To me, the perfect way to spend an easy summer afternoon or evening is sitting outside, enjoying a craft beverage with friends.
Luckily for me and the rest of us who live in Centre County, we have a thriving craft beverage scene, with many local producers in unique settings around the county. During the pandemic, many of these local producers became hot spots because their outdoor seating areas offered a safe way to get together. Others learned to utilize their outdoor spaces in unique ways to stay safe and keep operations running when indoor seating was not allowed.
Now, these producers are keeping the good times rolling by offering fun atmospheres to get together and enjoy the warm summer air.
Get your kicks on Route 45
Running beside a beautiful mix of forested mountains and pastoral landscapes, State Route 45 has long been known as a scenic road to travel. Recently, it has become a craft beverage gateway. As it makes its way through Centre County from Pine Grove Mills to Penns Valley, a plethora of local craft beverage producers offer beautiful settings for imbibing, starting with 814 Cider Works.
Reserve a fire pit at 814 Cider Works. (Photo by Chuck Fong)
The cidery, located just off Route 45 at 3392 Shingletown Road, has quickly become a local weekend hot spot. Open Friday through Saturday, 814 offers a rotation of guest food trucks and local musicians that pair well with sitting outside surrounded by the orchard while drinking a crisp glass of cider. Firepits are available by reservation to add extra ambiance. So plan ahead if you want one, especially on cool evenings.
A little further down the road sits University Wine Company’s beautiful tasting room and vineyard. With a bevy of picnic tables that offer views of the mountains above and the vineyards and Happy Valley below, it is a lovely, chill place to have a picnic and enjoy a glass of wine, especially after a hike in Rothrock State Forrest at the nearby Shingletown Gap trailhead. Check the website and social media to see when food trucks might be stopping by.
If you travel a little farther down Route 45, likely passing an Amish buggy or two, Penns Valley offers two unique places with outdoor seating right in Millheim.
Enjoy a fun atmosphere at Elk Creek Café and Aleworks’ Creekside location, across the road from the café on the Millheim Fire Company grounds. With tents, a stage, a food truck, and Elk Creek’s tasty beer, Creekside feels like a rural beer garden with live music and fun people. Picnic tables are available, but bring lawn chairs and blankets to spread out on the hill and listen to some great music. Check online for the music line-up and Creekside availability.
Just a stone’s throw away, Pisano Winery opened in 2019. With live music often on the lineup, the outdoor seating area offers a lovely atmosphere right in the heart of Millheim. Not a wine drinker? Local beer and craft cocktails are also available,
Venture off Route 45 a bit, and you will find a couple of wineries with beautiful outdoor atmospheres in either direction. Sitting on the back side of the mountain it is named after, Mount Nittany Vineyard and Winery (300 Houser Road, Centre Hall) is a tranquil getaway not far from State College. Sitting by the pond at the vineyard with sweeping views of the valley below while enjoying a glass of wine is a Centre County must-do. Reservations for seating, including private areas with firepits, can be made online.
Travel down 322 toward Lewistown to find Seven Mountain Wine Cellars off the beaten bath at 324 Decker Valley Road, Spring Mills. You’ll find a beautiful rustic location in the woods. During the summer, the patio area offers a fun atmosphere, and the newly opened grill serves up tasty morsels to go with Seven Mountains wine as well as mixed drinks and beer offerings. Don’t miss the monthly Friday Night Campfire sing-along. But remember to bring lawn chairs because the seating fills up quickly.
Bellefonte’s beauty
Up-and-coming Bellefonte has become a craft beverage lovers’ paradise. Each of the town’s unique locations offers attractive outdoor seating options that showcase Bellefonte’s Victorian charm and its industrial past.
Located at the old Match Factory, Big Spring Spirits’ outdoor seating area gives you views of one of Centre County’s gems, Talleyrand Park. What could be better than enjoying a hand-crafted cocktail made with Big Spring’s locally made spirits with views of the park and Victorian Bellefonte all around? Take a walk around the park, and you’ll find Big Spring’s namesake, Bellefonte’s famous “big spring,” known for its great-tasting water, the perfect source for the distillery’s excellent spirits.
On the other side of Spring Creek, you’ll find Good Intent Cider’s tasting room at 167 S. Potter St., Bellefonte. Tucked away into a rock formation in Halfmoon Hill, Good Intent has been a local favorite since it opened in 2014. The outside seating area offers a laid-back atmosphere with great views of Bellefonte.
Not far away, Titan Park might not seem like a spot for pleasant outdoor dining, but that would be the wrong assumption. Axemann Brewery and Titan Hollow have taken their refurbished spaces in the old Cerro Metal Factory and turned them into cool spots inside and out.
At Axemann, patrons can enjoy a craft-made beer on the expansive open-air first floor, or outside on the deck on the second floor. Both offer views of the Logan Branch steam directly below. On the other side of the building, Titan Hollow serves up its craft wines and ciders along with other local products in a unique atmosphere. I have yet to try the outdoor seating by the creek, but it looks just as fun as the inside of the Hollow.
Stay close to State
Those looking to enjoy outdoor beverages a little closer to State College got a big boost when Meadville-based VooDoo Brewing Company opened at 210 Elmwood Street in 2019, with a large outdoor seating area right along Slab Cabin Run. Ride your bike here on the path on the other side of the stream. Firepits and Adirondack chairs provide the nice relaxing outdoor atmosphere State College was missing for so long. Don’t forget to grab a bite from Maine Bay & Berry Co., located above. If you squint, you can make believe Spring Creek is the beach.
Wine lovers in State College don’t have to travel far to Happy Valley Vineyard & Winery. When you go, you feel like you were in a Ferguson Township neighborhood one minute and then the vineyard the next. The tasting room has some nice outdoor seating for a tranquil tasting in the vineyard where the grapes came from.
Out on North Atherton Street, Otto’s Pub and Brewery has ample outdoor seating, either shaded or out in the sun, for a summertime pint. If beer is not your thing, try a drink made with spirits from Otto’s sister establishment, Barrel 21 distillery. House-made root beer and other sodas are a hit with the youngsters, especially on a warm summer evening.
Recently opened Antifragile Brewing Company (324 East Calder Way) provides a more urban outdoor atmosphere for local craft beverage lovers. While Antifragile has just a few tables, people-watching downtown is even more fun with a craft beer or kombucha in hand. T&G
Staff writer Vincent Corso enjoys drinking local and meeting new people at central Pennsylvania’s many interesting establishments.
