Blondes and Brewnettes
Blondes and Brewnettes Brewing began in the fall of 2013 as a casual conversation between two sisters and their beer loving husbands. The four had a great idea to try and make beer after getting a home brewing kit as a gift. After several weeks of research on equipment and beer recipe ingredients, they successfully brewed a Belgian Strong Ale! It didn’t stop after one successful beer either. The team came together over the next 3 years, brewed multiple batches of beer, expanded their craft beer palettes, and in the summer of 2016 formally created the Elk Creek Farms Brew Club.
The brewing families began talking of opening a tap room/brew house in the 2015-2016 time frame and wanted to focus on using both Pennsylvania and Southern Chester County locally sourced ingredients. A local taproom to socialize and drink amazing beer was exactly what the team was looking to create! After home brewing for several years, brewing a variety of beers, ciders, and meads, the informal talks within the team turned into meetings and the brewery was now the direction they all wanted moving forward.
Further inspiration for the taproom concept was provided at the Home Brewing Conference in June 2016. The team attended this conference making many amazing connections, friends, and future collaboration beer contenders. As the passion grew for craft beer so did the actual brewing families. Six children between both families, full time careers, and socializing with friends limited brewing time, but the team stayed focused and continued to realize their taproom dreams.
Bernadette and Knute, the owners of Twelves Grill & Café, decided the restaurant is the perfect spot to start the commercial brewing process. They worked with the local township leadership to change the borough law as a dry town, which stood since 1940. After a lot of walking the borough for petition signatures, it was looking promising that the votes would favor changing the local liquor laws. Just a few weeks later the people of west grove voted and were granted the right to brew craft and malted beverages in the town of West Grove. Twelves was the start of progression toward a brewery location in West Grove.
In January of 2019, the four excitedly installed a brand new brew system at Twelves Grill, while working local, state, and federal approvals and we seen light at the end . Shortly after the covid-19 pandemic hit all plans were placed on hold. Seeing the impact on small local businesses the team was divided about moving forward. in 2022 Knute and Bernadette decided to move forward solo with the blessing and support from their former partners. Blondes and Brewnettes has moved into their tap room and are officially open at 122 W Rosehill ave west grove pa 19390!
Author: Dirk Jahn
