As of this writing, the closest brewery to the city of Connellsville, PA is over 10 miles away. That all changes when Yough River Brewing opens its doors on Friday, April 29th. The 2.5 barrel brewery will open at 1030 S. Arch Street.
We recently spoke with brewery owner Matt Humes and Head of Brewing Ops Nelson DaSilva to learn more about what locals can expect once the brewery opens.
Matt’s interest in craft beer began roughly three years ago. After pursuing the interest he decided it was time to go pro. “There is no brewery all that close to Connellsville. Specifically, there is nothing like this in town, so I decided to pull the trigger. I am doing this not just for me, but for the town” Humes confirmed about his desire to open Yough River.
The 1,500 square foot building, which was originally a nursery dating back to the 1950s, has sat dormant since the ’90s. Matt originally purchased the space in 2016 as his shop and has now transformed it into Yough River Brewing. In addition to this space, Humes also purchased the adjacent building which will serve as the brewing facility.
With the brewery being offsite, it will allow Yough River to take advantage of all 1,500 square feet. The taproom will feature an open floor plan, high-top tables, and a 27 foot bar. With Matt’s background being as a bricklayer, he has custom built a 1,000 square foot outdoor patio that will feature fire pits, horseshoe pits and other future outdoor activities.
You can see the construction of the space below (Photos courtesy Yough River Brewing on Facebook):
On the brewing side, DaSilva confirmed that Yough River plans to open on a 2.5 barrel brew system accompanied by three fermenters and two brite tanks of the same size, with plans of increasing the brew size in the near future. (The brewing company has already made plans towards adding 7 barrel fermenters down the road).
As for beer styles, the brewery will focus on a variety of styles but as Humes confirmed, he would like to “start out simple with the quality of beer being the main focus. We plan to offer brown ales, pales, blondes, a Kolsch, and whit to name a few. We will keep it on the lighter side focusing on low ABV options.” When they open they plan to offer seven beers on draft, even offering a Western PA favorite; Iron City Light.
The spirit behind the brewery will be powered by the activities that surround the area. The beers will be kept light to support local activities such as the biking trails, camping, and other outdoor events which all lend themselves to more sessional beers. In the mind of Yough River, they would like guests to “stop in off the bike trail and enjoy a beer or two before going back out.”
No onsite kitchen will be featured, however food trucks will regularly supply meals for customers. In addition to this Humes confirmed that he has plans to work with local restaurants to supply meal options to go along with the rotating list of craft beer.
Yough River plans to be a place “where all are welcome.” The taproom will offer a kid and dog friendly family atmosphere. You can begin visiting them on Arch Street starting Friday, April 29th. And be sure to follow them on Instagram and Facebook to continue to keep up with their growth.
