North Branch is latest brewery project to take shape

May 4, 2020

UPDATE: LICENSE ISSUED ON 04/12/2022

Keyser is the site of the latest West Virginia brewery project to get moving. North Branch Brew Pub hopes to open there later this year. It promises to help accelerate the tourism and outdoor recreation interest that is exciting this upper Potomac Valley city.

Business owner and entrepreneur Terry Stephens is already in the downtown location operating a coffee shop and tavern, which were closed temporarily for the corona virus crisis. He is adding the brewery to the tavern side. North Branch will begin with a 1-barrel brewing system backed by two barrels of fermentation space and plans to add more as demand grows. Initially, they will keep three house beers on draft. Beer lineup will depend on the season in which the brewery begins producing. The pub will also sell other West Virginia beers and wines from the region.

Once the brewery is licensed, house-made beer will be offered in pints, flights, and growlers/crowlers. Initially, no distribution is planned.

Brewing chores will be handled by Tom Sydow, an experienced homebrewer who is a professor at nearby Potomac State College. We hear that Sydow is partial to stouts, Kolsch, and lager, along with beer styles that show off the malt.

Stephens plans to fully take part in the outdoor recreation renaissance that the region is seeing. With that area of the Potomac River considerably cleaned up in recent years, fishing, boating, and kayaking are taking off. Stephens says he will also offer a kayak livery.

North Branch Brew Pub is named for the North Branch of the Potomac River, which runs by Keyser about a quarter mile away from the pub. Sitting on the WV-MD border, Keyser serves an area of around 12,000 to 15,000 people — a size perfect for a small brewpub to be profitable. The closest other brewery (Big Deep Brewing) is about a half-hour drive away in Cumberland, MD.

When competed the brewpub will cover about 1200 sq. ft. and represent an investment of approximately $150,000. The pub kitchen will produce a variety of sandwiches, hot dogs, tacos, salads, appetizers and other pub fare. The brewery will also feature an outdoor deck and small beer garden. Employment is expected to be 3 full-time and 7 part-time.

North Branch Craft Pub — Construction underway on deck and beer garden area. (North Branch Pub Facebook photo)

Becoming a brewing hotbed

The North Branch brewery will add to the region’s hotbed of brewing activity, bounded by Screech Owl and High Ground to the west; Mountain State and Stumptown to the south; and Big Deep to the north. Add to that the two brewery-owned taprooms (Mountain State and Short Story) at Deep Creek Lake and you see why this region is getting a strong reputation for supporting local beer.