Brewing in the PA Wilds: Yorkholo Brewing Company
- by Britt Madera
- July 4, 2023
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Part of the Brewing in the PA Wilds series
A trip to the Pine Creek Valley and PA Grand Canyon landscape of the PA Wilds wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Yorkholo Brewing Company in Mansfield, PA.
Yorkholo, pronounced “York Hollow”, is a small artisan brewpub. The brewery name comes from the York family dairy farm established in 1861. The farm had to shorten its name from York Hollow to Yorkholo due to the number of letters allowed when registering dairy cattle.
History plays a big role in Yorkholo Brewing Company, even today. Ralph York ran the Yorkholo dairy farm his entire life until he retired and all the dairy cows were sold off. The name was chosen to continue the Yorkholo legacy. When deciding on a logo that represented Yorkholo and quality, the owners couldn’t think of anything better than the face of Ralph York.
Brewer Jarrod York graduated from Mansfield University with a degree in Environmental Biology before attending brewery school at the American Brewer’s Guild based out of Vermont. After graduating, he landed an internship and then a job at the Ithaca Beer Co. After a few years of gaining hands-on experience in the craft beer industry, he left to help open Yorkholo Brewing Company.
The folks at Yorkholo are big believers in serving fresh beer, and their small system allows them to do that. Throughout the year, they brew 20 to 30 different styles, which keeps customers’ palates on edge and their brewer’s creativity never-ending.
Many of those artisan brews reflect the PA Wilds… in fact, there’s even an entire section on the beer menu for “PA Wilds Ales!” Yorkholo’s PA Wilds ale series are fermented with yeast native to the PA Wilds region. These ales are inspired by the farmhouse ales style, but brewed in a 100-plus-year-old industrial brick building in downtown Mansfield. The initial versions of these beers used local ingredients that Yorkholo harvested themselves, such as dandelions and different types of herbs.
Photo: Isolating wild yeast strains
Staying close to their local roots is important for Yorkholo’s food menu as well. Harkening back to the old dairy farm history, farming will forever be in their heart. Yorkholo Brewing Company supports local growers and farmers by using their products throughout the season menu, and they allow their chefs creative freedom to express themselves through their cooking.
Yorkholo Brewing Company is a Host Site member in the Experience Makers category of the Wilds Cooperative of Pennsylvania. Learn more about Yorkholo Brewing Company and leave them a review or recommendation on their WCO profile.
Video below: PA Wilds ales at Yorkholo Brewing Company
About the Brewing in the PA Wilds series:
Each Tuesday, the PA Wilds blog will spotlight a brewery that is owned and operated within the 13-county PA Wilds region. As a wise hiker once told us, “Every trail should end with a beer.” We tend to agree! With all of the outdoor rec opportunities and brew pubs in our region, it’s easy to end an adventure with a side trip to a brewery to treat yourself, unwind, stretch your aching muscles and laugh with newfound friends. Use these brewery spotlights to learn more about the brewing businesses in the PA Wilds, their passion behind what they do, and the ales you can get when you stop there.
