Olde Bedford Brewing Company’s owners, David and Mary Heller are featured in this episode of Fermented Adventures.
Mary purchased Dave a Mr. Beer Kit. The first foray into home brewing was a success. To Mary’s surprise, it quickly developed from a hobby into an addiction to home brew. She thought that this would entertain Dave for a couple of months and he would move on. She had no idea that 7 years later that all of it would turn into a business. Olde Bedford Brewing is their “retirement job”. They even grow their own hops on their ranch. Quickly they developed followers of their beer and the brewery began to blossom from there. Passion drives the grain to glass philosophy. “Join the Whiskey Rebellion… drink beer” is their slogan. We had a tremendous time sitting down with Dave and Mary on the podcast. We learned so much about the history of Bedford, beer and the brewery. Take a side trip off the PA Turnpike and go visit them. You’ll be glad that you did.
Olde Bedford Brewing Company is featured in this video from “Poured in PA”.
We had the opportunity to share our story of how we began and how we strive to provide a true “farm to cask” experience for our patrons. Learn about some of the inspirations for our various brews.
We are featured in the last segment. The video should start a few moments before our feature begins (at 33:24).
This article shares the story of our approach to locally sourced beer, and how each ingredient and each beer produced is ultimately part of a grander story. One that is uniquely Pennsylvanian, and even more uniquely Bedford County.
The article tells of the history of Bedford and of the Hideaway Ranch, the century-old farm that has been in the Heller’s family for almost half a century. And David and Mary’s passion for Pennsylvania and supporting the agricultural community is clearly demonstrated.
“You can experience local,” David Heller said. “It’s great for someone like us to have a customer in from Pittsburgh and we can tell them how it was made, where it came from and they can go up to Dancing Star Farms and see for themselves. It helps to educate the public on how important agriculture is to their everyday life.”
Read the rest of the article to learn about how we tie history into every aspect of the process. The Hellers integrate the historical context into all of their brews. And they have some interesting offerings coming in the future.
Uncovering PA, a website dedicated to identifying the best things to do in Pennsylvania. You may not know that Pennsylvania produces more craft beer than any other state in the country.
We were so encouraged by the great turnout for our ribbon cutting on Tuesday, March 6th. Well over 100 people attended the event and opened up Bedford’s first microbrewery in style!
Now that we are “officially” opened, we want to remind you that our hours are the following:
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 2-8pm
Friday and Saturday 2-9
Closed Sunday and Tuesday
We look forward to seeing you soon. Enjoy the video of our opening ceremony.
In their October/November 2017 Issue, Mid-Atlantic Brewing News spotlights Olde Bedford Brewing Company’s plans to open soon in Bedford, Pennsylvania. The article, entitled “Resuming the Rebellion”, spotlights the unique partnership between OldeBBC and Fat Jimmy’s Outfitters. The two businesses joined forces this year to offer a unique business model. They also believe this will resonate with patrons of both businesses.
Historical Significance
The article touches on the historical significance of Bedford, and its place in the history of the Whiskey Rebellion in 1794. George Washington (a brewmaster of his own right) used the Espy House, at 121 E. Pitt Street, as his headquarters when he and the United States Army marched into Pennsylvania to put down the rebellion.
Olde Bedford Brewing Company taps into this history with our slogan, “Join the Whiskey Rebellion,… Drink Beer!”.
Owners David and Mary Heller plan to use spring water from their farm, “Hideaway Ranch”, on Blue Knob Mountain. They also grow their own award-winning hops, which has received much attention from agriculture experts in the state.
Opening soon
OldeBBC plans to open its doors in early 2018. The ten-tap brewpub will occupy a portion of Jimmy Fungeroli’s sporting goods business. Additionally, he brew pub will feature rustic decor and will continue to play on the theme of the town’s historic relevance in the whiskey rebellion and other early American history. Check out items available in their store.
Bedford, a town of 2800, is the county seat of Bedford County, PA. The Hellers are native of the area and are seeing their dream of opening a brew pub come true this year. Most of all, as the first brewery ever to sell beer in Bedford, we are excited to build a new legacy for our great town.
