For this birthday bash, iron your lederhosen and fit into the best bar maid outfit.
Well Crafted Beer Co. is shutting down Madison Street and pouring special and seasonal brews during an Oktoberfest-themed birthday bash Saturday, Sept. 23 from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. to celebrate its fifth birthday in Lansdale. Prost!
To begin saying cheers to five years, there will be an outdoor party at the brewpub from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., and then the party continues indoors until 11 p.m., according to a press release from Well Crafted Beer Co.
Madison Street will be blocked off to traffic from Railroad Plaza to Wood Street. Outdoor entertainment, on top of yard games, includes live music from Ian Lander Band and Riley and Sean, starting at 5 p.m.
According to the release, there will be awards for Best Dressed and a one-liter glass beer stein holding competition.
“Following US Stein Holding official rules, competitors will hold a full beer glass straight out for as long as they possibly can. A team of judges will advise and time the winners, who will gain bragging rights and some awesome gear. One male and one female competitor can move on to the Pennsylvania State finals scheduled at the SteelStacks Oktoberfest in Bethlehem on Saturday, Oct. 14th,” states the release.
Seasonal beers at the event include Festbier Oktoberfest Lager, Gourdo Extra Special Pumpkin Beer, and Pumpkin Spice Latte Blonde Americano Coffee Blonde Stout.
Two special brews will be released at the party: a hazy double IPA called 5th Anniversary, and a hazy IPA with citra and mosaic hops called Birthday Beer 2023. The brewpub also offers cocktails, wines, ciders, and non-alcoholic drinks.
No Oktoberfest is complete without German cuisine, such as pretzels and sausages. Both will be offered at the outdoor pretzel stand. Other delectable delights joining Well Crafted include El Limon/Clean Plate Club, TUCKEDito, and Madd Sweets food trucks.
Well Crated Beer Co. Marketing Manager Nica Bellenger said the brewery became a reality five years ago when HOW properties showed them the old art center and Masonic temple building space.
“It needed a lot of fixing up, but after a little over a year of renovations, we were able to start brewing commercially for the first time and open our taproom doors to the public,” Nica said. “The building was uninhabitable, so our renovation started with a full demolition and cleanup of walls and floor, and building the kitchen, bar, and custom pieces like the wood wall and stage.”
Well Crafted, according to Bellenger, was originally owned by four families that met at package engineering at Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY and began hanging out, drinking beer, hitting new places, and home brewing together: The Bellengers, The Solomons, The Provos, and The Boltons. Within the past year, the Molle family was added as managing partners, she said.
Since opening, Well Crafted has added a water filtration system, squeezed in four more fermenters, added refrigeration, and purchased a canning line to maximize brewing capacity in the 5,000-square-foot brewing footprint, Nica said.
“We’ve upgraded some of the kitchen and dish equipment to expand our food menu of seasonal and, where possible, local ingredients,” she said. “We’ve added weekly and monthly events and now offer party rentals, classes, entertainment, charity and community events.”
Nica said the floor plan has changed over the years and includes seating for more than 100 guests, plus an art gallery.
Looking into the future, Bellenger said they want to become one of the best regional breweries in southeastern Pennsylvania.
“We’re growing our supply to reach more of Pennsylvania’s bar, restaurant, and beer distributors with our staple products,” she said. “Hop Monger, our peachy and juicy hazy IPA, is now offered in six counties and growing.”
Last year, the Bellenger’s opened a second brewery and taproom in Ambler Yards in Lower Gwynedd Township. At present, the Ambler brewery is undergoing renovations to add 20-barrel fermenters for double batching and RO, UV, and carbon water filtration, Nica said.
“This year we are focused on making more barrels with the help of Ambler's flexibility and space. Meanwhile, Lansdale will become more of a specialty brewery so we can continue to offer kettle sours, barrel aged, Imperial, and a variety of beers to both taprooms,” she said.
This week, Well Crafted adds new lunch hours: It will be open for lunch Tuesday through Sunday, starting at noon.
Bellenger said it is the people that make Well Crafted a success in both towns and beyond.
“The people make it work!” she said. “We have an incredible staff in the front and back of house hustling every day to brew awesome beer, plan fun events, and provide excellent customer service.”
Customers, she said, enjoy returning for the variety of true-to-style, high-quality beers, and a fun vibe.
“We hope to continue serving Lansdale for many years to come,” she said.
See also:
Following Several Months of Delays, El Limon to Officially Open This Week in Lansdale
Small Batch Kitchen in Lansdale Launches ‘Local Giveback’ Program
Imprint Beer Taps Into Five Heady Years For Anniversary Bash
Nino’s Pizza in Lansdale Celebrates 60 Years in Business
Boardroom Spirits Announces Collaboration with Rosenberger’s Iced Tea
