By Diana Cercone
Not many birthday presents are the genesis of a blossoming business. But that’s exactly how Warwick Farm Brewing in Jamison began. It was at Tim Tabor’s 30th birthday party. And though Tim received great gifts, it was the one from his friend Ryan Seiz that ignited his passion in learning the art of craft beer. For his present, Ryan had brought some of his homemade brew. Ryan and his dad, Scott Seiz, had been brewing beer for some time—and, according to family and friends—with more than their share of successes.
The year was 2016. The beer Ryan had brought was an IPA. “It was a clean and crisp brewski that my family and friends loved,” Tim says. Like a providential perfect storm, all the ingredients were there to spark the idea of a brewery, he says. “The delicious beer, barn party and most excellent vibes for starting a brewery.”
It wasn’t long after that party that the two friends started brewing beer together. And it wasn’t long after that that Ryan’s dad, Scott, and Tim’s dad, Tom, (good friends since childhood) worked together on a business plan for Warwick Farm Brewing with their respective sons. The year now was 2017. Again, it was a providential coming together. This time of the two families and their passions.
Tom and Tim Tabor are passionate about Bucks County’s farming legacy and to preserving its farm land. The Seizes, Scott and Ryan, are equally passionate about home brewing beer. Their combined passions produce some of the tastiest craft beers in Bucks County and is the first microbrewery and farm brewery in Warwick Township.
A resident of Warwick for more than 30 years, Tom, in 2017, bought the historic farm on Almshouse Road, steering its renovation and preservation, including of its 1921 Victorian farmhouse where Tim and his family live. The combined plan and vision of the two families for the farm was to grow their own hops as well as source local ingredients to make their beer.
Already on the property was a 1,200 square-foot construction equipped with refrigeration. To that the Tabors and Seizes added a 7 BBL brewing system and 15 fermenters. (One BBL equals 13 gallons.) And began growing hops.
By 2021 they had a roster of beers to offer to the public. Sitting on 22-acres of beautiful Bucks farmland, it seemed natural to open a Biergarten that spring. (This spring, says Tim, look for the Biergarten to reopen as soon as the warm weather breaks.) So popular had their beers become, specializing in seasonal and limited brews, by February of 2022, they added a 5,000 square-foot Tasting Room to the original construction.
With its rich Bucks County soil, they grow four or more varietals of hops (including Cascade, Chinook, Centennial and Comet). This allows them to offer a limited run of a wet hop IPA (India Pale Ale). (The name India Pale Ale dates back to the height of the British Empire when brewers, in preparation for the voyage to India, added hops to their brews to help preserve the beers. Today, IPA beers made by American craft brewers are favored over European IPAs by both American beer drinkers and beer experts alike because they tend to have more essential oils and are more floral flavor-forward as well as a heady hit of a crisp bitterness.)
Traditionally IPAs are made with more hops to give it a stronger and more distinct flavor than a regular ale or lager. Like farm-fresh produce, for their IPAs, Warwick Farm Brewing freshly picks their hops wet, when full of moisture, and quickly uses them to make their IPAs as lively and full of hop resins possible and therefore more flavorful and appealing to the palate.
But IPAs aren’t the only style of beer they brew. Warwick Farm Brewery also prides itself in offering an ever-changing variety of lagers, pilsners, ales, stouts and shandies. (A shandy is a beer cocktail usually made of a 50/50 brew of beer and a citrusy lemon/lime soda.) These are especially popular in the spring and summer, Ryan says, such as their Margarita Shandy.
Ryan, along with Jay Trauger, are Warwick’s brew masters. They like to push their beers’ flavor palate, such as with their Bordello, a Mexican-style lager with lime, and Umbra, a summer IPA. Incorporating local fruit and herbs also are high on Ryan’s and Jay’s lists when creating recipes, such as the one they had created in conjunction with Visit Bucks County for one of its Bucks County Ale Trails. Their Hills of Hops & Haze, an ABV 6.5 beer, was heavily dry-hopped with Simcoe, Mosaic and Experimental Hop 586 and “bursting with passionfruit, mango, guava and ripe blueberry flavor.”
Some of their favorite local ingredients come from Hollow House Farms in Buckingham. For special limited brews, they may ratchet the flavor envelope up several notches with daring ingredients. For example, one of their recent brews, Neapolitan Ice Cream Stout, a milk stout made with strawberry, chocolate and vanilla, took its inspiration from OwowCow Creamery’s Neapolitan ice cream. Creating the recipes, Ryan says, is the fun part. Coming up with the beer names is tougher. For names, he says, it’s a group effort. A quick perusal of their beers’ names, however, yields an equally creative feat.
On any given week, you’ll find 20-24 beers on tap in their Tasting Room. For a complete listing of what’s presently on tap, check their website, www.warwickfarmbrewing.com. A few of their limited brews are also available for sale in bottles; most others are sold in cans or personal kegs. They prefer to sell their beers in cans, Ryan says, because cans preserves the flavor better than in bottles.
At home, when pouring a beer into a glass, Ryan advises, tilt the glass at a 45-degree angle to about mid-point and pour, then finish pouring with the glass upright to get a 1/2 to 1&1/2-inch foam or head. The head doesn’t allow carbonation to escape from the beer, while keeping the rich aroma of the beer and the initial flavor of its first sip.
New to beer? Warwick Farm Brewing has you covered. Ryan suggests for beer newbies to start with their Warwick Wit or Lemony Shandy. “Both styles are very approachable.” For those who like to imbibe in brews but are new to Warwick Farm Brewing, start off with their Hazy IPAs and Lagers. “So popular, close to half the beers we produce are Hazy IPAs,” he says
Serious seasoned beer lovers equally won’t be disappointed. Says Ryan, “We have a staff that can point you in the right direction depending on what beer you like. Our most popular beer is our DDH Citra Sensation.” It gives a smooth and tropical flavor that highlights one of Warwick’s favorite’s hops.
For food, Warwick offers a roster of their favorite Food Trucks—as well as those popular with local foodies—such as Holy Q Smokehouse, Humpty’s Dumplings, Rooster & Chick, Kono Pizza Bucks Co. and Wrap N Roll. “My good buddy and part-time employee Tom Smithern runs our Food Truck Schedule,” Tim says. “We have great relationships with some awesome local vendors and like to keep a good variety and mix it up.” Check Warwick’s website for food truck schedules.
Since opening three years ago, Warwick Farm Brewing has won multiple PA State Beer Awards, Tim says, “including for Best Beer Garden in Pennsylvania and recognition for best beers we’ve brewed.”
Warwick Farm Brewing is located at 800 Almshouse Road, Jamison, 18929; 215.792-7599; www.warwickfarmbrewing.com. Closed Mon & Tues. Open Wed., Thurs., Fri. and Sat, 12-9 p.m., and Sun 12-7 p.m.
Diana Cercone is an area freelance writer who specializes in food, art and travel.