Tag Archives: BERWICK PA

ANOMALY CRAFT BREWING

United States Brewpubs,

BERWICK, PENNSYLVANIA

Family owned and operated ANOMALY CRAFT BREWING came into existence in 2022 at a former boutique coffeehouse on Berwick’s main drag (not far removed from recently closed Berwick Brewing). Tucked into a narrow window-fronted shop, Anomaly has the feel of a standard bistro with its wood benches, tables and bar top accentuated by a slat wood floor.

Anomaly’s black art studio ceiling adds to the simple light industrial-bound cafe setting of the white walled barroom. Nostalgic pix and macrame art line the walls leading to the back bar. There are two central TV’s and a refrigerator. Behind the bar wall lie the steel fermenters and brew tanks.

A family friendly atmosphere consumes the one-room pub that owner Nicholas Oliver promises a ‘fusion of fire and flavor.’ Smoked meats lead a menu consisting of wood-fired pizzas, sandwiches and apps. Each beer is stylishly perfected to fit the food. Just try the excellent Streets Of Bamberg Rauch bock with any customized smoked meat.

My wife and I sat at the bar to down five durable Anomaly’s (and three nearby Conyngham Brewery draughts) before heading to Williamsport/ State College on a Friday afternoon, mid-November ’25.

Crisply clean clear-strawed German lager, Helles, splashed spritzy lemon onto light Noble hop herbage, mild floral spicing and bready pilsner malts.

Equally spritzy and soft-toned, Willow Tree White, a delicate witbier, placed curacao orange-peeled coriander spicing alongside citric lemongrass herbage, gaining a slight candy coating for the vanilla-daubed white wheat base.

Autumnal pumpkin delight, Squash Patch, countered brown-sugared cinnamon and nutmeg spicing with earthen gourd and herbal ginger.

Infused with roasted cocoa nibs and Madagascar vanilla, robust Criollo Porter let chalky dark chocolate soak into its Cafe Fresco cold brew coffee midst.

Rising above all other Anomaly selections, stylistically perfected rauchbier bock, Streets Of Bamberg, retained campfire-seared cured meat luster, musky Band-aid wafted beechwood smoke and peaty mossing of a Bavarian rauch given the sweet caramel malt creaming of a German bock.

As for the trio of Conyngham beers, summery light lager, Somewhere On A Beach, let spritzy lemon lime fizz tickle musky citric hop acidity over white bread base for a crisp Seltzer-like refresher.

Brief cinnamon-nutmeg seasoning and light ginger herbage placated medium-bodied Pumpkin Ale, leaving salty pumpkin-seeded gourd earthiness on its caramel malt bottom.

Flagship chocolate stout, Into Darkness, slapped dark roasted cocoa nibs bittering upon semi-sweet milk chocolate, dry anise and sugary vanilla.

BERWICK BREWERY

United States Brewpubs,


Brewery Review: Berwick Brewing (Berwick, PA) - Breweries in PA

BERWICK, PENNSYLVANIA

Located on the northwesterly side of the Poconos uphill from the Shenandoah River, BERWICK BREWERY (formerly One Guy Brewing) takes up nearly half the space of an old red brick-warehoused bakery in a sleepy light industrial village. An hour down Route 80 West off exit 256, at the Poconos northernmost range uphill from the windy Susquehanna River, the sleepy industrial village of Berwick maintains a blue collar Industrial setting.

Bordering a used car dealership, its main attraction is the large wooden pavilion Biergarden overlooking the river and idle railroad line (hosting live entertainment on weekends). Inside, a small tasting room with right side bar served brewer Kyle Kalanick’s beer recipes and local Spyglass Ridge Winery’s peach, pear, blueberry, and Reisling wines. Brew tanks in a staging area behind the bar stored four suitable suds and one fantastic IPA.

I initially visited this dank cafeteria-styled watering hole on the Fourth of July, 2010, settling in at the large wooden pavilion behind the small tasting rooms. Brewer Kyle Kalanick’s favorable beer recipes went well with delicious homemade pizzas and local Spyglass Ridge wines sufficed.

Enjoyed creamy, tropical-juiced, grapefruit-peeled Atomic Punk IPA, orange-bound, banana-cloved Front Street Wheat and rye-breaded, pumpernickel-loafed Hondo Keller over resinous citric-fizzed Arden Amber.

Sitting in Berwick’s tranquil Biergarten on the Fourth of July, 2011, I enjoyed a few delicious homemade pizzas with my wife, youngest son, Chris, and Long Island cousins while imbibing each sample (also available on tap at several Philadelphia area bars).

Doughy caramel-malted wheat-honeyed citric-dried hop-softened Berwick Lager and citric-dried hop-resinous rye-molasses-finishing Arden Amber Ale sufficed.

Better were two German-styled offerings: rye-breaded pumpernickel-loafed fungi-earthen floral-accented Hondo Keller Bier and wispy fizz-hopped orange-sliced cider-splashed banana-clove-softened hefeweizen, Front Street Wheat.

Highly recommended Atomic Punk IPA perfectly countered creamy caramel malting and surging peach-pear-pineapple tang with piney alcohol-burnt grapefruit-peeled juniper bittering.

Returning to Berwick on a misty springtime mid-afternoon April ’11, my wife settled into lemon-spiced, honey-creamed, orange-candied mainstay Berwick Lager while I delved into three moderate dark beers. Due to nightshift construction, the brewery’s recently been opening at 6:30 AM.

A few stragglers are finishing up as we imbibed three dark ales at one of the dozen elongated orange tables. Dark roasted malts consumed coffee-stained, cocoa-dried, oats-charred Grumpy Bill’s Porter, milk chocolate-y, coffee-burnt, Kahlua-tinged Barleytown Irish Dry Stout, and coffee-oiled, cherry-soured, mocha-chalked Foxy Stout. All together, another nice go-round at this discreet little dive.