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The Best Breweries in Berks County PA

A guide to the Berks County breweries that make their own beer, from a wood-fired brewhouse in Mohnton to a spontaneous-fermentation blendery near Kutztown.

Berks Connect Blog|Published September 1, 2026
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The breweries in Berks County run from a wood-fired brewhouse tucked inside a barbecue restaurant in Mohnton to a spontaneous-fermentation blendery in a Kutztown corncrib, with brewpubs, taprooms and one nano-brewery in between. Nearly all of them pour in the same building where they brew, so the beer and the kitchen come from one address. Here is where to go, what each place is known for, and what to know before you walk in.

How we picked these Berks County breweries.

We read the review themes and quotes our directory holds for the county's beer businesses. Where we could open a brewery's own site, we kept only what that page says, which is why some entries here carry more specifics than others. Nothing is ranked, and nobody paid to be included.

Hidden River Brewing Company. Beer inside Brinton Lodge in Douglassville.

Hidden River brews inside Brinton Lodge on Route 724, and the building does half the work before a glass reaches the table. One reviewer called the setting "a walk through the past." Another wrote that the brewery "is inside a manor that looks like it should be in a haunted fairytale."

The beer holds up its end. One reviewer said "Every beer I tried was an A+," and another wrote, "This brewery has the best double IPA's around."

The kitchen has a following of its own, and the figgy pear panini is the sandwich people name. "We all ordered the Figgy Pear Panini and we were not disappointed," one reviewer wrote. Another kept it shorter: "The figgy pear is the best!"

Plan the visit off the brewery's own FAQ, read September 1, 2026: no reservations, children welcome with a parent present at all times, service dogs only, and no outside food or alcohol. Groups larger than eight should call ahead. The same page says there is no access to the brewery from the river or creek, and that non-beer drinkers get Pennsylvania wine, Pennsylvania hard cider and sparkling water.

Detwiler Brewing. Wood-fired cask ale inside Stampede Barbecue in Mohnton.

Detwiler is the most unusual brewery in the county. Its own site calls it the only wood-fired brewery in Pennsylvania, "eschewing both electricity and gas in favor of flame from wood," with brewing water drawn from a deep on-site well and the wort returned to the kettle by gravity for the boil.

The fermentation is older still. The site describes an open fermentation of about forty hours before the beer is dropped into seasoned oak vats, then casked, conditioned and hand-pumped, carbonated naturally without added gas. The grain is Pennsylvania-grown and Pennsylvania-malted barley, and the brewery states its position plainly: "you shall find no fashionable IPA nor tart Sour here."

One reviewer put the appeal in one line: "If you have had enough IPA variations and want something classic and different, this is your spot." The brewery's own Visit page places it inside Stampede Barbecue on Morgantown Road, which means the barbecue counter and the hand pumps are under one roof.

Saucony Creek Brewing Company. A Farm Show winner on Kutztown Road.

Saucony Creek has state hardware. WFMZ 69News reported on January 6, 2020 that the brewery won best of show at the Pennsylvania Farm Show for its rum barrel-aged Maple Mistress, and that it also took the PA Preferred Legacy Award for an ale brewed predominantly with Pennsylvania-sourced ingredients.

The gastropub on Kutztown Road is where you drink it. One reviewer called the range "Excellent beers with a great variety." Another wrote, "The beer is phenomenal, and the food is fantastic."

One reviewer described a visit where "the kids ate and played" while the adults relaxed, and another wrote, "We love the dog friendly patio." One reviewer points first-timers at the pork belly tacos.

The Referend Bier Blendery. Spontaneous fermentation in a Kutztown corncrib.

The Referend is a blendery rather than a conventional brewery, and the difference is the whole point. Its Methods page, read September 1, 2026, describes boiling wort sent straight to a coolship housed in a wire-walled corncrib at the intersection of three vineyard blocks, where spontaneous inoculation happens overnight in open air before the beer goes to oak for extended aging.

The list of things they do not do is just as specific. The same page says no yeast or bacterial cultures have ever been added to any of their beers, that fruit additions are prepared from whole fruit with no purees, flavorings, extracts or preservatives, and that there is no filtration, no pasteurization, no backsweetening and no force carbonation. Since the 2021 move from New Jersey they brew for themselves.

Go in expecting oak and acidity, not a hop showcase, and give yourself time. One reviewer called these "Some of the highest quality spontaneous sour ales in the US." Another said simply, "Amazing beer for people who truly appreciate beer!"

The room is part of the draw: one reviewer liked that "they had great music being played off a turntable!" Pair it with a slow afternoon and the Berks County wineries nearby and you have a full day out.

Copperz Brewing Co. Flights and a giant pretzel in Hamburg.

Copperz is a Hamburg brewpub to walk into when nobody in the car can agree, because the flight solves the argument. One reviewer wrote, "Delightful beer list and a nice small selection of local wines." Another put the options plainly: "Enjoy a flight, a glass or even a crowler!"

Order the giant pretzel while you decide: one reviewer called it "incredible," and another went further with "Try the pretzel, it'll be the best thing you've ever eaten." A different reviewer made the case for the pickle chips with sriracha ranch instead.

If you are making a night of it in town, our guide to restaurants in Hamburg, PA covers what else is within a few blocks.

1787 Brewing Company. A downtown Hamburg brewpub built for flights.

1787 sits on South Fourth Street in downtown Hamburg and is built around tasting your way through the taps. Its own site says to order a flight to taste the variety, and that growlers and crowlers are available to take home. Reservations for parties of six or more are taken by phone, per the same page.

The bar staff are the reason the flight works. One reviewer wrote, "The bar tender is knowledgeable about the beers and how to compare them to known brands," which is exactly the help most people want and rarely ask for.

The kitchen pulls its weight. One reviewer called the corn and shrimp chowder "literally the best soup I have ever eaten," and another said of the smash burgers, "I had one of the smash burgers and enjoyed every bite." One more useful note from a reviewer: "Plenty of street parking and just a 20 minute drive from Hawk Mountain."

Schaylor Brewing Company. A big taproom with games on Lancaster Pike.

Schaylor is the one to pick when the group is large and the plan is loose. One reviewer described "a nice chill atmosphere," and another noted a "Large parking lot and a fairly large indoor area with a pool table too." A third reviewer's tip: "Ask to play their miniature ring toss/hook game."

The beer earns the trip on its own. One reviewer reported that "All 4 beers I tried were excellent," which is the kind of sentence a taproom wants on its record.

The brewery sits on Lancaster Pike, and its own site gives a Shillington address. That site also says family and dog friendly, with dogs permitted on the outdoor patio and on a leash, and that while normal lunch and dinner reservations are not taken, there is event space with a catering menu for parties of twenty or more.

Pagoda City Brewhouse Taproom and Lounge. Stouts and the Chatty Premium in Reading.

Pagoda City brews on North Carroll Street in Reading. One reviewer's verdict: "Their stouts are top notch." Another liked the room as much as the glass, calling out that "The double-decker bus outfront is a great addition."

This is also the company behind Chatty Monks. WFMZ 69News reported on February 5, 2025 that the last day for the Chatty Monks Pub on Penn Avenue would be February 23, and that Pagoda City Brewing planned to focus on its Reading and Fairgrounds Farmers Market locations. The Chatty name still pours: Chatty Premium, an American amber lager, sits in the core lineup on the brewery's own site.

Ask questions at the bar if it is quiet. One reviewer wrote that on a first visit, "the owner took me around to try their brews in progress." Pagoda City runs a second stand at the Fairgrounds Farmers Market on North 5th Street Highway.

West Brew Izakaya. Ramen and house beer on Penn Avenue in West Reading.

West Brew is a Japanese izakaya that also happens to brew, which makes it the most unexpected pint in the county. One reviewer wrote, "The beer is brewed in house and the variety is almost as impressive as the atmosphere." Another described walking in and feeling "transported back to Japan."

The Penn Avenue address has a beer history. WFMZ 69News reported on December 3, 2024 that the space previously housed Broken Chair Brewery, which closed in the summer after nearly seven years of business, and that the incoming owners planned to buy the property and the brewing equipment and keep brewing some of Broken Chair's most popular beers.

Come for the ramen either way. The restaurant's own site names the Tonkotsu Ramen as its standout, and one reviewer called it the "Best ramen I have had outside of Japan." The same site lists Monday as closed, so aim for any other day.

Adler Brewing Company. A Hampden Boulevard brewery with rotating food trucks.

Adler sits on Hampden Boulevard in Reading, and its own site clears up a question people ask: "we are OPEN TO THE PUBLIC and we are not a private club." The same page says the house brews are on tap alongside craft cocktails built from Pennsylvania distilleries.

Food arrives on four wheels for now. The site says that until its kitchen is ready, Adler brings in local food trucks, so check what is parked outside before you plan dinner around it.

Reviewers name the room and the night out. "Beautiful comfortable atmosphere," one wrote, and another said, "The entertainment was amazing!" A third noted the "Safe easy parking," which counts for more than it should.

Sly Fox Taphouse. The Wyomissing taphouse Berks counts as its own.

Straight up: Sly Fox brews in Pottstown, in Montgomery County, and this is its Berks room. Its own site says the Wyomissing Taphouse at the Knitting Mills opened in June 2019 and that award-winning Sly Fox beer arrives fresh from the brewery, served with Pennsylvania wines and spirits in a casual, family-friendly setting. The beer reads well in reviews. One wrote, "The beers were delicious." Another reported, "I had a flight of their beers and all were darn good."

It is also a wings destination. One reviewer advised, "Try the wings, particularly with the Honey Sriracha sauce," and another simply declared them the best ever, which is the sort of claim our roundup of the best wings in Berks County exists to settle.

Two things the site mentions that are easy to miss: Foxskeller, the golf simulator space downstairs, and Eight-Twenty at the Mills, a 4,200 square foot event venue behind the taphouse. Seating is first come, first served, and reservations or private parties need a minimum of twenty guests.

Kutztown Tavern. A Main Street tavern with a house brewery.

Kutztown Tavern is a West Main Street tavern with a house brewery. One reviewer put it plainly: "The homemade beer itself is worth the trip!" Another came away with "Creamy stouts, nice rosemary lemongrass blend on a blonde type." Check the current tap situation when you get there.

Reviewers mention the room. One called the dining room beautiful, with "a very spacious large seating area and what looked like a large area upstairs." Another described an atmosphere "very calm, like you're at home, but still full of fun and activity."

The kitchen does the small things itself. One reviewer noted that "the onion rings are made in-house, which is a big thing for me," and that "the stuffed tater tots were unique and fantastic." Another made the case for the soft pretzel: "Not only is it humongous, but it is delicious."

The Other Farm & Forge. A Boyertown nano-brewery pouring Frecon cider.

The Other Farm calls itself a nano-brewery on its own Story page, and the scale shows up as range rather than volume. One reviewer wrote that "they serve flights so you can taste the variety of beers." Another praised the "Excellent craft beer selection on tap."

The other half of the bar is local by design. Its Drink page lists Frecon Farms for the ciders and Stony Run for the wines, both Pennsylvania names, which makes this an easy stop for a table where not everyone drinks beer.

The room reads farmhouse and the back patio faces the tracks. One reviewer "loved the option to sit inside or out on the back patio near the trains," and another turned up on a night with live music and stayed for the set. On the food, one reviewer said the whole grain mustard with the pigs in a blanket "is probably the best mustard I've ever had at any establishment."

Its own site lists Monday and Tuesday as closed.

The Reading Eagle Readers' Choice microbrewery vote.

The county votes on this too, under a category called Microbrewery rather than Brewery. The Reading Eagle Readers' Choice ballot dates its voting August 16 to August 31, 2026, with results on Sunday, October 11, 2026.

More Berks beer places to look at.

More brewery and taproom listings live at our Berks County breweries page. A few more places worth a stop, some of them brewers and some of them bars and bottle shops:

  • Oakbrook Brewing Company: a Reading brewery in a former firehouse.
  • The Barley Mow: a Penn Avenue beer bar and bottle shop with a long guest tap list.
  • Grand Central Taproom: a Fleetwood taproom with a guest beer list one reviewer calls unbeatable.
  • Barrel and Ale: a Boyertown bar with guest drafts and a pretzel one reviewer sized up as "the size of a steering wheel."
  • Beer Mart: a Morgantown Road beer store with a constantly rotating build-your-own six-pack row.
  • Tasker's Beer Barn: a Birdsboro beer store where you can build your own six-pack.
  • TRI BEER SHOPPE: a Shillington Road beer store with a craft selection one reviewer calls on point.
  • Craft 2700: a Kutztown Road restaurant and bar, not a brewer, known for an old fashioned smoked in the glass.
  • Isaac's Craft Kitchen & Brewery - Wyomissing: a Wyomissing restaurant and sandwich shop.

Berks County brewery questions, answered.

What is the difference between a brewery, a brewpub and a taphouse?

A brewery makes the beer on the premises, a brewpub does the same with a full kitchen attached, and a taphouse pours beer the same company brews somewhere else. Berks has all three. A bottle shop or beer bar is a fourth thing again.

Is Sly Fox a Berks County brewery?

Sly Fox brews in Pottstown, in Montgomery County, and the Wyomissing Taphouse at the Knitting Mills is its Berks room. Its own site says the beer arrives fresh from the brewery. Berks drinkers count it, and so do we.

Which Berks breweries are good for families and dogs?

One Saucony Creek reviewer describes kids eating and playing while the adults relaxed, and another mentions a dog friendly patio. Schaylor's own site says family and dog friendly, with dogs on the outdoor patio and on a leash. Hidden River's FAQ says children are welcome with a parent present at all times and that service dogs are permitted.

What happened to Chatty Monks in West Reading?

WFMZ 69News reported on February 5, 2025 that the last day for the Chatty Monks Pub on Penn Avenue would be February 23, and that Pagoda City Brewing planned to focus on its Reading and Fairgrounds Farmers Market locations. The Chatty name still pours at the Reading brewhouse, where Chatty Premium sits in the core lineup on the company's own site.

Sources.