Lancaster has been a brewing town for more than 300 years, since British settlers first brewed here in the early 1700s. German immigrants later brought lager brewing to the region, and by 1810 Lancaster County breweries were producing a huge share of all the beer made in the United States — enough that writer H.L. Mencken once called it “the Munich of America.”
Prohibition and wartime coal restrictions closed most of the city’s breweries in the early 1900s. A handful hung on afterward, but large automated breweries out west eventually squeezed out the local producers. The last commercially brewed Lancaster beer rolled out in 1956 — and then, for 40 years, the tradition stopped entirely.
Lancaster Brewing reopened in 1995, ending that 40-year gap. The brewery is housed in the historic Edward McGovern Tobacco Building on North Plum Street — a reminder that Lancaster has always built its industries out of what came before it.
Non-GMO grain forms the backbone of every recipe we brew.
Sourced fresh from the Pacific Northwest, Europe, and local growers.
House strains carried through batch after batch for a consistent house character.
Treated and balanced in-house before it ever touches a mash tun.
The brewery runs on a partnership with GREENCROWN Energy that covers our electricity with 100% renewable sources. On-site stormwater is managed through a green infrastructure system built around a 750-gallon cistern, keeping runoff out of the storm sewer.
Brewery tours run at the Downtown location — the best way to see the grain, hops, and tanks up close.