7 Best Breweries in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Are you looking for the best breweries in Lancaster, Pennsylvania? As a Lancaster local and an avid beer drinker, I’m here to give you just that.

The Keystone State has become home to over 400 craft breweries, with several new businesses popping up every year. Lancaster is no exception. No matter what brings you to our humble town, you definitely want to make time to check out one of our many breweries.

Craft brewing is not new to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Born from the skills of British settlers and German immigrants, craft brewing in Lancaster has survived every war since WWI, as well as prohibition in 1919.

Tourists and locals alike are to thank for keeping this long-standing tradition alive.

These breweries, and many more, are why Lancaster, Pennsylvania is referred to as the “Little Munich of America”.

Best Breweries in Lancaster, Pennsylvania

• Lancaster Brewing Company
• Springhouse Brewing Company
• Mad Chef Brewing Company
• Collusion Tap Works
• Appalachian Brewing Company
• Black Forest Brewery
• St. Boniface Craft Brewing

Lancaster Brewing Company – Lancaster City

It only seems appropriate to start with the brewery that carries our town’s namesake.

When Lancaster Brewing Company opened the doors of the refurbished Edward McGovern Tobacco Building in 1995, they ended a three-decade long disruption in Lancaster brewing tradition.

Since that day, Lancaster Brewing Company has been dedicated to brewing delicious brews, while also using sustainable practices to deliver them.

You can find Lancaster Brewing Company beer all over this state, but for a true experience, you’ll want to visit one of their three locations.

Tip from a local: get yourself a pint of the Milk Stout to learn why America’s first milk stout is still on tap today.

Historic Edward McGovern Tobacco Building – 302 North Plum Street. Lancaster, PA

• Monday: Closed
• Tuesday – Thursday: 4PM-8PM
• Friday-Saturday: 12PM-9PM
• Sunday: 12PM-8PM

Lancaster Brewing Company Taproom – 2323 Lincoln Hwy East. Lancaster, PA 17602

• Monday-Tuesday: Closed
• Wednesday-Thursday: 4PM-8PM
• Friday-Saturday: 12PM-8:30PM
• Sunday: 12PM-6:30PM

Harrisburg – 469 Eisenhower Blvd. Harrisburg, PA 17111

• Monday-Thursday: 4PM-10PM
• Friday-Saturday: 12PM-11PM
• Sunday: 12PM-8PM

Springhouse Brewing Company – Lancaster City

A personal favorite of mine is Springhouse Brewing Company in Lancaster City. The original location is housed in an old tobacco factory, where you’ll find plenty of off-street parking as well as an outdoor, dog friendly patio.

You’ll be drawn through the doors by the 22 beers that are continually on tap, but you’ll stay to play some foosball, air hockey, or pinball at the second floor, vintage arcade – known as Hell’s Attic.

Since opening the doors in 2016, Springhouse Brewery has since opened two additional locations.

Tip from a local: Make some time in your hectic weekday schedule to watch and discuss the brew making process with the dedicated brewers at Springhouse Brewery.

Springhouse Brewery – 209 Hazel Street. Lancaster, PA 17603

• Monday-Thursday: 11:30AM-10PM
• Friday-Saturday: 11:30AM-11PM
• Sunday: 11:30AM-9PM

Springhouse Taproom – 25 West King Street. Lancaster, PA 17603

• Monday: 4PM-11PM
• Tuesday-Thursday: 11AM-11PM
• Friday-Saturday: 11AM-12AM
• Sunday: 11AM-9PM

Springhouse Tavern – 8-10 E Main Street. Strasburg, PA 17579

• Monday-Wednesday: 11AM-9PM
• Thursday: 11PM-10PM
• Friday-Saturday: 11AM-11PM
• Sunday: 10AM-9PM

**Be aware that the kitchen does close earlier than the bar**

Mad Chef Brewing Company – East Petersburg

A short distance off Route 283, you will find Mad Chef Brewing Company. After opening their doors for the first time in 2015, Mad Chef has since expanded their restaurant and brewing capabilities by over fifty percent!

You can find delicious, ever evolving brews created from the mind and passion of head brewer, Pim, that will pair well with equally exquisite food. Head chef, co-owner, and Culinary Institute of America graduate, Fran, puts his heart and soul into every menu item he creates.

However, you don’t have to take my word for it. Take it from the rest of the Pennsylvania beer drinking population. Mad Chef was awarded the 2022 Reader’s Choice Award for Best Food at a Pennsylvania Brewery by Breweries in PA!

If you’d like to enjoy a Mad Chef brew, but are not in East Petersburg, you can also find their beer available at Cabalar Meat Co.

Tip from a local: Mad Chef is the perfect place to take the family for dinner or to have a relaxing beer after work. No matter why you’re there, you will feel welcomed.

Mad Chef Craft Brewing – 2023 Miller Road. East Petersburg, PA 17520

• Monday-Thursday: 4PM-10PM
• Friday: 12PM-10PM
• Saturday: 12PM-10PM
• Sunday: 11AM-9:30PM

Collusion Tap Works – Lititz, PA

Originally opened in York, PA in 2016, Collusion Tap Works opened a second location in Lititz in 2021. The four-story, historic Lititz Shirt Factory now houses two bars and one killer live music venue.

When you’re dealing with a head brewer who was trained in Munich, Germany AND has won awards at both the World Beer Cup and Great American Beer Festival, you know you are in for some superb brews.

Since opening their original location in York in 2016, the team at Collusion Tap Works had a goal to become part of the Lancaster community. Being less than a block off Main Street in 2013’s Cutest Small Town in America, they certainly found the perfect location to become one of the best breweries in Lancaster.

Tip from a local: Collusion Tap Works is the type of place that is just begging you to lounge around with a beer or four after spending a day shopping (and snacking) in Lititz.

Collusion Tap Works – 5 Juniper Lane. Lititz, PA 17543

• Monday-Tuesday: Closed
• Wednesday-Thursday: 4PM-9PM
• Friday-Saturday: 12PM-10PM
• Sunday: 12PM-8PM

Appalachian Brewing Company – Lititz, PA

Appalachian Brewing Company is to Central Pennsylvania what Yuengling is to the rest of the state. With locations in Lititz, Mechanicsburg, Gettysburg, Harrisburg, and Shippensburg, you can enjoy Appalachian Brewing Company’s beer from wherever you are.

Imagine walking into a freshly built log cabin in Northern PA with burgers on the grill and your favorite beer waiting for you in an ice cold glass. That’s what it’s like walking into the doors of the Lititz Appalachian Brewing Company location. Not only are you welcomed by the food, the beer, and the people, but the building itself is pretty cool too.

Affectionately known to the locals as ABC, almost all the staff at the Lititz location actually call Lititz home. They will certainly be ready to recommend some ice cream from Greco’s Homemade Ice Cream or some chocolate for the road from Wilbur Chocolate Factory.

Tip from a local: Appalachian Brewing Company prides itself on being family friendly. Not only do they have ten flagship beers on tap all year round, but they also have five craft soda options that you can enjoy every time you go in.

Appalachian Brewing Company – 55 N. Water Street. Lititz, PA 17543

• Monday-Thursday: 12PM-9PM
• Friday-Saturday: 12PM-10PM
• Sunday: 12PM-9PM

Black Forest Brewery – Ephrata, PA

After backpacking the 42-mile loop of the Black Forest Trail in Pennsylvania, Bob Harter and his sons, Ryan, Ross, and Reese, desperately needed a cold beer. So, they thought, why not start making some of their own? Behold, Black Forest Brewery was born.

Not only does the brewery name pay tribute to the long-standing German culture in Lancaster County, but so does their beer. Black Forest Brewery tries their hardest to adhere to the German Purity Laws as much as possible when brewing their beer. Basically, this means that they brew beer with just four ingredients – hops, water, barley, and yeast.

So, if you’re the “just give me a delicious, smooth, ice cold, no B.S. beer” type, Black Forest Brewery is your place.

However, you will not be disappointed if you consider yourself to be the more adventurous type either. Black Forest Brewery offers rotating guest taps, delectable food, and some of the best cocktails on this side of the PA Turnpike.

Tip from a local: Unless it’s fair week, Ephrata is never short on street parking. Black Forest Brewery is a great location to enjoy a quiet, summer evening with some amazing food, great beer, and pretty cool people.

Black Forest Brewery – 301 West Main Street. Ephrata, PA (attached to the 1777 Americana Inn)

• Monday-Tuesday: Closed
• Wednesday-Thursday: 4PM-9PM
• Friday-Saturday: 12PM-9PM
• Sunday: 12PM-7PM

St. Boniface Craft Brewing – Ephrata, PA

Named for the Patron Saint of Brewers, Lancaster County’s first ever production nano brewery is located just outside the heart of downtown Ephrata.

Originally opening on North State Street in 2011, the folks at St. Boniface Craft Brewing quickly realized that they were going to need more space, and a lot more production, to keep up with the demand for their one-of-a-kind brews. So, in 2013, their current location on West Main Street opened its doors for the first time.

The taproom at St. Boniface will greet you with the delicious, locally sourced food that is meant to be shared. However, if you’re a sucker for a place to sit in the sunshine, St. Boniface also offers an outdoor, dog friendly seating area as well.

If you happen to be in the area around St. Boniface feast day, June 5, make sure you stop in to check out Bonifest. It may seem like a party, but the live music, local food trucks, and abundance of delicious St. Boniface beer is actually benefiting the Ephrata Area Food Bank. You can get a little buzz and feel good about it!

Tip from a local: Nothing will beat an Orange Pollinator paired with a fresh pizza on a hot summer day. Trust me on this one.

St. Boniface Craft Brewing – 1701 W. Main Street. Ephrata, PA 17522

• Monday-Thursday: 4PM-9PM
• Friday-Saturday: 11AM-10:30PM
• Sunday: Closed

The Best Breweries in Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Lancaster, Pennsylvania is never short on good atmosphere and great brews. Lancaster, Pennsylvania is filled with amazing breweries, and I know I’ve only named a few.

No matter what you find yourself in town for, be sure to check out at least some of the best breweries in Lancaster during your stay!

Happy drinking everyone!