When McCall Collective Brewing Company opened its Allentown taproom in August 2020, it was the evolution of three dreams coming true. Now that trifecta is growing into its latest incarnation, the microbrewery’s second location, which is slated to open this spring in the Breinigsville area of Upper Macungie Township. Lehigh Valley’s s first female-owned brewery is owned by CEO Kaitlin McCall who, along with her husband Chris McCall, always wanted to own a business. Being fond of craft beer, they would stop to visit breweries around the country when traveling. When McCall’s brother-in-law, Matt McCall, started homebrewing and went on to brew with Sam Adams and Coney Island Brewery in Brooklyn, McCall saw it as the perfect opportunity. McCall would open a brewery with her husband, and bring Matt on as head brewer.
“It just became apparent that we could work together to make all of our dreams come true. Matt is able to brew with freedom and choose his recipes, and my husband and I are able to have the business we always wanted,” McCall told What Now Philadelphia.
Renovations on their new 1,500 sq. ft. location at 7743 Hamilton Blvd. will start in February. The taproom will boast a 10 tap draft tower for the brewery’s homemade beers. McCall Collective Brewing will also partner with local vineyards and distilleries to offer wine and their superb signature cocktails. The pub menu fare at McCall Collective Brewing Breinigsville will be a simpler version of what is offered at the original location, with the addition of on-site smoked BBQ and smaller bites like charcuterie, pretzels, and nachos. The decor at the new site will have the same soft feminine feel as Allentown’s taproom, with pale green walls and warm wooden tables and floors.
“We wanted to stand out and to be cozy and welcoming for you. To feel like you’re at your friend’s house. There’s nothing wrong with an industrial brewery feel, it’s cool. But this is how we chose to go, and we’re super excited and proud of that soothing vibe,” McCall said.
The new brewery will be open for happy hour and into the evening Thursday through Sunday to start, with the potential to widen the hours of operation in the future. This location won’t have its own brewhouse, but the McCalls will add a 15 BBL Brite and 15 BBL horizontal lager tank to their Allentown brewhouse, which will allow them to keep their taps flowing at both locations, sell some kegs to some local restaurants, and keep producing their canned beer.
“Our favorite part about having a brewery is that we have the flexibility to support our staff in the way we want to. We get to make our own rules and do what we want. We always wanted our own business to be able to flex our muscles for the greater good. If you’re a business owner, you have to give back. There’s no point in being a business owner if you’re not giving back,” McCall says.
The company currently employs about 22 individuals, seven of which work full-time and receive benefits. While many restaurants say they’ve struggled with finding staff during the pandemic, McCall says she doesn’t have enough working hours to give. She will bring on additional employees for their Breinigsville location, which she says was only made possible because of their incredible staff.
“We really have an awesome staff from our brewers, our artists, bartenders, servers, our chef and kitchen manager, everyone. We wouldn’t be able to consider a second location if it wasn’t for the fact that we just have an awesome team that supports us and allows us to continue to grow and expand. We all work together to make sure everything runs smoothly and our customer service is great. People love coming to the brewery because of the faces they see every day,” McCall explains.
In addition to their staff, McCall Collective Brewing also supports their community by hosting fundraisers and giving away items for raffles. They expect to host trivia and bring live music on-site, which they offer in Allentown. Learn more at mccallcollectivebrewing.com.
