NEPA Breweries: Breaker Brewing Company

Posted by
Lewith & Freeman Real Estate Inc.

6 years ago

We’ve mentioned Breaker Brewing Company on the blog before, but we felt the brewery was more than due for a visit and spotlight as our monthly brewery. Located in Wilkes-Barre Twp., Breaker is a local favorite with an amazing story behind their business.

Breaking into brewing

One of the things I love about local breweries is that they often start with the story of someone or a pair of friends who were passionate about beer and pursued it as a career. Breaker is no exception to this story.

It all started with Chris Miller and Mark Lehman, a pair of friends who began home brewing in 2005. They started out brewing in 5-gallon home brew kits in their kitchen before upgrading. They made their own two-tier ½ bbl system that brewed up to 12 gallons at one time. You can see photos on their website!

Their next step was distribution. In 2009, they began selling their beer on a 1.5 BBL brewery system, which they made themselves. Still, within about one year, they needed something bigger—they upgraded to a 3 BBL system, which meant they now needed a new (and bigger) home for their brewery.

In 2001, they bought the old St Joseph’s Monastery & School, where they are still located today. You can learn more about the history of that building in our blog post here. In the beginning, they were just selling growlers but, in the spring of 2014, they began selling pints and food.

Their nano brewing system was sold and is now being used by Argilla Brewing Co. in DE. Their current brewery operates with a 10 BBL brewing system, which is located in the recently renovated old church.

New things are happening

Breaker features 8 to 12 beers, including their seasonal rotating specials. Their menu is something of the same, featuring staples as well as weekly specials. I highly recommend their mac and cheese, grilled cheese (all of the bread used in their menu items is made in-house), and poutine tots (when they have them).

As far as their beer goes, they dedicate their beer to “those who have been and still are examples of our rich heritage.” It’s in their name, too. Breaker Brewing Company is named after the coal breakers that were a major part of our area for quite some time.

Keep up with them on Instagram and Facebook! You can view their current tap list and menu on their website here.

Recently, Breaker broke into the canning business and is now canning select beer in-house and selling them to the public. They’ve also opened up their brewery where people can dine and drink amidst the smell of hops and the sounds of their brewing equipment.