I love beer. But I don’t mean your run of the mill Bud Light variety, more the weighty, full bodied craft beer that is becoming more and more popular. My husband, also an avid beer fan, and I are always on the hunt for the newest ales with fun and creative ingredients, and we looooooooove a good brewery. Imagine our delight at discovering one called Beer’d right in our backyard. Heaven! What would make this even cooler you ask? Why being located inside an old velvet mill of course!

So one Friday in March, noting that Beer’d would be open 5pm-9pm, we hired a babysitter and headed out. Over the river and through the woods to Stonighton Borough we go!! Well sort of…It’s just near the Borough under the main bridge into town and through a small neighborhood. This huge former velvet factory harkens back to 1888, and about 10 years ago local artisans began using the abandoned space for studios and galleries. These days it has really taken off and houses not only said artists, but also amazing eats from pastries, to cheeses, and even a weekly Saturday farmers market.

And so, pocketed amongst these various spots is where we delightedly found Beer’d, and headed in for a tasting. About a year old and the “brain child of Aaren Simoncini”*, this Microbrewery handcrafts small batches of various ales and has anywhere from one to five available for tasting on a given day. The front of the open factory space has been divided into two areas, the right has the serving counter and several tables for guests, and the left is where you can attain growlers, logo clothing and glassware. We were informed that tastings were free here, albeit they were in very tiny plastic cups of what they currently had on tap, but enough to help us discern our favorites and then go on to purchase some pints.

This days offerings were: P² (a Brown Porter), 8 days a Week with Blood Orange (an APA), Mystery Bag (a DIPA), Whisker’d Wit (a Belgian Wit), and Hobbit Juice (another DIPA). We of course tried them all and discussed which we each preferred. I tend to like lighter Wheat Ales more than IPA’s so I ordered up a glass of the Whisker’d Wit, and my husband indulged in the 8 Days a Week…that blood orange flavoring is quite tasty! We took our pints over to one of the high-top tables and began to sip away, taking in the trendy, hip, ”warehouse chic” vibe we were surrounded with. Beer barrels and large metal fermenting drums were all on display and you really felt like you were not just at the brewery but a part of it.

A testament to just how tasty this beer is was the steady line of customers waiting patiently to fill their growlers for the weekend, and the many others like us, tasting, ordering, and hanging out. Just one look at the chalkboard to see how many of their beers were sold out speaks to Beer ‘ds popularity. We will absolutely be back…perhaps next time with a growler to take home!


Click here to get Beer’d’s Phone Number AND Google Map

Beer’d Brewing Co