Erie Ale Works

416 West 12th Street
Erie, PA 16504

I finally just got into Erie Ale Works for the first time since they’ve opened and I was pleasantly surprised. This place reminded me of my favorite smaller brewery I visited while in Denver. It has a very DIY feel and a great atmosphere for those who just want to a beer with no frills. I met both owners and had nice conversations with both of them, and in the future I may do a more in depth interview with them.

I also had the benefit of enjoying some rare one-offs during Erie Craft Beer Week. I enjoyed coffee and vanilla versions of their Get Hip or Split Oatmeal Stout which were both really enjoyable. I also made a 50/50 version of this beer by mixing the two which brought out the best of both beers. It smoothed out the harshness of the coffee and mellowed the sweetness in the vanilla version.

Overall, I don’t know if I’m a sucker for a brewery with a garage door that opens to the front, or what but I really enjoyed Erie Ale Works. The beers helped too, we also enjoyed an incredibly tart/bitter version of their American Pale Ale which had both grapefruit juice and zest in it.

I will definitely be back and I look forward to see what is to come from these newbies to the Erie brewing scene.