Guild Member Spotlight: Two rivers Brewing Company
The diversity of breweries in the Lehigh Valley makes this area such a special destination for craft beer lovers. Over the years, we have welcomed so many breweries into the Valley, all shaping this beautiful beer landscape that we have today. The distinctions of these breweries can be found in more than just the beer styles they produce, but also how that beer is entangled with the location’s ambiance. The rich history of the Lehigh Valley offers a great landscape for new and old breweries alike to connect themselves to the Valley’s past while moving into the future! One such brewery that has capitalized on the history of the Valley and created a nostalgic atmosphere, in both Easton and Quakertown, is Two Rivers Brewing Company. We recently sat down with Owner Troy Reynard and Head Brewer Ben Gangaware to talk about how Two Rivers got here and where they are going.
Photo provided by Two Rivers
It is hard to drive by Two Rivers Brewing Company without noticing their Easton Location. Located at 542 Northampton St, Easton, PA, Two Rivers Brewing Company's historic building features a beautiful turret that overlooks Northampton Street. The side of the building facing Northampton Street dates back to 1810 and the building operated primarily as a hotel from 1855 until 1994, known mostly as the Mt. Vernon Hotel. You can find more about the History of this building on Two Rivers’ website here:
Two Rivers also runs a taproom out of another historic location in Quakertown. Located 116 PA-313, Quakertown, PA, you can enjoy beers and food from Two Rivers inside the Trolley Barn Public Market. The main building of the trolly barn was constructed in 1896 as a terminal and trolley barn for the Quakertown-Richlandtown Traction Co. It has been home to a variety of other businesses since 1929, and is now a growing community hub.
Two Rivers embraces the historical locations of their businesses by carrying it over into their products and overall brand. In their Easton location, you feel like you're walking into a 1920s bar room, which Troy tells me that they left many characteristics untouched to portray that sentiment. Taking a look at their beer menu, you understand that Two Rivers knows its Lehigh Valley history. Many of the beers are named after historical people, places, or events. In addition, their large variety of classic beer styles further immerses a patron into the historical brewery feel.
However, it took time for this award winning brewery to be where it is today. Before Two Rivers, Troy and his wife ran a local Easton coffee shop called Cosmic Cup. They were looking to expand the coffee business into a secondary location when Troy and Kathy Reynard went on a trip with friends Judy and Brad Nelson. While in Cooperstown NY, enjoying local beer, the idea sparked in the group to start a brewpub. While they were partially serious then, later while on a ‘dive bar tour’ in NYC, Kathy said to Troy, “F*** it! Let’s start a brewpub!”
Next course of action was to find a location. The group heard about the old Mt. Vernon Hotel going on sale at a Sheriff's auction. They put in a bid and turned out to be the only bidder. And just like that, in July 2011, they now had a beautiful, but complicated location. With little plumbing and no HVAC, there were major renovations to be done, especially when putting in a brew house. Due to the extent of revisions needed for the brewery portion of the building to be operational, Two Rivers operated solely as a restaurant from December 2012 until June 2015. The culinary skills of Chef and General manager Jeremy Bialker contributed to Two Rivers success before beer was produced on site. To this day, some of the best food in the Lehigh Valley can be found at Two Rivers Brewing Company.
Pictured: Head Brewer Ben Gangaware and Owner Troy Reynard
As of 2015, it's not just average beer coming out of Two Rivers, it's award winning beer. Originally, Josh Bushey was the brewer at Two Rivers Brewing Company. During his time there, he not only made great beer but also helped mentor many (now well known) brewers that can be found around the Valley. In 2021, Ben Gangaware took over as head brewer at Two Rivers. Through his extensive background in the brewery industry and previously working with Josh, he has taken the reins and is still producing the high caliber beer we all know. Their latest award was at the 2022 PA Farm Show where Two Rivers won a blue ribbon for their Bangor Slate Baltic Porter! Ben says he has been excited since taking over, looks forward to keeping up with the demand, and loves that he can make more pilsners!
Since 2019, beer has been flowing from the Two Rivers Taproom in Quakertown’s Trolley Barn Public Market. This location offers a unique experience to enjoy beers in between shopping, eating from a variety of vendors, or relaxing outside in the Market's stunning patio spaces. We had the opportunity to also visit this space and enjoy all it has to offer!
It is looking to be a great spring and summer to visit both locations! Some of the confirmed events at Two Rivers Easton location are “Adult Big Wheel Races” on May 27th, “Two Rivers 7th Brewniversary” on June 11th, and “80’s Dance Party” on August 26th. Mark your calendars!
Definitely give both the Easton locations and Taproom Location’s social media pages a follow to stay up to date with all things Two Rivers, especially as we approach Lehigh Valley Beer Week (May 14-May 21)!
Updated Information for both Locations can be found at the links below!
https://www.tworiversbrewing.com/
https://www.facebook.com/tworiversbrewing
https://www.facebook.com/tworiverstaproom
Cheers!
Research by: Leila Kaczmarek and Jerry Collins
Written by: Jerry Collins
Photography by: Jerry Collins