Over the past eight months or so, ever since construction of the Boal City Brewing began on the historic Columbus Chapel and Boal Mansion Museum property, I have been asked often by inquiring (and thirsty) souls, “Any idea of when that new brewery in Boalsburg is going to open? It looks like it is going to be sweet.”
Well, the wait is over and the good vibes are flowing to all that venture on over to the inviting place that co-owner Gordon Kauffman and his team have put together at 235 Old Boalsburg Road, Boalsburg. With a large, carefully constructed indoor bar area, and plenty of outdoor seating with views of the mountains in the background, the place definitely looks like a great spot to relax and enjoy a beverage with some friends. This is exactly what Kauffman had in mind when he started thinking about the place more than five years ago.
“It started with my travels in the U.S. and abroad, but mostly in the U.S., where I’d be traveling and seeing places like micro-breweries and tap rooms that just had a great vibe and were sort of community gathering places. I thought, you know what really would be cool, if we had something like this around the State College area,” Kauffman says.
An avid mountain biker, Kauffman spends a lot of time in Rothrock State Forest, and he often has wished to have a place to gather with friends after a good ride. Boalsburg, with its centralized location to many trailheads, seemed like the ideal spot.
“We’d be in Rothrock, finishing up what we were doing and ask, ‘Where are we going?’ And there was nowhere to go really that we that we all wanted to be. So, I thought, well this is something that my friends want, and because I’ve been here for a long time, I kind of recognized that I think the community would want something like this,” says Kauffman.
To help make part of his dream a reality, Kauffman looked to long-time friend Mike Smith to be the brewer. A State College native and former brewer at the Gamble Mill, Smith spent the last six-plus years distilling at Barrel 21 Distillery. He said he is excited to be back in a brew house.
“Even though I made that move into spirits and alcohol, beer was always kind of tugging back at me a little bit. It is where my passion is,” says Smith.
For Kauffman, bringing Smith on as brewer was an easy choice.
“I knew that he was passionate about making beer and I knew he made great beer. I also knew his philosophy and the style of beer that he preferred and some of the things that he wanted to do that were innovative with the beer,” says Kauffman.
Expect a rotating beer menu with eight to 10 beers on tap, including everything from IPAs to stouts, pilsners to gose, and much, much more, providing a new experience every time you visit.
Wine and pre-mixed cocktails also are available, along with kombucha and coffee for those looking for non-alcoholic choices. Kauffman says the team has prepared an interesting snack menu that may be expanded in the future and has food trucks at the location several days a week.
The inside bar area includes interesting details, including a large map of Rothrock State Forest that is a replica of a 1914 map found in the Boal Mansion Museum. Large windows roll up and connect the inside to an expansive outdoor area. It includes a lawn area, covered patio, beer garden, and other nooks and crannies for customers to explore, all with the beautiful backdrop of the Rothrock in the background.
Kauffman’s wife, Lara, a landscape architect, was vital to making that outdoor space pop.
“To have her talent and resources to create this outdoor space, we could not have done it without her,” Kauffman says.
With plans to be open seven days a week in the afternoon and evening, the vibe that Kauffman hopes to create will be guided further by another longtime friend, General Manager Dave Staab, who is trading in a lifetime of late nights at Zeno’s Pub for afternoons in the beer garden.
“You know, I’ve known Dave for a lot of years. I felt like because I’m not working here full-time and none of the ownership group works here full-time, I needed somebody that had experience in the front of the house,” says Kauffman. “He’s been doing it for 35 years and it just was the right timing for him and for me. I just feel so comfortable with him and how he handles not just staff, but also handling the customers and making people feel welcome.”
Kauffman feels being on the Boal Mansion property will provide a benefit to the community at large.
“You know, with the theater and the museum, not only could the people that come to the museum have a place to go to have a drink, but also to our customers coming into the brewery, we as a company could shine a light on what’s going on at the museum. You know, it is a great museum that not many people know about. So, it is a way to kind of form a synergy between the two and then create like almost a larger arts community here,” says Kauffman.
“What I’m most excited about is seeing people being here having the kind of time that I’ve had in my mind, like I’ve envisioned for many, many years. I think just seeing people rolling in on their bikes and having fun. That’s what I’m most excited to see, especially the people like my friends and family, just so they can see what we’ve created here.” T&G
Boal City Brewing’s current hours are 5-9 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 3-11 p.m. Thursday and Friday, noon to 11 p.m. Saturday and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday. For updates and current food truck schedules, visit the brewery’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
Vincent Corso enjoys drinking local and meeting new people at central Pennsylvania’s many interesting establishments.
