ADAMSTOWN, Pa. — Stoudt's Brewing Co. beers are returning to bars with the help of a new partnership.
The Lancaster County brewery closed its doors in 2020 following the retirement of brewmaster Carol Stoudt, who had founded the brewery in 1987 along with her husband.
"Though the beer had stopped flowing, Stoudt knew she couldn’t let a brand as reputed as hers retire," the company said on its website. "Just as soon as she had stepped back, she began searching for the perfect partner to carry on the legacy she had worked so long to build."
That perfect partner turned out to be Evil Genius Beer Company, a Philadelphia-based regional brewery.
The two companies shared history together, and this year entered a licensing agreement that will allow Evil Genius to distribute signature beers across northeast and central Pennsylvania, as well as in the Philadelphia area.
"I was disappointed when they announced they were closing," Trevor Hayward, co-founder of Evil Genius, told Phillyvoice. "I've known Carol for many years, having attended her legendary beer fests and becoming close friends, so helping to relaunch Stoudts just made sense. People were missing out on really fantastic beer and we wanted to help bring that back for them."
On Monday, the partnership released Stoudt's famous Oktoberfest lager.
Evil Genius also will release Stoudts Gold later this year, with at least two other brews to follow in 2023.
Under Stoudt's leadership, Stoudts Brewing Co. grew to become one of the top breweries on the East Coast, winning awards at some of the nation's top beer festivals.
The brewery quickly rose to prominence as one of the top breweries not just in Pennsylvania but across the East Coast.
The Stoudts brand became synonymous with quality and in just a few years they were winning countless awards at the nation’s premiere beer festivals.
