Craft beer certainly is not a new game in the Valley but, as the name implies, HiJinx Brewery is always up to something. Their innovative and light-hearted approach shows in their beers.
HiJinx Brewing Company has been brewing officially since 2011, though founder Curt Keck has been concocting creative brews for more than two decades. Those years of experience coupled with a very creative team of crafters have resulted in a popular brewery pouring a large rotation of beers.
If you make your way over to the Bridgeworks Enterprise Center in Allentown, Pa., you’ll find Keck along with his four fellow brewers and volunteers pouring pints, flights and growlers to very happy customers in their tasting room. One can easily drop in and get a growler filled and be on the way, but most stick around for a pint or two; this is especially true when there are food trucks right outside offering tasty bites to go along with HiJinx’s brews. And if the food trucks are not around, customers are also welcome to bring in their own food. On our last trip we saw a fabulous cheese plate at one table and pizza delivery at another.
So what sets HiJinx apart from so many others in the craft beer game in the Valley? Creativity. The entire staff is made up of certified beer judges and home brewers who fuel their inspiration by sampling at pubs and bars. During the ”grapefruit craze,” when it seemed everyone was brewing with grapefruit, they got the idea to make a different kind of citrus ale using agave named Verano, Spanish for summer, brewed for the Center Valley restaurant Torre. Their most popular? Wicked White, a Belgian-style ale with flavors of citrus and spices. The founder’s favorite? Steal Your Face, a Russian Imperial Stout. One of our favorites is the Kung Fu Gnome, the product of experimentation with more than 20 different herbs before landing on the perfect blend. Along with their innovative flagships, there is a seemingly constant variety coming off the taps almost weekly. An idea for a new beer variety can go from a mere thought to a finished beer poured at the brewery’s bar in a matter of weeks. Because of this fast-paced creation, you can typically find at least half a dozen varieties available at the brewery, though you can also find various HiJinx beers at bars and restaurants in the area.
This year finds HiJinx canning some of their more popular beers through a mobile canning service. These services have allowed smaller breweries such as HiJinx the ability to can beers on location easily, and in smaller quantities. HiJinx’s Wicked White and Hop Havoc, a non-traditional IPA, were released in cans in mid-January with plans for even more in the future.
Another new venture on the HiJinx docket is the creation of their own sour beer. HiJinx partner and mad scientist-type brewer Chris Becker is the mastermind behind the sour production. Keck noted that their facilities are not quite where they need to be for sour production, but are hoping to get there very soon.
An additional defining characteristic for this innovative brewery is that all who work at HiJinx, both paid and volunteer, are very well versed in the art of brewing beer. Most are award-winning home brewers who are extremely educated and experienced, which provides for a great conversational experience when hanging out in the tasting room. If you can manage to get there when the tasting room is not packed with patrons, take some time to chat with the employees and volunteers, as they all have quite a passion for their art form and enjoy speaking to others about it. There are even opportunities for home brewers to bring their recipes to HiJinx for the opportunity to brew their creations under Keck’s guidance.
One can certainly pop in to HiJinx for a quick pint or to fill a growler, but many more see it as a destination by grabbing a table, savoring a flight or two and making a day out of it. HiJinx also offers up their open-concept industrial space for parties and events, so consider having that next corporate event or birthday celebration at the brewery. Either way, it is definitely on the list of must-visit breweries in the Valley.
Hours are Friday, 4–9 p.m.; Saturday, noon–5 p.m.; Sunday, noon–4 p.m.
HiJinx Brewing Company is located at 905 Harrison St., Ste. 111, in Allentown; phone: (484) 714-0080.
- Photos: Cheryl Doll
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