Seven Sirens Brewing Co. planning to open second Lehigh Valley location
A popular veteran-owned craft brewery is expanding its footprint in the Lehigh Valley.
Seven Sirens Brewing Company, which opened in February 2020 at 327 Broadway in south Bethlehem, on Wednesday announced that it is planning to open a second location in two phases at the Simon Silk Mill on Simon Boulevard, just off 13th Street, in Easton.
The first phase, expected to debut in a couple of weeks, will include a couple of beers on tap, a can cooler for beer to-go and an outdoor beer garden.
Seven Sirens will take over 6,000 square feet of space that has housed Separatist Beer Project’s blendery for the past few years. A fresh coat of wall paint and other cosmetic touches are planned.
“Over the past few months we’ve been working with our friends and industry partners over at Separatist Beer Project to acquire their Easton Silk Mill production facility/ tap room and all of the contents,” Seven Sirens announced on its social media pages.
Seven Sirens’ new equipment, including six 30-bbl Italian foeders, six 7-bbl brite tanks, one 15-bbl coolship, a forklift and bottling machine, will help Seven Sirens quadruple its production capabilities, expand its distribution reach and offer another taproom with event space and an outdoor beer garden 30 minutes away from its Bethlehem location.
The brewery also is acquiring dozens of barrels of different ages, sizes and varieties, along with several pumps, gaskets clamps and other beer-making apparatus.
Separatist Beer Project continues to operate locations in downtown Easton and South Philadelphia.
“This deal is also going to help our friends at Separatist Beer free up resources and expand their operations in the Philadelphia market… like another taproom soon,” the announcement stated.
The second phase, expected to debut in August or September, will include a newly constructed permanent bar, cold room, remodeled/expanded bathrooms, and a new kitchen.
The taproom will feature seating for around 100 customers, and it also will be able to accommodate around 175 customers for private events, co-owner Jordan Serulneck said. About 10 outdoor tables are planned.
Seven Sirens is teaming up with prominent Lehigh Valley chef Angelo Napoli from Modern-Fusion Catering to provide a “simple but elegant beer-centric menu,” the brewery said. Napoli’s team also will provide catering for on-site events.
“We’re excited to hit the ground running with our amazing team!” the online announcement continues. “Without them, none of this would be possible!”
Serulneck, a Navy veteran, and Joshua Divers, a seasoned brewmaster, opened Seven Sirens in February 2020 in a 7,000-square-foot space on the ground floor of a renovated former parking deck.
The three-story structure, built in 1890, was originally a company store for Bethlehem Steel before serving as a car dealership for 50 years. Upper floors now house apartments and a magisterial district court office.
Serulneck and Divers maintained much of the structure’s historical integrity, including its exposed brick walls and cement floors, which they polished.
They further added to the industrial look with a cement bar top, rebar railings, reclaimed wood on the walls and tables made out of large wire spools.
A centerpiece of the tasting room is a 26-foot, handcarved, refurbished wooden backbar that was made in Ireland more than 100 years ago and was previously housed inside the former Shamrock Inn nearby at 409 Wyandotte St.
The south Bethlehem building also features a newly installed elevator that will provide access to a rooftop beer garden, featuring fire pits, lounge furniture and occasional live music. Work is continuing on the rooftop venue, and the partners hope to debut it by spring 2023, Serulneck said.
Seven Sirens, with a tagline of “beer that sings to you,” features 26 taps — serving up a rotating selection of brews — in south Bethlehem. Popular selections include various IPAs, an American pilsner, imperial stout, German-style lager, sour ale, session ale and Belgian white ale.
The brewery, souring local and organic ingredients, also serves local wine and hand-crafted cocktails made with locally produced gin, vodka and other spirits.
Fresh food from local food trucks is regularly available in south Bethlehem, and the brewery also recently began hosting a pop-up beer garden — which will continue through the fall — on select days at Mad Dogs in Macungie.
At the Simon Silk Mill in Easton, Seven Sirens will join other on-site craft beverage producers, including County Seat Spirits, Easton Wine Project and Böser Geist Brewing Co.
“To our loyal customers who have supported us for years while we brewed and filed out legal documents in Josh’s garage, and to our new customers who just see the fancy new beer release posts, we can’t thank you enough for being part of our family,” the online announcement concludes. “Time to set sail and see where this journey called ‘life’ takes us.”