The interior of Hop Hill Brewing Co., located a t 1988 Blair Avenue (formerly 1988 Friebley Avenue), Bethlehem, Pa.
A small craft brewery that is housed in a large garage bay will open on a side street just off Rt. 378 in Lower Saucon Township this Saturday, Feb. 25.
Hop Hill Brewing Company is located at 1988 Blair Avenue (formerly 1988 Friebley Avenue), Bethlehem, and has been in the development stages for more than a year.
Partners Greg Smith and Christopher Kresge met as the result of an online ad Kresge–who has been home-brewing beer for more than a decade–posted seeking like-minded home brewers interested in collaborating on projects together.
Kresge said they quickly discovered they shared similar ideas about brewing, and the plan to open their own brewery was hatched from there. Both men continue to collaborate and brainstorm ideas for the beers they make.
Smith, of Alburtis, and Kresge, of Bangor, said they discovered the property Hop Hill Brewing Company now occupies at around the same time.
It’s located a stone’s throw from busy Rt. 378, but far enough away from the highway to shield it mostly from sight.
Hop Hill occupies one mammoth bay in a six-bay garage building owned by local realtor and real estate developer John Blair behind the headquarters for his Blair Custom Homes business.
Hop Hill Brewing is located inside the garage bay with the illuminated windows. There is ample off-street parking.
The street Hop Hill is located on intersects with Walter Street next to the Lower Saucon Township district court building.
Motorists who rely on GPS-enabled devices to navigate to unfamiliar locations should be aware that Blair Avenue was formerly named Friebley Avenue, and is not yet recognized by most online map services.
One of the advantages of opening the brewery inside a garage will become self-evident during warmer weather, when the garage door will be raised to help bring the outside in. Benches that line the door when it’s closed can easily be converted into picnic tables, and Smith said there will be seating outside at the brewery.
Inside there is seating for about 50 people at barstools and tables. Edison-style lights strung from one wall to the top of a walk-in cooler help create a warm and inviting ambience.
Smith, Kresge and their partners did all of the renovation work inside the garage themselves.
And what about the beer?
The Hop Hill brewers’ plan is to have four “flagship beers” on draft continuously.
Those beers are House IPA (7 percent ABV), brown ale Mountain Hawk (5.5 percent ABV), Morning Blonde (5.75 percent ABV) and Drinking Games (4.75 percent ABV), which is the closest thing Hop Hill makes to a traditional American “lite” beer.
Hop Hill Brewing will have the above listed beers when it opens on Saturday, Feb. 25. IBU is an acronym for “International Bitterness Unit” and describes the level of bitterness of every beer.
In addition to the flagship beers, there will be rotating selections, including cider.
On Saturday the featured beers will be IPA Ryes of Apollo (7.47 percent ABV), Amber Ale (4.6 percent ABV), Wee Heavy (8 percent ABV) and a chocolate milk stout.
All of the beers will be served in 14 ounce glasses and be available for takeout in 64 ounce growlers. Flights are also available.
A Hop Hill flight. The glass second from the right contains an apple cider aged with berries.
Several restaurants in the area will have Hop Hill beer on draft, Smith said, including Maxim’s in Easton and the Irish Pig (formerly the Pig Pen) in Allentown, to start with.
For non-beer drinkers, Hop Hill will offer wine by the glass from Tolino and Franklin Hill vineyards, as well as cocktails made with Pennsylvania-distilled spirits, as permitted by their liquor license.
One of the inaugural mixed drinks is expected to be an Electric Lemonade made with Bethlehem’s Social Still vodka, basil, honey and lemonade.
As with many local microbreweries, Hop Hill will sell a limited selection of food to patrons, who can also order and bring in takeout from nearby restaurants.
Pretzel bites made by Hellertown Bakery will be one of the snacks available for purchase, and on Sunday Old Pappy’s Barbecue will serve up food at Hop Hill.
Food trucks will also sometimes visit on days when the brewery is open, which initially will be Friday from 5 to 10 p.m., Saturday from noon to 10 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.
A custom wooden tap handle with the Hop Hill Brewing Co. logo
Smith said they hope to eventually open Thursdays from 5 to 10 p.m., and to hire additional staff, since he and Kresge both work full-time jobs and are fathers to small children.
Both men said their families have been very supportive of their dream to open a brewery.
“If it weren’t for our wives, we wouldn’t be here,” Smith said.
Hop Hill Brewing will officially open to the public at 1 p.m. Saturday, and will have live folk music from 2 to 4 p.m. Smith said they hope to have live music on a regular basis.
Another goal is to have satellite beer tasting rooms in locations throughout the area.
“I don’t know where it’s going to go,” Smith said of the business. However, on the eve of their opening, the future certainly looks bright for Lower Saucon Township’s first craft brewery.
For more information about Hop Hill Brewing Company, visit their website, like them on Facebook, and follow them on Instagram and Twitter.
