New brewery's grand opening is Saturday

LANCASTER - The Double Edge Brewing Company at 158 W. Chestnut St. represents a return to the city's past, but with a modern twist.

"We are Lancaster's first downtown brewery in over 75 years," co-owner Zac Williams said. "We really want to be a Lancaster place for people to come and gather. Bring your friends, bring your family and just have a really good time. We really want to showcase the community."

Williams and co-owner Mark Jinkens will host a grand opening from noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday. Double Edge does not serve food, but there will be a food truck on site this weekend and most likely every weekend. 

Also, customers can bring their own food or order from downtown restaurants and have it delivered. Double Edge does serve snacks like chips, pretzels, and salsa, however.

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The business had a soft opening last weekend which Williams said went well.

"We had a lot of good feedback on the beer," he said. "People seemed to be enjoying the taproom. They were really good events. I was happy to see so many friendly faces."

Double Edge currently features six beers on tap with another one coming soon, and Williams said that number will eventually expand to 12.

The current beer selection includes a pale ale, golden ale, India Pale Ale, a smooth porter, an American wheat and an Irish stout. The stout was the first beer brewed at Double Edge, which Williams said that means it was the first beer brewed in downtown Lancaster in 75 years.

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"We'd like to not brew the same thing over and over again," Williams said. "We'll probably have a few staples that stick around. But we want to make this a place where when people come back they see new stuff here and try new beers."

The front of the building holds a taproom that can serve up to 75 people. The rear portion is where the brewery is. Williams said the brewery has already produced about 10 batches of beer.

He said the taproom may eventually feature live entertainment. There is enough room in the building for a full band, Williams said.

Along with brewing and serving beer, Williams said he and Jinkens have a responsibility to showcase the community in a positive light. Williams is a city native and Jinkens is from Zanesville.

"I think we have a unique opportunity to possibly be the first point of contact for someone outside of Lancaster who visits Lancaster," he said. "We love this place and we're so happy to be downtown. This is e really good time to be down here."

Williams and Jinkens have been friends for over a decade and decided to open a brewery about three years ago. They have also been home brewers for some time and Williams said home brewing became an obsession for them.

"Eventually Mark asked me if I was serious about opening a brewery," he said. "When he said that, it kind of clicked and felt like the right thing to do for us, to start a brewery. Especially here in Lancaster."

Williams then went to the American Brewers Guild, a trade school in Vermont, to better learn the craft.

Double Edge is open from 4 to 10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 3 to 11 p.m. on Friday, noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. The brewery is closed Monday and Tuesday.

Williams said the hours are subject to change. Double Edge is also available for corporate events each day.

jbarron@gannett.com

740-681-4340

Twitter: @JeffDBarron