USA, PA: Tyrone City Brewing becomes Tyrone’s first microbrewery
Tyrone’s first microbrewery is up and running and its products soon will be available to purchase, Altoona Mirror reported on October 12.
Stephen and Wendy Grot have established Tyrone City Brewing in the former Moose Lodge building on Logan Avenue.
The Grots also own Ion Power Inc. on Washington Avenue and the Wilson House Bed and Breakfast at Washington Avenue and Ninth Street.
The Grots bought the Moose building, which was constructed in 1927, in 2022. The Moose Lodge ceased operations in 2007.
“The building sat as it was, beer bottles still on the bar and 15 years of rain drained through the building. When we took ownership of the building from Charlie Mills, the interior was infested with pigeons and the lower floors suffered the worst damage of the exposure to water,” Grot said. “Our renovation began with replacing the roof and removing all plaster from the lower level walls revealing the original terracotta block construction. We changed some of the interior room layout, installed all new plumbing, bathrooms and electrical. The structure of the building is sound and the wall and roof are supported with riveted steel members.”
The Grots have poured nearly one million dollars into renovation work and equipment for the brewery.
Brewing operations began in early September in two 5-barrel fermentation tanks. The brewing system is almost completely automated and monitored via an Internet-connected system.
“We have Light Lager in tank one and Hazy Pale Ale in tank two,” Grot said.
Iron Heart Mobile Canning Co. of Manchester came to town Tuesday to can the first batch of beer and sales will begin shortly, Grot said.
Grot said plans call to market cases and six packs online.
He hopes to sell his products at the Tyrone Elks and other area locations. A walk-in cooler will be set up to sell beer at the brewery.
“Way down the road, we hope to have a kitchen and food, if you serve beer you need food, we will start out with food trucks,” Grot said.
The establishment of the brewery is an attempt to preserve the history of Tyrone, Grot said.
In 1851, there was a Tyrone City Brewing Co. that was located on 12th Street where the southbound I-99 Tyrone exit ramp is located today.
German immigrant John J. Hewel was the brewmaster.
The beer was delivered locally by horse-drawn carriage or by train, Grot said.
Beer preservation was a challenge for brewers at the time due to the refrigeration required.
Today, modern large brewers bottle beer and run the beer through a high temperature pasteurization process, which can damage some of the delicate flavors of beers, but can give a long shelf life even without refrigeration.
“Our beer is not pasteurized, so it is important to keep it cold and consume it within six months of the brewery date,” Grot said.
Over the years, the downtown has become a place with limited commercial activity, Grot said.
“We want to see Tyrone’s downtown revitalized with things that we think are appropriate, the downtown used to be a big shopping area. We want to see the downtown as a nice place to live, work and play. We want to market the downtown as a destination place,” Grot said.
Rose Black, executive director of the Tyrone Area Chamber of Commerce, is looking forward to the new brewery.
“I think it has the potential to be a destination point to bring outsiders as well as locals into our downtown. The atmosphere makes it a great gathering place for families, businesses or groups to meet and socialize. It can also open up job opportunities. Other businesses should also see some benefits and new customers,” Black said.
Altoona-Blair County Development Corp. has been a big supporter of the project.
“We are excited for the Grots and for the opening of Tyrone’s first microbrewery. The opening of a microbrewery in a rural downtown is more than just a new business, it’s a catalyst for continued revitalization. It creates a new gathering place, attracts visitors, breathes new life into the area’s economy while putting the town on the map for craft beer enthusiasts,” said Matthew Fox, vice president of business retention and expansion.
Grot said he hopes to work with the Tyrone Events and Promotions Committee and participate in local events.
Grot hopes for community input on what flavors people like and others they would like to see.
He said at some point, he hopes to renovate the upstairs ballroom and is excited about the future of his business.
“After we discover some growth of the brewery operations, we hope to expand the facility to have a brew pub with outdoor deck seating, a perfect place for the downtown residents and workers to find a local gathering place after work and enjoy the view of the Little J. (Juniata River),” Grot said.
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