Guild Member Spotlight: Rising River BRewing Company
Rising River’s 120-year-old refurbished Macungie barn boasting the “Rumpus Room” inside and the Big Sky Deck with Tiki Bar out back.
Sometimes it is hard to imagine our member brewery, Rising River, has only been open one short year. What they have accomplished in this first year of operation is pretty amazing work. Owner Ron Beitler purchased the 2 acre property on the Little Lehigh in East Texas in 2021. The initial plan was to partner with an existing brewery and become part of a franchise, but after speaking with now partner/head brewer Jason Mulligan; it became clear that their own concept for this beautiful property was the better choice. Fast forward through many hours of construction and repurposing; we have one of the most unique breweries in our Guild.
“Our taproom nicknamed the "Rumpus Room" is situated inside our 120 year old barn that's been repurposed to house brewing operations and our taproom. The Rumpus Room features a rustic design highlighting original features creating an eclectic, ever evolving, cozy and inviting atmosphere. On any given weekend, the Rumpus room is filled with live music, good vibes and a sense of local community.” Ron shares about their unique taproom. If the weather allows, the true spectacle of this property lies outside the walls of the old barn. The Big Sky deck, as it is called, showcases the beautiful landscape of Rising River’s property. It’s easy to lose hours when you’re relaxing with a cold beer in hand from the 10-tap tiki bar on this deck. If those two spaces weren’t enough for you, there’s still The Holler, or the expansive lawn area leading to the Little Lehigh for all our friends out there not well versed in Appalachian terminology.
Live music and a bustling taproom energy can be found in the “Rumpus Room” at Rising River Brewing Company.
It’s no wonder with this unique space, that our friends at Rising River won Best New Brewery and Best Destination Brewery in the state of Pennsylvania for 2022 - awards that their entire staff, especially taproom leads Nissa Geist, Sarah Kazmierski & Marla Walczak take great pride in. Their aim at providing a friendly and inviting taproom for all has certainly paid off, and it is so exciting to see all they are accomplishing in this first year of being open.
Community is an essential piece to the Rising River puzzle. You can see it in all that they do and what they provide patrons from the moment they walk in the door. Also central to their work is their commitment to the community. Rising River partners with many local charities on a regular basis, their signature partnership being “Mandee’s Lunchbox”, an organization that provides aid to adults fighting cancer. Their primary mission is funding tin lunch boxes and gift cards that they send to hospitals and treatment centers to be distributed to adults and their families while battling cancer, a cause near and dear to the hearts of all who work at Rising River Brewing.
It is certain that the vibes at Rising River are immaculate, but the beer is there to match. Head brewer Jason Mulligan and assistant brewer Megan Collins plan to brew many favorites, like Moontower DIPA, and some new beers as well. All these new suds will come in handy as Rising River expands their on-site Tiki Bar this summer, bringing 20 taps of brews to the menu. Be sure to check out their Rising River House Hard Seltzers, especially the OCMD Style Hard Seltzer Orange Crush. You can even grab a seltzer cocktail inspired by The Orange Crush at the tiki bar all summer long!
Nothing better than a Summer day in the “Holler”, the expansive riverfront lawn on the Little Lehigh at Rising River’s Macungie Location.
In addition to their Macungie location, Rising River will be expanding their operations further in 2023. Tentatively planned for this spring, Rising River “Lakeside” will be opening in Conneaut Lake, PA. Taking their delicious brews and positive customer experience to the western side of our state will be yet another exciting chapter in Rising River’s journey.
It can’t possibly get more exciting than these expansions, right? WRONG! Rising River Brewing will have two signature events this summer showcasing their incredible Macungie Location. The first being the Great American BBQ, which will feature the 40 piece Macungie Band lawn concert and BBQ favorites all day long. The second event is Plunderfest, a pirate themed summer beer festival showcasing local live music, Caribbean foods and other fun activities. Keep your eyes peeled to Rising River’s social media for details and dates which will be coming soon!
The Big Sky Deck at Rising River Brewing plays host to what is soon to be an expanded Tiki Bar Taplist. 20 taps between both bars inside and out!
We hope you’ll stop by and visit our Macungie friends sometime soon. Their operational hours at the moment are Tuesday through Friday from 3:00 PM until 10:00 PM, Saturday from 12:00 PM until 10:00 PM, and Sunday from 12:00 PM until 8:00 PM. Once the weather is a little more consistently warm, the deck will be open on Mondays as well. You can always find Rising River’s beer on the shelves at Bear Swamp Beverage in Macungie. While the focus is certainly placed on their soon to be two locations, Rising River beer can also be found periodically at favorite local bars such as The Shelby, House & Barn, Bell Hall & Youells.
2023 is set to be an exciting year for our friends in the Holler. Rising River aims to carry all those award winning vibes and their incredible brews into this new year and beyond. The pride and excitement is palpable when speaking with anyone involved with this team. We hope you’ll find time to stop by and say hi sometime soon! Cheers to one year and to many more after that, Rising River!