"Butler Beer" - The Best Breweries in Butler County, PA
Focusing on the top breweries in Butler County, Pennsylvania that you should check out on your next visit, or passing through.
Beer in Butler County is now free-flowing and easy to come by, but it certainly wasn’t always that way. Like many other parts of Pennsylvania, beer was an accepted part of regular life prior to prohibition but when prohibition struck, a lot of the industry and enthusiasm for beer dried up (at least publicly).
Even after prohibition, there were a number of municipalities and towns which chose to stay dry. In fact, I had lunch at North Country Brewing Co. with one of the owners, Bob, and he let me know that he initially faced a lot of flack for opening his brewery on Slippery Rock’s Main Street in 2005. And that makes perfect sense when you consider that Slippery Rock was a dry town up until 2001.
The reason I’m touching on the past here just a tad is because I want to communicate clearly that, for me, covering and highlighting breweries in a region isn’t just about tasting beer and making judgment calls, but rather about sharing stories.
Yes, I will do a rundown of some of my favourite beers in Butler County, Pennsylvania, but I also want to focus on what it’s like to open a brewery and take chances in a county and state that don’t have the most easygoing legislation, and with a population where, at least until recently, you’re not totally sure if they actually want you featured prominently on Main Street.
The good news is that, past aside, the future is bright for Butler County’s brewers.
Butler County now has ten breweries rocking and rolling, and visiting them is an ideal way to access and understand the people, feeling, and flavour of a county I became awfully fond of during my visit.
The Butler County Beer Circuit
Below, I’m going to give an in-depth overview of Butler County’s breweries, and highlight a few of my favourites, but let me just for a second talk about the Butler County Beer Circuit.
In short, it’s a self-guided tour of local breweries and brew pubs in Butler County, Pennsylvania.
It’s simple - you get yourself a passport (cleverly called a “Passport to Hoppiness”) at a participating brewery or the Butler County Tourism & Convention Bureau, then take your passport around with you to any of the spots listed on back.
When you arrive, you can try what they’ve got on offer, receive a stamp, and when you finally fill up your card by visiting all the spots, you can head on back to the Butler County Tourism & Convention Bureau (310 E. Grandview Ave. in Zelienople, PA), and claim your specialty mug.
It’s just a bit of a fun, and a playful yet intentional way to visit all of Butler County’s breweries. Of course, if you’re planning on visiting all the breweries in a day or weekend, please ensure you’ve got a designated driver.
What Butler County Breweries Need to Be On Your List?
I’ll start here with the Butler breweries that I became intimately familiar with, then go from there.
Butler Brew Works (Butler, Pennsylvania)
Three long time friends decided to go through the painstaking process of starting a brewery, and though it took a full five years to get it just right and open their doors, nowadays, all three of them couldn’t be happier with the final product.
Their Taproom, sitting right on Butler, Pennsylvania’s main drag, Jefferson Street, brings a lot of life and energy to the city. Butler Brew Works is a classy little joint that’s decidedly hip.
They had some quirky and intriguing items on the food menu, but I went for the beer, largely because Butler Brew Works is very inventive when it comes to what pours out of their taps. Take, for example, the Oseberg, which is a raspberry porter, or their Amelia, a strawberry blonde ale.
Getting a flight here is a pretty good idea, largely because of the sheer variety of excellent beer they’ve got on tap.
I follow what they’re producing just out of interest through the app Untappd, and it’s almost hard to keep up. Last I checked, folks had rated something like 125 different beers, which means they’ve constantly got new brews on the deck, many of which are limited, so better get on over there soon, my friend.
If you’re enjoying this post, you’ll also love to read about Butler County’s Moraine State Park!
Reclamation Brewing (Butler, Pennsylvania)
It was but a short walk down the street for me to get from Butler Brew Works down to Reclamation Brewing. Within minutes, I was deep in conversation with the owner John, a lovely guy and certifiable character.
I felt at home right away, and I love when a brewery can do that. It was a little dim inside, but in a comforting sort of way - in a way that screamed “we care about beer, but we aren’t going to make our brewery pretentious and all Instagram friendly.”
I thought their beer was good, and, from talking to John, I can tell they put a lot of thought into what and how they brew, but I will be candid in saying that I did enjoy the beer at Butler Brew Works more overall.
The Promised Land Ale, a flavourful cream ale is a nice place to start, and if you are looking towards a flight I’d probably fill out the remaining spots with The Double, an imperial double stout, the PA Rye PA, a beer which is all about sourcing locally and isn’t too hoppy, and then whatever else suits your preference.
North Country Brewing Co. (Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania)
Bob from North Country Brewing Co. and I seemingly only needed one meal and a beer or two to become best pals. He’s a great guy!
Firstly, let me just say that if you’re on the Butler County Beer Circuit, this is the place to stop for lunch.
Their food is as creative as it is delicious. I had the Twigs to start, which are beer battered green beans flash fried and served up with “Northradish Sauce.” I then had the Roasted Garlic Burger, which was scrumptious. I’m not lying when I say that it’s currently around lunchtime as I’m writing this, and just thinking about the food I ate here is going to force me to stop writing and go eat lunch.
They’ve produced a wide array of beers since they first launched, and it seems like Bob and Jodi, the owners, have always had fun with their beers. I personally would recommend the Slippery Rock Dew, a refreshing blonde ale. As far as I understand, their “dew series” is seasonal, as I also know they make a Fall Dew and Winter Dew as well. In my opinion, the Slippery Rock Dew will be refreshing and easy-drinking any time of year, but I’d love to go back sometime and try the other versions of it.
From talking to Bob, the one thing that resonated with me was how conscious he was of giving back to the community of Slippery Rock and Butler County at large. Their Station 33 Firehouse Red, for example, honours the local fire department and some of the proceeds from the beer go back to supporting them. I can swear he listed off half a dozen other beers they’d made in the past or are currently making that had charitable roots and intentions.
I also know that North Country Brewing Co.’s annual Brewfests have raised over $50,000 for Slippery Rock Development. The mantra at North Country is “community before self,” and I commend that.
I love their food, thoroughly enjoy their beer, and fervently support their mission. And, to top that off, Bob is one hell of a guy, and I’m grateful I got to get to know him over a couple of hours.
What Other Great Breweries in Butler County Are on the Beer Circuit?
As I mentioned initially, there are ten breweries in total on the circuit. While I’m more familiar with those listed above, I want to give you a brief overview of what the other seven breweries have on offer.
Burgh’ers Brewing (Zelienople, Pennsylvania) - It’s hard to figure out if this is a place with remarkable food that happens to brew some noteworthy beer or whether it’s a notable brewery that happens to have some of the best burgers in Butler County. I suppose the real question is - does it matter?
They’re focused on being ethical and sustainable, as well as sourcing locally, and that’s important to me. In terms of food, I really think you ought to try the burgers if you eat meat, and even build your own if you’re feeling adventurous.
They’re most well known for their New England Hipstertone IPA, but all of their IPAs tend to be well regarded, so you won’t go wrong choosing that, their Flying Off the Bridge, or the Lotus & Papyrus. I’m not a sour guy myself, but I have heard that the Cosmic Signals sour is something special.
Cellar Works Brewing Company (Sarver, Pennsylvania) - This is your quintessential small batch, local American craft brewery. They describe themselves as a brewery that “focuses on locally sourced ingredients brewed from a farmhouse philosophy,” and it shows.
The owners all have different tastes and ideas when it comes to beer, so you never know what is going to be featured or pouring from the taps, and that’s a good thing.
As someone who follows what carefully follows how breweries are being reviewed and received, you should know that people absolutely love the beer here. Their reviews are about as good as it gets, and people have been going particularly gangbusters for their Cocoa Bean Stout, Fifty Foot Robot American pale ale, Moon Cannon American pale ale, and Astro Creep imperial.
That being said, I didn’t see a whole lot of their beers not being coveted, so maybe let your preference guide the way.
If you love beer, but also love wine, feel free to check out my post on The Best Wineries in the Finger Lakes, which as recently voted as the best in the country by USA Today.
Dented Keg Brewing Company (Mars, Pennsylvania) - If Butler County didn’t have great breweries, I would probably crack a joke about how “you have to go all the way to Mars to get a good beer in Butler County!” Thankfully, that’s not the case, but you do still have to suffer that corny joke.
Dented Keg Brewing Company (or just DK, for short) is run by folks who are all about family, and they welcome their customers like part of that family. Their DK East Coast IPA is probably their most popular, but if you don’t always want an IPA (like yours truly), give the 504 Pale Ale a whirl.
It’s also worth noting that this is a noteworthy spot on the Butler County Beer Circuit to nab some cider if that’s your thing. They’re particularly known for their DK Strawberry Rhubarb Cider if it’s on tap when you visit.
Missing Links Brewery (Renfrew, Pennsylvania) - Missing Links is another community hub that’s bringing people together with a nearly endless array of events coupled with some appetizing grub, and a whole bunch of beers on tap.
They’ve got this hilarious Neanderthal theme that permeates the place, and I’d recommend the beer choices that align with that - their Caveman Porter and Saber Tooth IPA in particular. I didn’t try it personally, but I’ve also had friends tell me this is the best spot to get a quality Scottish Ale in Butler County.
Recon Brewing (Butler, Pennsylvania) - When it comes to breweries in Butler County, this is about as laid back as it comes, and I can imagine it’d be the ideal sort of spot to grab a pint after work and see a few friends. As with Missing Links, they’ve got a lot events rolling through, and a very loyal customer base.
Don’t let the relaxed demeanour of this spot make you think they’ve got a relaxed attitude towards beer making. They’ve got some solid beers.
The Sip Sip Sahooty, technically a double New England/imperial is well known, but a lot of people just swear by their juicy IPA which is appropriately called the Juice Head Baby. Finally, if you’re a fan of porters, it’d be criminal if you left without sipping on their Fixed the Newel Post porter, so make sure you give it a whirl.
ShuBrew (Zelienople, Pennsylvania) - Good quality beer matched with simple, seasonal foods is what ShuBrew is all about. They’ve got a small batch system here that allows them to turn an idea into a beer in no time, and that’s exciting if you’ve got a brewery that’s keen to be a little experimental.
Beyond beer, ShuBrew also offers locally made wine, hard cider, and even homemade root beer (which I’m told you can even get with a scoop of ice cream). They’ve got some of the most well regarded IPAs in the state, and that list includes their Jumpman, Magic Mushroom, and Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start (yes, it’s actually called that).
I’d say give any of their IPAs a whirl, to be honest. They seem to have a good thing going in that regard.
Stick City Brewing Company (Mars, Pennsylvania) - And last, but certainly not least, we’ve got Stick City Brewing Company. The owners started home brewing in the early 1990’s, well before craft breweries were all the rage, so you know the passion is there from the onset. As with Northern Country Brewing Co., they’re also community focused, and want to be seen as contributing to and caring about the well-being of their region.
Their “flagship beer” is probably the Fontanalis, a hoppy, crisp American pale ale. I actually think their porter, called the Overbrook, stands out as particularly alluring option if you’re a fan of smooth porters with just a tinge of coffee flavour. Finally, like so many other breweries in Butler County, they do IPAs well.
That’s one thing I’ve noticed about Butler County breweries — almost every brewery has at least one well-respected IPA that people are willing to travel for.
If you’re ever in Toronto, come check out some of the Best Toronto Breweries!
And That’s a Wrap on Butler Beer!
If you didn’t notice, I adore writing about beer (almost as much as I enjoy drinking it). My sincere hope is that my passion for Butler County’s beer scene, and more specifically the Butler County Beer Circuit, aids you well in your beer drinking adventures in the county.
In the process of tasting all of these beers, I urge you to take the time to talk with the bartenders and owners of the establishments to really get a sense of the fact that making beer is hard work. I remember chatting with the bartender at Butler Brew Works (who I believe was one of the owners, though I’m not positive), and he was telling me that he had spent the entire day before working with raspberries to make the porter. With laughter and a smile, he noted that he couldn’t even look at raspberries anymore, he was so sick of them!
Those are fun tidbits that can enhance the beer. When I knew how hard they were working to create their raspberry porter, tasting it brought on a whole new dimension.
Butler County’s beer scene has come a long way in recent years, and there’s never been a better time to dive in and see what all the fuss is about. So cheers, my friends!
I want to humbly thank Butler County for hosting me as media. All opinions are completely my own. Below, I’d love to know in the comments if you’ve visited Butler County, Pennsylvania and any of the county’s breweries! Feel free to also just talk beer in general, and recommend other US breweries or breweries in the state of Pennsylvania! As you’ll know, I personally respond to each and every comment.