Craft Breweries in Erie, Pennsylvania

Beer production (and consumption) has long been part of Erie’s history. The city’s first brewery, opened by Major David McNair in 1815, led to more than 90 other participants in the wort-boiling game.

Few of the brasseries survived the 13 dry years of Prohibition, and none remained by the late 1970s. The microbrew renaissance of the past 20-plus years, however, has heralded the return of brew masters to the city. Beer lovers, rejoice!

Visitors and locals alike will find luscious flavors, enjoy warm companionship, and maybe even learn a bit of Erie’s history at the city’s many microbreweries. Here are a few to check out.

1. The Brewerie at Union Station

As indicated in its name, The Brewerie is located in Erie’s train station.

Since opening in 2006, this brewpub has focused on producing great beer while supporting its staff and the community. The cozy interior features many art deco details from Union Station’s past; part of the building is still the city’s Amtrak station. It’s the perfect setting to dig into a plate of fried pierogis or a bowl of 3-onion ale soup. Wash everything down with a pint of Apparition Amber Ale, a nod to the station’s resident ghost.

Spread of food inclulding pierogis, onion soup, and a glass of ale

Bring an appetite to The Brewerie, where the menu includes 3-onion ale soup and fried pierogis.

Private tours of the brewery can be arranged for groups of 20 or more, while Haunted History Tours are offered on a ticketed basis in October and April. Flagship beers—including Major McNair’s Nut Brown—as well as several seasonal offerings, are available only at the brewpub, so bring a growler if you want to enjoy a little Brewerie at home. Closed Sundays.

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2. Lavery Brewing Company

Lavery Brewing Company outdoor seating area

For when it’s nice, Lavery Brewing Company has outdoor seating by an alley in back.

The beer list at this 12th Street brewery that Jason and Nicole Lavery started in 2009 covers a lot of ground. You’re sure to find a variety that suits your tastes. The flagship India pale ale (IPA), Dúlachán (pronounced du-la-KANN, so you can order it confidently without being fluent in Irish), is made with Simcoe, Mosaic, and Citra hops. For something less bitter, there’s Lucha Gorda, a Mexican-style lager, or a smooth 1847 Rye Stout, named in honor of the immigrants fleeing the potato famine in Ireland.

But man cannot live on beer alone (so they say). Lavery’s food menu includes light snacks—chips and salsa, fries—as well as more substantial pizza, burgers, and tacos, courtesy of Erie-born-and-bred Ashley Sayre de Rivas.

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3. Voodoo Brewing Company

Voodoo Brewing’s Erie pub is one of a growing number of locations of the craft brewer that began in nearby Meadville.

Founded in Meadville, Pennsylvania, in 2005, this employee-owned brewery opened its Erie location in 2016. The spacious city pub is the perfect place to catch up with friends over a juicy Fashion Killa New England IPA. Or enjoy a meal and the refreshing fruited Belgian tripel, Voodoo Love Child, in the beer garden. There’s also a creative cocktail selection for those who want something other than beer.

A weekly trivia contest occurs on Thursday evenings, and local artists play original music on Fridays. Other summer and fall events include monthly painting classes with Paintology, a Kayak the Bay outing in August, and collaborations with the area’s junior hockey team, the Erie Otters. Closed Mondays.

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4. Erie Ale Works

Behind the scenes at Erie Ale Works, whose founders started brewing in a garage.

Housed in a converted garage, this brewhouse opened in 2014 and has a distinct industrial vibe. It’s fitting, because founders Steve Anthony and Jeff McCullor started their professional beer careers as homebrewers in their own garages. Gather at the glossy bar top or meet up on the BYOC (bring your own chair) patio with your favorite folding chair to drink some beer and check out the rotating schedule of food trucks.

Among the selections at Erie Ale Works is Tattooed Lady, a blonde ale the founders lovingly call a “beer-flavored” beer.

You can also find Erie Ale Works beers at some of the biggest local events, such as CelebrateErie and Erie’s Blues and Jazz Festival. At the biweekly Frontier Park Open Market, you’ll find the team’s standard offerings, like Tattooed Lady, a crisp blonde ale, as well as seasonal favorites, such as the Mexican-style lager Calle Doce—Spanish for 12th Street, a callout to the brewery’s location. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

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5. Black Monk Brewery

Black Monk Brewery specializes in Belgian-style beer but also offers varieties such as IPAs and stouts.

Since opening in 2018 on Erie’s west side, this brewery has become the go-to spot for Belgian-style beers. The brewery also serves several IPAs and stouts. It doesn’t offer food—though free popcorn is always ready and waiting—but food trucks park there frequently, and the brewery hosts regular barbecue events throughout the warmer months.

The biergarten, festooned with strings of glowing lights, is the perfect spot to enjoy a cold beer and hot ’cue while listening to live music alfresco. Don’t forget your best friend—Black Monk is dog-friendly. A golf simulator is available by reservation for those who want to practice a bit before hitting the greens. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

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6. Erie Brewing Company

Erie Brewing Company, the city’s oldest and largest brewery, offers a wide variety among its 6 always-available taps along with a selection that changes seasonally.

Erie’s oldest and largest brewery started in 1994 at Union Station. Operations moved to its west side location in 1999 to increase production capacity. The spacious brewpub offers a pub-grub menu and a rotating tap list, covering all beer types from David the Donkey Dunkel to Final Destination IPA and Railbender Scottish Ale.

The partially covered outdoor patio is dog friendly; the brewery even hosts the popular Dogtoberfest event in late September at its other location on Knowledge Parkway.

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Looking for more craft beer?

Black Monk Brewery in Erie is among the 16 stops on the Lake Erie Ale Trail.

These 6 breweries are just some of the stops you can explore on the Lake Erie Ale Trail. Take some time to check out other brewers along the trail, enjoy the scenery, and make new friends in the Flagship City.

Erie Craft Beer Week typically occurs the second full week of November (13–18 in 2023). Activities include brewery tours, new beer releases, and other promotions.

Be sure to designate a driver if you plan to drink alcohol.

Pamela Hunt, a freelance writer in Burlington, Vermont, grew up in Erie and Elk counties and will always be a Western Pennsylvania girl at heart.