Lavery Brewing Co. brings a family friendly environment with unique beers and menu items.
When you think of a brewery, scenes of large vats, liquid flowing, and a lot of hoses filled with beer are a big part of the time-consuming process. This is the foundation at Lavery Brewing, founded by Jason Lavery, who learned to brew at age 22 with a starter kit from his wife.
Lavery says, “Every single weekend I was making new home brew recipes at my house, and then we won a home brew award and we decided one night, let’s just start a brewery.”
Chris Sirianni, the then-owner of The Brewerie at Union Station, was the springboard. Lavery says, “He actually helped us in the process by allowing us to rent one of the tanks.”
In 2011, when doors opened along 12th Street in Erie, it was one of the first local breweries. Now he says there are 18, part of the Lake Erie Ale Trail. At Lavery, customers can choose not only from a number of beers—most of them lagers and IPAs—but also signature cocktails that rotate and a diverse menu from a full kitchen.
Seasoned chefs create dishes from scratch, even the dough for specialty pizzas, which customers can enjoy at a table or at the bar.
Customer Hayden Krysiak says, “Very good food, and they rotate out through their beers. It’s wildly different beers than you’re going to get anywhere else.”
While there may be artwork and other décor to enhance the experience, Lavery says, “No TVs, board games. We’re family-friendly. People want to do things with their kids, so trivia night was something we added just this year. It’s the last Sunday of every month—really, really popular.”
The newest addition to Lavery Brewing is the purchase of what is now called Centennial Hall, the site of the former Basement Transmissions. There will be a new bar for people to come in and enjoy drinks, and on the stage, live bands.
Lavery says, “We’re hoping to start renovations in January to open on April 12th. We have a big band booked.”
Plans for the longtime entertainment venue will include a smaller stage and a spot for food in the back. It’s within a walk from the brewery—just like the warehouse—for a business setup where beer is the basis, to be enjoyed outside on the patio or inside for both loyal and new customers all throughout the year.