phillybeerguy.com

posted by Jim

Friday was a phenomenal day, but we aimed to make Saturday even better. The first stop on our trek through northwest Pennsylvania was Sprague Farm and Brew Works in Venango, PA. The place was initially recommended to us by Matt Allyn of Voodoo Brewery when we first told him about the idea for this trip. Michael’s family, who live nearby on Pymatuning Lake and who graciously put us up for two nights, had also heard of the location via word of mouth. Let’s just say that it didn’t disappoint.

After winding our way through a seemingly endless maze of back roads, we pulled up to the brewpub which is situated inside an old barn. As we made our way inside, we were struck by the massive amount of breweriana that decorated the establishment - old beer signs, vintage advertisements (including one from a long-since defunct brewery in Manayunk), and even an unopened can of Iron City. But as cool as the decor was, the space we were in was even better. The vaulted barn ceiling towered over us, and the exposed beams told us that the owners didn’t want to lose any of the farmhouse atmosphere they had to work with. Just as we were finished admiring our surroundings, we we’re welcomed by Brian Sprague. In addition to being proprietor and head brewer of the establishment, Brian also has another interesting hobby: chainsaw carving. His work decorates the grounds of the farm, as well as neighboring homes and businesses, and he looks every bit the part. His pleasant and hospitable demeanor stand in stark contrast the imposing figure of a seasoned woodsman. We chatted a bit about our trip before he invited us to have a look at the brewhouse. A pint of beer served in a Mason jar for each of us (with the exception of the growlers, all of the glassware in the brew pub is of the farmhouse variety…right down to the mini jars used for the samplers), and we were off.

We learned that the pub portion of Sprague Farm was a recent addition and that until the beginning of this year, beer was served for free in their tasting room. And as if free beer isn’t cool enough, it was served on taps that extend from the front of a vintage piano situated in a room littered with more breweriana. Through the tasting room and around a corner, we were led into the brewery.

Now we’ve seen some small breweries on the tour, but this one was certainly the most modest. A hot liquor tank, a boil kettle, and a mash tun that resembled a milk churn more than a piece of brewing equipment were all jammed inside of a room that couldn’t have been much bigger than a standard college dorm room. One pump was the only automated piece of equipment in the entire space. Brian told us that this equipment was the original equipment Dan Weirback used to start Weyerbacher Brewing Co. After boiling, the wort is sent by gravity down to the fermenters in the basement which is where we went next.

It was another tiny room packed with five open fermentation vessels. Brian indicated that he was definitely giving some thought into letting a beer ferment with whatever wild yeast is floating around in the barn. On our way back upstairs, we were introduced to Brian’s wife, Minnie, and chatted a bit about Sprague Farm’s distribution. They had been sending their been to the Philadelphia market for a few months, but pulled out so they wouldn’t overextend themselves and to develop their distribution more locally. I don’t blame them. Minnie also briefly discussed the farmhouse that sits on the property. It is available to rent for the night (the entire house, not just individual rooms), but is often mistakenly referred to as a “Bed and Breakfast.” Minnie prefers to call it a “Sleep and Leave,” because in her own words, “I don’t f@#$% cook.” (classic!)

There was one final stop on our tour and one that many people aren’t afforded the opportunity. In the far corner of the barn, a door led to a staircase on the exterior of the building which led right up to the roof of the old grain silo. A few chairs had been set up there and the view was breathtaking. Brian said it was one of his favorite places to sit down with a beer, and I can’t argue with that.

Brian and Minnie had a family event to get to, so we thanked them and went back to the pub to grab some more beers and some lunch. A sampler was ordered and came with eight excellent beers. The porter was one of the best I’ve had and the Scotch ale was good enough to be our growler choice. After polishing off the beer and some really good sandwiches, it was unfortunately time to leave.

The one topic that kept coming up between the three of us was why we don’t have places like this at home. The Philadelphia area is ripe with world-class beer and great breweries, but is sorely lacking in a place for locals to go and just “hang out” with a beer made on the premises, listen to some live music, and chat with friends in a casual, take-your-time-there’s-no-rush atmosphere. I’m sure an enterprising person could come up with a phenominal site like this with great beer, but capturing the atmosphere that Sprague Farm has would be doomed to being an exercise in futility.