We may be well beyond Halloween, but the time is always right for some haunted history. Especially when discussing craft beer! One such brewery is Hidden River Brewing Company located in Douglassville, PA.

A Haunted Past

You see, Hidden River is located at Brinton Lodge which is said to be haunted. The lodge even hosts monthly ghost tours in spring, summer and fall. Just so you know, people were seeing ghosts well before the lodge became home to a brewery, so no alcohol was involved in these sightings. At least not from beer produced by a brewery.

We would travel there for the haunted past alone. Add impeccable craft beer to the mix and we’re all in! The fact that the lodge has the original architecture from the 1700s, coupled with its storied history makes it a top attraction in the area. It’s one of the most haunted places in the area and one of the top 10 most haunted houses in Pennsylvania.

The 300-year-old mansion has two bar areas, several interior rooms and a remarkable creekside deck! Finding a place to relax, or maybe look over your shoulder won’t be hard to do at all while visiting.

Starting Small

Founded in 2015, Hidden River started out small. Their original system was a 3bbl system but eventually outgrew that and expanded to a 10bbl system in 2019. “We consider ourselves a brewpub as everything is sold on premises,” said brewery owner Kevin Margitich. “Our pub is in the aforementioned quirky 1700s home with the haunted history and we embrace that,” noted Kevin.

Hidden River is just under an hour from Philadelphia on the Schuylkill River. “Pennsylvania has a great brewing history and currently an amazing collection of breweries that we are glad to be a part of,” said Kevin. Hidden River considers themselves fortunate to have customers that are passionate about supporting their state’s craft beer.

We Will Riwaka You

Thank You For Letting Me Be Myself is an excellent Double IPA. Riwaka, Citra and Mosaic are the hops used in this beer, and they work so well together. Up front you get a great amount of orange zest, followed by ample amounts of peach and mango. This beer is a little on the sweeter side, but not overdone. It has a nice creamy mouthfeel that effortlessly coats the palate. Hop bitterness comes into play on the back end, cutting out some of that sweetness and creating a nice balance.

To us, Riwaka is the headliner of this concert of hops. We know Citra and Mosaic play well together, but the addition of the New Zealand-born Riwaka adds an edge to the beer. Riwaka adds refreshing and vibrant notes of grapefruit and passionfruit that really help this beer pop! The grapefruit notes help to balance out the sweetness, but also add a pleasant hop bang on the back end.

You should keep an eye out for this beer if you want to try it. It’s only canned four or five times per year, but that’s four or five chances you have to try this remarkable Hidden River Double IPA. While you’re at it, grab yourself a legit Philly Cheesesteak and wash it down with any of the offerings from Hidden River, you won’t be disappointed!

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