Lancaster’s newest beer distributor, Rieker Bottle Works, is now open for business! Located in the former Blue Star Hotel in Lancaster City, Rieker specializes in craft beer, with 12 beers and ciders on tap and a 2,000-square foot retail area filled with your favorite beer varieties in bottles and cans.
The space was ready to go for a few weeks prior to opening, but Rieker had been waiting on the last and most important piece of the puzzle: the liquor license. Rieker received official word that it received its liquor license the week of April 9, and since then, the team has been accepting beer deliveries around the clock. Ten days after receiving the license, Rieker officially opened its doors on April 19.
While the distributor license doesn’t allow customers to stay and sip beers, you can take anything to go, all at an extremely reasonable price, by the 64-ounce growler or 32-ounce crowler. There are even little jars of beer above each tap to gain a sense of color if you’re a visual beer drinker.
Rieker also gives customers the option to mix and match to create their own six-packs. You can choose from three different bottle or can price levels to create your perfect variety. Walk into the lower level of the space to grab your import and domestic beers. There’s even a walk-in cooler to grab a case or two to go.
“It’s such a fun job because it’s kind of your responsibility to drink beer and talk about it,” says Paul Saxinger, Rieker’s owner. “You have to be able to recommend great products to your customers. My biggest concern right now is having a variety of beer styles on tap, all with different price points.”
The name of the distributor pays homage to the site’s history, which was built in the 1870s as a bar and hotel, with Rieker Star Brewery immediately behind it. People used to come from all over the East Coast to try Frank A. Rieker’s beer. While the brewery was torn down in the 1940s, the tavern lived on, operating from 1967 to 1991 as Lauzus Hotel, and then as Blue Star Hotel from 1991 until 2008.
The building has been empty since 2008, after Blue Star Hotel closed. But, finally, after years of abandonment, the property was purchased by Saxinger two years ago and the upstairs space was renovated into apartments. Unfortunately, the original fixtures were stripped, including a Victorian mahogany bar and the pressed tin ceiling, but the original mosaic floor with a blue star still remains.
Coming soon, you can even expect to grab a Lancaster Coffee Roasters’ cold brew or nitro cold brew, all on tap. Rieker will also be hosting samplings and fun events all summer long.
In addition to the distributor space, we took a tour of the original catacombs, which were used during Prohibition for beer storage and as a transportation space. And, while Rieker was granted permission and given a license to create cereal beverages (beers with less than 2% ABV) during Prohibition, the Rieker brewers still made beer illegally. Rumor has it, Rieker Star Brewery used a hose to transport beer to a secret bottling location on Water St., in a space near what now holds Zoetropolis Art House.
Over and over again, Rieker was busted for making beer until they were finally locked out of the brewery. Luckily for them, prohibition was lifted about a month after the doors were locked.
The catacombs are absolutely amazing, and the opportunities for someday hosting parties and events here are endless. The Rieker team would love to open up the catacombs to the public, but there is a lot of work that will need to be done first to make sure the space is completely up to code.
Make sure you’re following Rieker Bottle Works on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on events. And expect word on a grand opening soon.
You can find Rieker Bottle Works at 602 W. King St. in Lancaster; phone: (717) 947-7614.
- First Two Photos: Beth Kirchner
- Remaining Photos: Madeline Rice Brommer
