LEWISTOWN - The first public release of a beer brewed locally by Wade Fisher will occur from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, at the Waterfront Tavern in Lewistown. The beer also will be released from 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 23, at J.P. Edward's.
Fisher, whose family has made a name for itself in the beekeeping and honey industry, broke off into a new venture recently and opened Kevin Wade Fisher Brewery, doing business as "Drunk Monkey Brew Werks."
"Part of our mission statement is to buy local and used recycled material," Fisher said.
Article Photos
Sentinel photo by KIERNAN M. SCHALK
Wade Fisher shows off his brewery Monday at the Mifflin County Industrial Plaza in Granville Township.
For Fisher, his brewery has been a long time coming.
Fisher started making homemade wine as a young man and then switched to brewing beer.
"I got really serious about it ... people kept saying your beer is as good as anything in the stores," Fisher said.
Right now, Fisher's "nano brewery" is producing about 95 gallons of beer at a time, which takes about 4 to 6 weeks to bring to market.
The first of two beers released by Drunk Monkey Brew Werks, Captain Jacks Golden Blood Ale and Captain Jacks Weizen, a German style wheat ale, will be available to consumers at the Waterfront, J.P. Edward's and the Cedar House.
"Both these beers are easy style summer beers," he said.
Fisher expects to have his Saison farmhouse style ale in bottles by October. It will be his first seasonal beer, which will be followed by a Christmas Spiced Ale later this fall.
Fisher hopes that within a year he can ramp up production from three barrels to 10 barrels, which would help him fill his ever expanding client list.
"I'm talking to bars in Huntingdon County and another restaurant in State College who like the samples and they want to set up a meeting," Fisher said.
For Fisher it's important to him that his business "grow organically," but in looking to the future he hopes to acquire a winery license so he can brew Hard Cider.
Fisher also plans to pursue growing in his own barley so he can brew a beer using only Pennsylvania crops.
If the brewery continues to grow, Fisher said he will have to decide whether to expand at his current location or move the brewery somewhere else.
For more information, visit www.drunkmonkeybrewwerks.com or facebook.com/drunkmonkeybrewwerks.
