Crawford County microbreweries

5/19/06 — “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”
Benjamin Franklin

CAMBRIDGE TOWNSHIP - The earthy scent of toasted wheat, rye and malts is unmistakable: It’s the stuff that beer is made of.

And at Sprague Farm and Brew Works, there’s about 1,500 pounds of it ready to be brewed into what will be Crawford County’s newest locally-produced beers. “We’re ready to start” brewing, Brian Sprague said recently.

He and his wife, Minnie, plan to have the first batches of their Hellbender porter, Ale Mary wheat ale and Rust Belt amber lager ready for the beer-drinking public by mid-June. Meadville micro-brewer Matt Allyn has been working closely as a consultant in the crafting process, Sprague said.

A member of the American Brewers’ Association, Sprague said his operating license allows customers to sample and buy beer directly at the microbrewery on Route 6/19, but prohibits on-site drinking. Plans to have Sprague beers available on draft at some local taverns are in the works, he said.

Initially, the beers will be sold in kegs and refillable half-gallon-size “growlers,” according to Sprague. The porter, ale and lager will be available in bottles within the next couple of months.

Along with producing and selling its own beers, Sprague Brew Works, a converted and updated circa-1880s dairy barn, offers its visitors an up-close look — through a huge glass window — at the brewery itself.

Inside that white-walled room are the Vafac mash tun and brew kettle, purchased from the Easton-based Wierbacher brewing company. The fermentation tanks are on the lower level. “Logistically, (the brewery) works very much like the farm was designed to,” said Sprague, only with a non-dairy end-product.

“We’re going to make good beer. My tastes have always been toward the darker beers, but I like the whole spectrum” of tastes that will be offered.

Along with the beer, visitors can also get tours, learn about the brewing process and check out the Spragues’ Bier Halla Museum featuring a wide collection of new and old breweryana.

“It’s been fun” getting the business started, said Minnie, “and it’s going to be more fun” once the brewery’s doors are officially opened.

Sprague Farm and Brew Works’ official grand opening is scheduled for July 14, Brian’s birthday. “It’s been a lot of work since the idea first took shape over a decade ago,” he said, with “lots of help from friends and family — without that, we wouldn’t be here.”



Ryan Smith can be reached at 724-6370 or by e-mail at rsmith@meadvilletribune.com

Brian Sprague anticipates that his micro-brewed beer will be on the market by mid-June.
/ JOE McINTYRE/Meadville Tribune