Snitz Creek Brewery

    

Snitz Creek Beer Pour

 

It starts with tradition. Then envelopes are pushed.

With more than 30 taps between three locations and a big-time canned 4-pack game, guests at Snitz Creek Brewery will never walk away feeling like their craft beer choices were limited. Light Lager? You got it. Freshly concocted fruity ale? Coming right up. From flagship long haulers to small batches brewed on a whim, a wide, eclectic range of craft beer greets everyone who walks through the door.

Chef turned brewmaster

Just a few months after starting his Snitz Creek career as a chef, Ryan Moncarz set his sights on brewing. The journey from “foot in the door” to brewmaster took less than a year, and now Moncarz is looking back at more than a decade of brewing a long line of Snitz Creek craft beers. He’s unapologetic that light lagers are his favorite, but that doesn’t stop him from developing a range of flavors to please the crowd. He loves welcoming guests who enjoy traditional beer but who aren’t afraid to think (or drink) outside the box when they see things like Elvis Cream Pie Ale or a Hazy IPA with mangoes, berries, and white grapes on the draft list.

Snitz Creek Dark Beer

The intersection of beer and food

“I’ll have the bologna beer and the bologna burger please.” Name another place where you can order that combo. We’ll wait. (Waiting…)

Craft breweries often tap into local traditions to tie into their beer and kitchen. Pairing the distinct flavor profiles of traditional Lebanon bologna from the legendary Seltzer's Smokehouse Meats was a challenge that paid off with a fan-favorite beer that’s generally brewed year-round.  Moncarz says the secret is in the smoke. To brew Smokehause 7 (a gluten free rauchbier), the hops are first smoked locally at Seltzer’s hardwood fired smokehouses along with the bologna. The result is a heavy brown, “very bologna” beer.

Hungry? Add The Snitzer. The burger is topped with a slice of Lebanon bologna and served on a pretzel bun.

Dessert? Many of the Snitz beers will satisfy your sweet tooth. The Opera Fudge Stout is a nod to a Lebanon candy maker’s long history with opera fudge, a creamy, hand-dipped delicacy that can take up to two days to perfect.

Snitz Creek Brewery Fruit

Blueberry boss

Fruit is central to the success of the Snitz Creek lineup. (Fun fact: Moncarz had to take a call for a fruit delivery while our team was filming this interview!) And no fruit is more important than blueberries. Blueberry Cream Ale, the brewery’s 5% ABV flagship beer is a light, refreshing classic cream ale with a blueberry finish.

Moncarz says one base beer can yield up to a dozen variations. For the cream ales, it could be blueberry, raspberry, vanilla, or peanut butter cream pie. For sours, it can be mixed berry, root beer float, or in March – the Shamrock Shake Sour.

Snitz Creek Brewery Science

A journey that doesn’t end

Moncarz was inspired to become a brewer more than a decade ago, but the passion for innovation does not stop. Moncarz says every day offers opportunity for inspiration. Any time he’s out for dinner or tasting a treat, each bite could become the flavor inspiration behind the brewery’s next fan favorite. He loves the “mad scientist” operations that go on behind the scenes and the excitement of always pushing the envelope. 

Moncarz says two things are true; craft beer will change, just as it will stay the same. He says the industry has a natural heartbeat to it as trends turn from IPA to hazy to sour to lager and back again. But even as craft beer enthusiasts entertain changing palettes, the thirst for “tried and true” is never more than a barstool away. Snitz Creek’s Opening Day IPA lager was launched on day one and remains on tap today.

Snitz Creek Brewery Exterior Sign

Find a Snitz Creek Brewery

Snitz Creek Lebanon: The original location where most of the large batches are produced is located in Downtown Lebanon at 9th and Cumberland Streets.

Snitz Creek Palmyra: This expansion location sits at the corner of Routes 322 and 117, sharing the lot with Ancestor Coffeehouse. You might call them “flavor neighbors.” The Palmyra location specializes in small batch production, so coffee-themed batches are a common find.

Snitz Creek Fort Indiantown Gap: This location features the most taps (19!) Find it at 1805 Fisher Ave Annville, PA.

On the Brew Barons Beer Trail

The Lebanon and Palmyra locations are featured on the Brew Barons Beer Trail. Download the free mobile passport to find participating breweries, check in, and earn points to redeem for Brew Barons themed prizes.