Hidden River Brewing Company

Way back in January of 2020, a few months before something named COVID introduced itself to the world, I took a trip out to the first brewery for the sole purpose of reviewing it for this site.

That brewery was Hidden River Brewing Company.

Since then a lot has changed and the same can be said for Hidden River and Micro Mac Brews. After starting this site back up in March 2022, I’ve been able to review 26 breweries and have no plans on slowing down the usual weekly posts (I missed last week so I am doing two this week 😎).

It was time to get back out to Hidden River, which has made some changes of its own. And to be able to reflect on how far this site has come, the original 2020 post for the brewery located at 1808 Schuylkill Road in Douglassville, PA will remain.

The main change the brewery made was renovations to its inside tavern bar, which now has an opening to a new wooden architecture area with merch and to-go beer. There’s now an entrance that takes you outside to the courtyard as well.

Everything else that makes Hidden River great has remained: the outdoor deck and patio seating areas next to a flowing creek, the mystical atmosphere in a rumored haunted Brinton Lodge, and most importantly, the beer.

Brinton Lodge is a 300-year-old mansion with an extensive history that can be read about here. Monthly ghost tours are offered. Patrons can walk to and from two inside bars through dimly lit corridors; it truly feels like you are inside of a museum.

I can’t say I’ve ever had a bad beer from Hidden River and that goes for draft or to-go cans. There’s a reason the brewery has a 4.12 rating on Untappd, putting it in the top five of breweries in Pennsylvania.

All of the beer is brewed, for lack of a better term, on the campus which has a separate barn where all the brewing activity occurs.

I decided on the Extra Lava Channel (9% ABV, 4.49 Untappd rating), a New England hazy. I also got the Portal 2 (7% ABV, 4.26 Untappd rating), another NE hazy, which you should know by now are my favorite. I loved them both and gave the former a 5 rating on Untappd.

Hidden River focuses on hoppy beers, which may be why I’m such a fan, but also offers traditional ales and lagers. Wine and cider from Pennsylvania companies are also available.

The food menu changes each week and featured a roasted garlic hummus, soft pretzel, sausage and peppers sandwich, four different paninis, and a charcuterie plate when I went.

Although there is ample outdoor seating, dogs are not allowed at Hidden River any longer. Parking is not an issue as the brewery is in a very rural area and has a big lot.