HOURS: Fri, 8/14/26, 4-10 PM w/ Steal Your Plate Tacos Sat, 8/15/26, 2-10 PM

Discover the Art of Craft Beer Brewing at Stoker's Brewery & BIERGARTEN

25 Different Handcrafted Beers BREWED ON-SITE !

Judged

BEST OF SHOW

🏆

2024 Pennsylvania Farm Show

Explore Our Unique Beer Selection

Fantasifull Dream

CELEBRATE DIVERSITY

A serene landscape depicting a sunset over a calm lake with silhouettes of trees on the shore.

Our Philosophy

At STOKER’S BREWERY, we are committed to brewing a wide variety of exceptional beers using traditional, time-honored methods and innovative techniques.

Our dedication to quality and craftsmanship shines through in every beer we brew for YOU!

“All told, Stoker’s tap list covers an eclectic range of light and dark, bold and bright, clean yet complex. There’s a beer for every palate, and a few to pique even the least curious among us… each delivering remarkably on its advertised profile.”

—Jonathan Davies, DiscoverNEPA

BREWS & VIEWS: THE AWARD-WINNING Works of STOKER’S BREWERY

(Click on pics to Learn More)

KINDLING KWAD

Belgian Dark Strong Ale

11.0% ABV

Judged

BEST OF SHOW 🏆

Brewer’s Choice Award

2024 PA Farm Show

TAP LIST

25 Different Handcrafted Beers BREWED ON-SITE!

w/ ingredients sourced from countries of origin.

“Stoker’s brewhouse, like the chef’s kitchen, the poet’s desk, or the artist’s studio, is a sacred temple. It’s as much a space of the mind as it is of cinder blocks and ceiling joists… Nowhere is that more evident than in Stoker’s wide selection of masterfully crafted beers.”

—Jonathan Davies, DiscoverNEPA

Pickle Ale

5.1% ABV

Take a number

Mauch Chunk Street Rauchbier

5.6% ABV

Beechwood-smoked German Lager

Myrtille 🥉

4.6% ABV

Wild Blueberry Lambic

Bay Breeze

4.8% ABV

Summer Ale w/ Pineapple, Coconut, Cranberry

Grapefruit HefeweIzen

5.2% ABV

Bavarian Wheat Ale w/ Grapefruit

Key Lime Pie

5.0% ABV

Whipped Cream & Graham Cracker

Raspberry Truffle Stout

5.6% ABV

Nitro

Coffee Stout

5.2% ABV

Nitro

Gold

5.1% ABV

Helles Lager

Märzen

5.2% ABV

Munich Lager

Chocolate Porter S’mores

5.6% ABV

Marshmallow & Graham Cracker

Patch Town

4.8% ABV

Nut Brown Ale

Ale Rider

7.4% ABV

West Coast American IPA

Hefeweizen

5.2% ABV

Traditional Bavarian Wheat Ale

Plzyenský Drozd 🥇

5.3% ABV

Traditional Czech Pilsner

Hazy Hopper 'No.9'

6.8% ABV

Hazy IPA

TropiHop

6.8% ABV

Hazy IPA w/ Passionfruit, Orange & Guava

American Wheat

5.0% ABV

Crisp & Clean Ale

Fantasifull Dream 🥉

7.5% ABV

Anniversary Hazy IPA

Tangerine Dream

7.4% ABV

Anniversary Hazy IPA w/ Tangerine

Peach Cobbler Ale 🥇🥇🥈

5.1% ABV

Cinnamon & Sugar

Blood Orange Hefeweizen

5.2% ABV

Bavarian Wheat Ale w/ Blood Orange

Jalapeño Lime Wit

5.1% ABV

Chili Pepper Ale

Yo Bot! Apricot 🥈

4.6% ABV

Sour Ale w/ Apricots

Stogaarden

4.9% ABV

Belgian Wit Ale

Divine 🥇

9.6% ABV

Belgian Strong Golden Ale

Kindling Kwad 🏆 🏆🥇🥇🥈🥈🥉

11.0% ABV

Belgian Dark Strong Ale

Tap List changes seasonally; for holidays; on a whim. Selections may differ.

IN 2017, when I told folks of my plan to open a craft brewery in the small, Pennsylvania coal region

town of Tamaqua,

they laughed.

⁉️ 😂

When I told them that I bought, and was refurbishing a dilapidated old building that sat vacant for the better part of a decade—smack dab in the center of one of the more undesirable neighborhoods in town—

they told me I was crazy.

🤪 ‼️

“His self-consuming use of his retirement funds to pursue his FANTASIFULL DREAM of opening a brew delivery pub as reviewed before is neither credible nor realistic.”

These words were written as part of a legal OPINION in 2017, so I thought it only fitting to pay tribute to them by naming our Anniversary Hazy IPA—FANTASIFULL DREAM—in recognition of it.

These words grow more and more meaningful with each passing year.

THE IMPROVEMENTS we’ve witnessed in our

Mauch Chunk Street neighborhood and town

since opening our doors in the summer of 2018,

have been nothing short of remarkable.

“A new energy radiates from the central Five Points intersection.” —wrote Jonathan Davies in a DiscoverNEPA Brewer’s Loop Series article published in December, 2019.

“There’s an enthusiasm here fueled by passion, artistry and hereditary grit. And it’s all driven by a forward-thinking breed of entrepreneurs, restauranteurs and community leaders.”

“At the heart of it all, a quiet, dedicated man brews his beer in the back room of a former dry cleaner. His story, along with those of the beer, the building and the town welcome some odd cosmic lineage. Each spills its lesson like a secret into every pint – whispering to willing ears, “Full steam… Onward!”

“The name of the town is Tamaqua, and this gutsy craft brewery illustrating its rise from the slag heap of quiescence is Stoker’s Brewery.”

STOKER’S BREWERY CUSTOMERS, many of whom also patronize local restaurants, businesses, venues and events while visiting, have breathed new socio-economic life into our neighborhood, community and region.

Folks are starting to see the small, coal region town of Tamaqua in a new light, and Stoker's Brewing Company is humbled and blessed to be a part of that.

Thank YOU for helping change the narrative❗️

Thank YOU for making a difference❗️

None of this would be possible without

YOU ‼️ ❤️

If the true meaning of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result, then maybe opening a craft brewery in one of the more undesirable neighborhoods in town,

WASN’T so crazy after all.

So come raise a glass to YOUR Fantasifull Dreams—and don’t forget to toast your inspirational naysayers too—because here at Stoker’s Brewery,

we know FIRSTHAND…

Opinions only matter if YOU allow them to.

Cheers❗️🍻

[1] [2] [3] [4]

Doug Drost

Founder / Brewmaster

Stoker’s Brewing Company

Get Stoked!

Better yet, see YOU in person!

We LOVE our customers ❤️ so feel free to visit during normal business hours.

“Stop by Stoker’s Brewing Company on your next craft beer adventure. Grab a seat. Try a flight and go make a friend out of a nearby stranger.”

—Jonathan Davies, DiscoverNEPA

FOOD OPTIONS

🚚

Food Trucks/Events

Most Weekends

🍕 🍔 🍝

Order-in Delivery or Takeout

from Neighborhood Restaurants

🧺

BYOFood

STOKER’S BREWERY & BIERGARTEN

Stoker's Brewing Company, 36 Mauch Chunk St, Tamaqua, Pennsylvania 18252, United States

Hours

Mon	Closed
Tue	Closed
Wed	Closed
Thu	Closed
Fri	04:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Sat	02:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Sun	Closed

Pooch 🐶 Friendly

A NECESSARY DISRUPTION TO THE ORDER OF THINGS

“An overhead view of Tamaqua reveals a beautifully compact marvel of grid planning. The eye and even the flow of traffic directs inward to the Five Points business district.”

Circa ~ 1996

In the fall of 1996, my godfather gave my dad a homebrew kit for his 65th birthday. My dad jokingly told him that—being he was retired now—he would rather just drink the beer, not make it. So he gave me the kit, and asked me to brew him a batch instead.

From that first batch on, I was hooked.

Soon afterwards, I found myself enrolled in brewing school at Siebel Institute of Technology in Chicago. Over a quarter century later…

I haven't stopped brewing since.

When I told my godfather of my plan to open a craft brewery some day, he wrote me a letter of encouragement…

“I hope you go ahead with your plan as the only way to true success in life is to fulfill your dreams.”

Words of wisdom, indeed.

My godfather and my dad are no longer with us,

but the memories of them and that homebrew kit retirement gift that started it all, live on in the taps of Stoker's Brewery.

Circa ~ 2001

In the summer of 2001, I had the privilege of meeting English beer journalist, Michael Jackson, host of the popular 90’s television series—

THE BEER HUNTER. I told him what a big influence his books had on me and my life,

and then blamed him for my out-of-control hobby.

He laughed.

We talked about our mutual affinity for Belgian beers, and when I asked him…

How do you get a job like yours?

he paused for a moment,

then looked up at me from over his eyeglasses

and said…

“You create it.”

He then signed a copy of his BEER COMPANION book with the following, understated message written in it…

To Doug,

Brew great Belgians!

—Michael Jackson

28 July, 2001

These words still resonate with me today.

OF SUCCESS AND FAILURE

Reflections on Stoker’s 7th Anniversary

August 2025

Some 25-odd years ago in the quaint,

Pennsylvania college town of Bloomsburg,

a small brewpub start-up by the name of

Starving Artist Brewing Company

was in the works.

Visible from Main Street in the center of town,

folks passing by could catch a glimpse

of a gleaming 3.5-barrel brewery,

prominently displayed behind

floor-to-ceiling plate glass windows.

One could almost smell the hand-tossed

gourmet pizza sizzling in the rustic,

wood-fired brick oven installed inside.

Across the street was the county courthouse.

Next door was an historic, majestic hotel.

Right around the corner was the community

arts and theater district.

Location, location, location…

There were no brewpubs in the area at that time,

and most folks in town were either unaware

or unfamiliar with the concept.

Sound familiar yet?

But working a full-time job while trying to

open a brewpub on a shoestring budget,

certainly has its challenges.

Navigating a sea of regulatory red tape

with no foreseeable end in sight

was just one of them.

And it required far more time and start-up capital

than originally planned for.

When a “plan b” promise made by an angel investor

to help out if needed fell through,

and local venture capitalists were unwilling

to take a chance on an entrepreneur

with a solid business plan

but no proven track record of success,

9 months of renovations and 18-hour work days

riddled with blood, sweat and tears,

didn’t matter much at all.

Inevitability, the painstaking business decision

to cut losses and liquidate assets

had to be made.

So why am I telling you all of this?

Because the Starving Artist Brewing Company

was my FAILED first attempt

at opening my own brewery.

Pulling the plug on that dream project of mine,

devastated me to the core.

It took me a long time to recover from that.

But invaluable lessons were learned along the way.

Lessons, I’ll never forget.

Lessons that I still apply and am grateful for,

today.

Fast forward all these years later and here we are…

”Knockin’ on the Door“ of Stoker’s Brewing Company’s

7th Anniversary Fantasifull Dream Celebration.

I digress.

As the thoughts and emotions of the past 30 years

run through my mind like a loaded steam train

chugging through town,

there is one thought that stands out above the rest.
Rudyard Kipling said it best…

“Success and Failure are Imposters.

Treat both those Imposters, just the same.”

I muttered those words to myself many years ago.

I still mutter them to myself, today.

Nobody said it was easy.

Nothing worth having, ever is.

It’s been a long, hard journey,

but now it all makes sense.

I was given the Divine gift of another opportunity.

I am blessed to have seen it come to fruition.

I am truly grateful for each and every one of you.

The smiles on people’s faces,

and the friendships made along the way

—all over a glass of beer—

are what I value and cherish most.

Thank you for the love ❤️ and right back atcha.

All the awards and accolades,

as well as the congratulatory well-wishes

for continued “Success” are nice

—and I really do appreciate them.

But it would be remiss of me

not to mention and recognize

the other “Imposter” in the room

while we’re at it too.

So raise a glass with me as we celebrate

Stoker’s Brewing Company’s 7th Anniversary…

🍺

To “Success and Failure”…

God only knows where we’d be without you.

Cheers,

🍻❗️❤️

Doug Drost

Founder / Brewmaster

Stoker’s Brewing Company

WHY TAMAQUA

Reflections on Stoker’s 8th Anniversary

August 2026

Why Tamaqua?

I get asked that question a lot.

📖

Part One: The Town

As someone who grew up in nearby Hazleton and then lived a good portion of my life in the Conyngham Valley before moving to the Lehigh Valley, I was painfully aware of Tamaqua’s reputation as a downtrodden old coal-region town that one had to reluctantly drive through just to get to where one was going.

Put your blinders on. Look straight ahead.

Honk your horn. Flip someone off.

Keep inching forward.

Family considerations in both the Hazleton area and the Lehigh Valley afforded me the luxury of making that contemplative, if not treacherous, hour-long trek up and over the Blue Mountain each day—cutting right through the heart of Tamaqua along the way. A dilapidated old garage-style building for sale in the center of town caught my eye, forcing me to turn my head.

Attraction is primal, after all.

That would make a good brewery some day, I thought to myself as I drove by. But who in their right mind would want to open a brewery in Tamaqua, right?

RIGHT?!

Tamaqua was the last place on earth I’d ever DREAM of opening a craft brewery.

But God has a sense of humor.

There were a handful of commercial properties available in the area at the time: a newly renovated old church in Butler Township, which was highly convenient to where I lived; a small restaurant just up the hill in Freeland; a larger venue in the Poconos; a quaint village chapel in Port Clinton—and, oh yeah—a dilapidated old building in Tamaqua that once housed a dry cleaner rounded out the eclectic mix.

So I thought it only prudent to set out and see them all in person on the same day. I needed to see each of them in the same light and mindset, so as not to be swayed by weather, mood, or—well, you get the point.

The Tamaqua location was dead last on my list because again, WHO in their right mind would…

🤪

Should I even go?

Due diligence told me I should.

📖

Part Two: The Building

It was a long day, but I begrudgingly drove there anyway. See it again for the first time, I muttered to myself repeatedly along the way.

I got out of my car and walked over to the building. But when I put my hands to my face and peered through the windows, something magical happened.

I felt something. Something I never thought I would. Something I couldn’t explain.

I rubbed my eyes and did a double take.

There was something about her. It was instant attraction. We just connected.

Everything I had ever wished and planned for in a brewery space was staring me right in the face. The high ceilings. The wooden floors. The natural light. The industrial-chic feel.

The way the sunlight hit the building was heavenly—a blank canvas sitting right there in front of me, patiently waiting to be finished.

The building talked to me. I asked her how she was doing. She told me she’d seen better days.

I walked over to a side window for a different view.

That’s where the brewhouse will go, I nodded in agreement. That’s where the serving area will be. The restrooms will go over there.

The seating areas. The game room. The flow. The outdoor space. The visibility.

She had it all.

A little rough around the edges, perhaps. But then again, so am I.

Again, I thought, NOOOOO!

But the bones of the town are good.

I’ll sleep on it.

The next day I woke up, and the first thing I did after rolling out of bed was reach out to the realtor. He offered to show me a few other available properties around town while we were at it, too.

I obliged.

We looked at the future site of what would later become The Wheel restaurant (now Gimbel’s); a building on the corner of the same street where the Bischoff Inn now stands; and the site of the new police station currently under construction downtown.

I had my pick of the litter.

But all that “rescue” tour did was confirm what I already knew: 36 Mauch Chunk Street—the runt of the litter that was on the verge of being torn down—was the only one for me.

It was love at first sight. 🥰

We dated for a good, solid year before most people even knew. Like any relationship, there were hurdles to overcome, but we worked through those things together to make it happen.

Folks often tell me that they love what I’ve done with the place. But truth be told, all I did was complete her. Everything was already in place—exactly where you see it now—before we even started.

If only all relationships were that easy.

I digress.

The perfect situation sometimes comes to you under the most adverse conditions, right when you least expect it.

If there’s one thing I’ve come to know in life, it’s this: trust your gut and follow your heart. Those two things know you best. Believe in them, and they will never let you down.

📖

Part Three: The People

I looked around one last time.

The brewhouse stood polished and gleaming where a dusty utility room once housed a rusty old oil burner and its tank.

My hands still raw from a year of drywall dust and drilling—my very being physically and emotionally drained—I took a deep breath and caught the scent of freshly brewed beer in the air as I made my way to unlock the front door.

The line outside stretched all the way down the block. Neighbors who had watched this dark and abandoned eyesore fall into disrepair over the past decade now stood shoulder to shoulder on Mauch Chunk Street, whispering and peering through the windows—just as I had done the year before.

“You’re gonna need a bigger boat” was the only thought that popped into my head. 🦈

I opened the door and folks flooded in. The room was immediately transformed into a symphony of clinking glasses and laughter. Old-timers who remembered the building as a dry cleaner looked around, shaking their heads in disbelief. Dogs nosed around the backyard, and younger folks crowded around the games.

She was alive again.

I stood near the back of the brewhouse for a moment, just taking it all in. I playfully tapped her on her cinder-block butt cheek and whispered a quiet thank you into her freshly painted ear.

I didn’t save her.

She saved me.

In the eight years since Stoker’s Brewery opened its doors, our neighborhood and town have undergone a remarkable transformation.

Blighted houses that once flanked our building have been torn down to make way for a new community center and a historic park. Vibrant restaurants and businesses have filled nearby vacant storefronts, and a newly constructed train station platform sits just a short distance from our backyard, ready to welcome passenger excursions.

Food trucks that got their start right here with us are now thriving, and a few have even grown into brick-and-mortar establishments—including one right around the corner in a storefront originally shown to me on that rescue tour.

Who knew that a blackened barbeque grill that once cooked burgers in our backyard Biergarten would someday move into that exact same space?

On the other side of town, a small boutique hotel has opened its doors, while a prominent university dental school is set to welcome students soon.

Inspiration is a powerful thing.

The foundation was in place for some time, but never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that a tiny spark from the first batch of beer brewed at Stoker’s Brewery—the aptly named “Kindling” Kwad Belgian Dark Strong Ale—would ignite such a massive beacon of change.

God has a sense of humor, indeed.

Etched in gold leaf letters on the back of a bottle of Kindling are the words “start something.” Beneath those words, you’ll find God’s divine plan.

”Why Tamaqua“ is a trilogy.

“Why Tamaqua” is a love story.

I could have opened my brewery anywhere, but only God knows why I chose Tamaqua.

Perhaps Tamaqua chose me.

Now, craft beer lovers from all over the world travel here to try our many award-winning brews, and every pint poured at Stoker’s Brewery is a gateway to exploring our town.

I am thrilled to see that journey bring so much new foot traffic to the incredible mom-and-pop businesses that share our neighborhood—especially the new ones who were inspired to open by what they saw firsthand.

As the years have gone by, I’ve come to realize that it was never just about finding a place to brew beer. It was about creating a sanctuary—a place where burdens could be shared, victories celebrated, and an incredible community could truly happen.

A beacon is nothing without the people who keep it alive, and a fire like that doesn’t burn on its own.

It took all of you—our regulars, our friends, and everyone who ever shared a pint or a plan with us here at Stoker’s Brewery—to keep stoking those flames.

Every laugh, every conversation, and every milestone ever celebrated within these walls has been fuel for that fire. You are the oxygen that turned that tiny spark into the magnificent blaze it is today. 🔥

I am truly humbled and eternally grateful for the divine opportunity to serve each and every one of you.

So come raise a glass with us this weekend as we celebrate Stoker’s Brewing Company’s 8th Anniversary.

The fire is stoked, the foundation is rock solid, and the future is wide open.

Here’s to the beacon of change that burns brighter than ever today—and to the divine opportunities that lie ahead for us all.

Keep starting things and dreaming big, and I’ll keep passionately pouring my heart and soul into every single batch of Stoker’s beer that I brew.

Cheers,

🍻❗️🫶

Doug Drost

Founder / Brewmaster

Stoker’s Brewing Company

Discover the Art of Craft Beer Brewing at Stoker's Brewery & BIERGARTEN

CELEBRATE DIVERSITY

Our Philosophy

BREWS & VIEWS: THE AWARD-WINNING Works of STOKER’S BREWERY

TAP LIST

25 Different Handcrafted Beers BREWED ON-SITE!

Pickle Ale

Mauch Chunk Street Rauchbier

Myrtille 🥉

Bay Breeze

Grapefruit HefeweIzen

Key Lime Pie

Raspberry Truffle Stout

Coffee Stout

Gold

Märzen

Chocolate Porter S’mores

Patch Town

Ale Rider

Hefeweizen

Plzyenský Drozd 🥇

Hazy Hopper 'No.9'

TropiHop

American Wheat

Fantasifull Dream 🥉

Tangerine Dream

Peach Cobbler Ale 🥇🥇🥈

Blood Orange Hefeweizen

Jalapeño Lime Wit

Yo Bot! Apricot 🥈

Stogaarden

Divine 🥇

Kindling Kwad 🏆 🏆🥇🥇🥈🥈🥉

STOKER’S BREWING COMPANY

FANTASIFULL DREAM

STOKER’S BREWING COMPANY

FANTASIFULL DREAM

ORIGINS OF STOKER’S BREWERY NAME

Get Stoked!

Drop us a line!

Better yet, see YOU in person!

STOKER’S BREWERY & BIERGARTEN

Hours

STOKER’S BREWING COMPANY

FANTASIFULL DREAM

Learn more

Stoker’s Brewing Company

eGIFT CARDS 🎁 AVAILABLE IN ANY AMOUNT❗️

Conveniently send to recipient(s) via TEXT or eMAIL

Gift Cards

MEMOIR & DEDICATION

Circa ~ 1996

Circa ~ 2001

OF SUCCESS AND FAILURE

WHY TAMAQUA

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