Weyerbacher Brewing Company

For the past decade, we have witnessed tremendous growth in the number of breweries in the Lehigh Valley. The Lehigh Valley Brewers Guild is larger than ever, and the Valley is now a craft brewery destination. However, there was a time when the Valley was in its craft beer infancy, with a few breweries working hard to provide local beer to their community. One such brewery has been pumping out beers in the Lehigh Valley for over a quarter century, and they don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. For this week’s Guild Member Spotlight, we had the chance to sit down with Weyerbacher’s Head Brewer, Matty Snyder to chat about we can expect from Weyerbacher Brewing Company in 2022!

Established in 1995, Weyerbacher Brewing Company has made a name for themselves. “Big Bold Beers” is the slogan proudly displayed at their Easton taproom. Weyerbacher is known for their “huge taste” and high ABV beers. “Merry Monks”, “Blithering Idiot”, and “QUAD” are just some of their staples that have made them a household name.

They have been at their current Easton location for the last 18 years, running a taproom, out of said location, since 2015. When visiting their Easton taproom and production facility, all will see that this is no small operation. Weyerbacher is currently producing on a 40-barrel (BBL) system, which is scalable up to 60 BBL. In addition, they also have a 5 BBL pilot batch system for experimental brews.

Weyerbacher Brewing Company has continued to adapt over the years. Known primarily early on for their distribution reach, they are continuing to evolve their taproom’s style and offerings, focusing on bringing people into their taproom. In 2020, the taproom started serving food with plans to further expand that operation.

One of the many people behind Weyerbacher’s operations is the head brewer, Matty Snyder. Starting with the company 9 years ago, Matty completed his brewing school apprenticeship at Weyerbacher. The hard work paid off, and for the last 4 years, Matty has been their head brewer.

Matty points his eventual interest in craft brewing to his formative years. Growing up in a “hands-on” household, Matty grew up hunting, gardening, and cooking with fresh ingredients. Matty has fond memories of making ice cream in the Boy Scouts and being inspired by Food Network TV specials. He credits his passion of food for leading him to the creative world of brewing.

Matty’s approach at Weyerbacher can be boiled down to “sticking to where we got our start, building upon it, and moving forward.” He continues making sure the brewery capitalizes on what it is known for but also understand that a diverse tap list is important in a changing market. Matty told us that, beside the bold staples, he is proud of some of the lagers and lower ABV beers that Weyerbacher has been releasing as of late. His personal favorite was the Vienna Lager they released in the fall, and be sure to expect that one to come out again in 2022. In addition, Matty says the brewery is looking into releasing some new beers for distribution and is looking to educate themselves on some of the newer trends for possible experimental taproom releases. This might include seltzers and/or Nonalcoholic beers, which can make their taproom a place that is more acceptable to a variety of people.

In addition to their commitment to a diverse tap list, Weyerbacher has a commitment to making their taproom a place for the Lehigh Valley community to relax and enjoy life. The Taproom at Weyerbacher has trivia every Thursday and Sunday and live music Fridays through Sunday. Saturdays usually include two bands, so stop by and enjoy some beer, food, and live music.

Keep your eyes peeled, on both Weyerbacher’s page and the LVBG page, for another great event coming up at Weyerbacher. They are hosting a collaboration wrestling event called “Let’s Hangout,” details coming soon.

Expect all the “Big Bold Beers” you know and more from Weyerbacher in 2022!