier Blendery in Kutztown.
We visited the property and chatted with James Priest, founder and brewer, to discuss the land’s deep roots, the 174-year-old barn they call home, and how history, nature, and fermentation all come together. Tucked into a 5.7-acre hillside, The Referend Bier Blendery has found its home on land with deep agricultural roots and a fresh fermentative spirit. No ghost stories from Priest—just bats, old bones, and a whole lot of character.
Originally cleared of scrub oak and native growth in the late 1700s or early 1800s, the land was likely first used for agriculture. The iconic bank barns that still stand today were raised in 1851, and the site operated as a dairy farm until the late 1980s, when subdivision changed its trajectory. In 1991, the hillside was planted and trellised with grapevines, beginning its modern legacy of fermentation.
In 2021, The Referend moved its entire New Jersey blendery operation to this site, and soon after, its sister winery, Therein Wine, was born. By 2022, the Cellar Bar tasting room was reopened, offering visitors a direct connection to the blendery’s evolving vision. That vision? Radical sustainability and long-term thinking. Everything—from location to ingredients to the 174-year-old barn they work from—is chosen with endurance in mind.
The property is more than just a home for barrels. It’s a living, fermentative playground. The Referend is growing more ingredients onsite, from heirloom apples and elderberries to wild blackberries and sassafras, all feeding into their beer and wine. Rooted in history but focused on a wild, sustainable future, The Referend and Therein Wine are redefining what it means to be truly local.
Be sure to follow The Referend Bier Blendery on Facebook or Instagram for updates.
