Tag Archives: LEWISBURG PA

JACKASS BREWING

United States Brewpubs,

Jackass Brewery

LEWISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA

Occupying a stately gray bricked Industrial building with aluminum-sided large windows atop a small hill on Route 45 in Lewisburg (home of Bucknell University), JACKASS BREWING opened March 2020. Started by two homebrewers inspired by the Portland Ale Fest, Skip Kratzer and Larry Winans, craft well-designed straightforwardly stylized suds.

A beautifully landscaped property with metal-furnished tiled patio leading to the metal-and-wood factory-like pub, Jackass Brewing’s high ceilinged fans and exposed pipes add proper industrial details to the 4,000 square-foot space. The 25-seat red brick-backed bar features twelve-plus jackass-handled draughts connected to the windowed brew tank room via large red engine room piping.

My wife and I and dog, Roscoe, grab seats on the turf-floored, umbrella-tabled back deck to down nine proprietary brews alongside delectable pub fare. Signature cocktails are also available.

The Story of Jackass Brewing Company - Lewisburg, PA

Polite light-bodied German pilsner, First Voyage, brought lemon-soured herbage to raw-grained maize dryness and grassy hop astringency contrasting sweet corn pop and mild coriander jot.

Smoothly fruited IPA, Orphan Annie, left floral-herbed citrus traces upon caramelized pale malts, as modest lemony grapefruit-peeled orange pith bittering and zippy tangerine tanginess maintained casual summertime appeal.

Easygoing ‘pine-forward’ IPA, Random Walking Nun, held steadfast with mild grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering and modest passionfruit tartness riding atop delicate crystal malt sugaring.

Laidback limey grapefruit, orange and mango zesting paced easygoing Citra-hopped NEIPA, Foggy Doo, contrasting light pine resin with spicy pale malts underneath.

Zestful NEIPA, Juicy(er) Ass, placated lemony grapefruit-pineapple tanginess and orange-oiled tangerine tartness with buttery pale malts.

Candi sugared dried fruiting ensconced Belgian IPA, Rakau Me Amadeus, bringing Rakau-hopped apricot, plum, pear and plantain illusions to spicily white peppered fungi phenols.

Sweetly tart candi-sugared banana puree, lemon meringue and orange marmalade bluster fronted Wonkey Donkey Tripel, picking up wispy white-peppered clove and coriander spicing.

Soft-toned breakfast stout, Bfasst, an Imperial Porter despite its descriptive moniker, placed cream-sugared medium roast coffee alongside dry espresso, milk chocolate and cocoa nibs resilience.

Dry Irish stout, Kizma Irish Ass, saddled barley roasted caramel malts with mild hop-charred coffee, espresso, dark chocolate and cola illusions.

SMILING CHAMELEON DRAFT HOUSE

BEER PUB
LEWISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA
Nestled one hour north of State Capitol, Harrisburg, in a commercial farming center just off the West Branch of the Susquehanna River lies the pristinely detailed 19th century-styled town of Lewisburg. Home to Bucknell University and the famous Campus Theatre (a treasured Art Deco movie palace), this middle Pennsylvania suburb also houses Market Street’s rewarding SMILING CHAMELEON DRAFT HOUSE, opened for business September 2010.
 
Serving decent pub food and great drafts while mantaining a comfortable downtown atmosphere, the wood-paneled bar offers 30 tap handles plus a nice bottled beer selection. Its rustic interior features an antique mirrored right wall sidled by booths and tables across the stone-walled 20-seat bar (with 3 TV’s). A Bison insignia promoting Bucknell sports is above the tap handles. Fine local beers from Stoudt’s, Troegs, Victory, Yeungling and Elk Creek are interspersed amongst Guinness Stout, Boddington’s Ale and Moosehead Lager.
 
On this cold Saturday evening in early November 2012, my friend Paul and I grab a few seats at the bar to watch the Alabama-LSU college football game while consuming two previously untried beers. As Robert Johnson’s blues classic “Going Up The Country” plays in the background, our waitress brings over Old Forge T-Rail Pale Ale, a refreshingly soft-toned citric spritzer with a mild IPA bent. Afterwards, I down Elk Creek Johnson IPA, a richer offering displaying piney fruited juniper bittering. 
 
Though Smiling Chameleon may be small in stature, its friendly neighborhood feel will attract both locals and travelers. And the quickly revolving taps do a great job serving the community with some of the finest elixirs the Keystone State could offer.