We’re celebrating 8 years of brewing beers!!

If you’ve ever found yourself sipping a crisp Paupack Cream Ale on the shore of Lake Wallenpaupack, you already know: something magical is brewing in Hawley, PA. This fall, Wallenpaupack Brewing Company celebrates eight years of turning small-batch ideas into big-time beers, from hometown favorites to national (and international) award-winners. And honestly? The brewery’s rise has been as fun to watch as it is to drink. So, let’s sit back and relive the highlights over the brewing gem of the Pocono Mountain’s bronze anniversary recap.

Medals, medals, and maybe just a little modest bragging
WBC’s trophy case is almost unfairly impressive. Take Kroon, their Belgian-style strong ale: Gold at the 2024 Great American Beer Festival (Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale) and Silver at the 2024 World Beer Cup (Belgian-Style Strong Blonde Ale). Then there’s Activator, which nabbed Bronze at the 2023 GABF in the German-Style Doppelbock / Eisbock category, and the English Pale Mild Ale, which earned Silver at GABF in the English Mild / Bitter category. Three GABF medals plus a World Beer Cup nod? Not bad for a little Poconos brewery with big ideas.

Critics notice, too
WBC’s beers aren’t just racking up medals—they’re earning love from the press. Hawley Hefeweizen made Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine’s Best 20 Beers of 2022. The magazine also acknowledged three of their bottom-fermented releases in their 2025 Lager issue. Beer Connoisseur Magazine has been equally generous, putting HelleSent at #27 in their Top-100and giving shout-outs to fan-favorites like Largemouth Hazy IPA, Paupack Cream Ale, Hawley Hefeweizen, Kroon, and multiple editions of their For The Love of Lager Series. Clearly, the judges aren’t the only ones paying attention.

Seasonal hits everyone can agree on
Fall at WBC means one thing: pumpkin. Their Pumpkin Ale earned a spot on USA TODAY’s 10Best Fall Beer List in 2023, and it’s become a seasonal staple alongside the brewery’s Oktoberfest Märzen and Festbier. If your idea of fall involves leaves, crisp nights, and a pumpkin-spiced pint, WBC has you covered.

Growing while others tighten
The craft beer market hasn’t exactly been on an easy streak—the Brewers Association reported a roughly 4% decline in U.S. craft production in 2024. But WBC? They’ve been bucking trends. Expanding into new counties, adding distribution partners, and keeping year-over-year growth alive. In 2024, L.T. Verrastro began handling Northeastern PA, while Durdach Brothers, Inc. covers north-central PA. Basically: more cans,more kegs, more reasons to toast.

Local love: sports, arenas, and the communityWBC has made itself a fixture in NEPA. Beer fans might catch a pint at the PNC Field WBC Craft Beer Bar, home of the RailRiders collab “Home Half” Hazy Pale Ale. Over in Wilkes-Barre, WBC runs a craft bar at Mohegan Sun Arena and released the arena-exclusive “Against Ale Odds” for its 25th anniversary. Whether it’s the Poconos or the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area, WBC is more than a brewery—it’s part of the community scenery.

Anniversary festivities: beers, bites, and lederhosen
To mark eight years, WBC is rolling out the “8 Beers for 8 Years” theme. That includes a signature anniversary beer dinner (multi-course, multi-beer pairings, fun and games included) and, of course, their Oktoberfest celebration—think Festbier, Märzen, pretzels, bratwurst, steins, and live music. Basically, if you enjoy giant steins and even bigger fun, you know where to be.

Where to find the magic:
WBC’s cans and kegs are available at the brewpub, across their NEPA and north-central PA distribution footprint, into the Lehigh Valley and on tap at PNC Field and Mohegan Arena. Bonus: follow their social feeds for pop-ups, collabs, and surprise releases—because in WBC world, there’s always something new to sip.

Eight years in, Wallenpaupack Brewing Company is doing exactly what small breweries are supposed to do: experiment boldly, brew reliably, and plug into the local scene. Whether it’s a critic-friendly Largemouth Hazy IPA & Hawley Hefeweizen, a crowd-pleasing (and World’s Best) Paupack Cream Ale, a Festbier in lederhosen season, or a “Home Half” at a RailRiders game—cheers to eight years of lake-side love, innovative experiments, and beers that keep winning both hearts and medals.

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