Was Two Rivers Brew Pub a Prohibition-era Brewery?

Old buildings often hold evidence of old secrets, and the former Mount Vernon Alehouse, on it's way to is no exception.

In the 1920s, the building was owned by the Kuebler family, who also owned the Easton brewery of the same name, Two Rivers owner Troy Reynard said. 

And it appears to have been home to a clandestine brewery during the Prohibition era.

That the family may not have stopped its beer making activities with the passage of Prohibition laws is evidenced in the 1920s section of the building.

It boasts a steel-reinforced concrete floor on the second story of the carriage house section of the building near the back, along with the remains of numerous water lines running into the space, which apparently was never part of the active hotel.

Additionally, the space has direct access to a loading area and the carriage house below, making it ideal for smuggling out goods undetected.

While casual inquiries of local historic sources have failed to yield a single anecdote, that beer was brewed in that space and probably bootlegged from the building seems a near certainty.

"What else could it be? Explain to me why there's a steel-reinforced concrete floor in here," Reynard said. "I've got to think that's what they were doing."

Whatever it was used for, the concrete floor makes it the space of choice for the brewing area of the new establishment, set to open it's doors in July with seating for 130 in three dining rooms, and an original art deco bar.

"Brewing is in the back because that's what the building gave us," he said. "Craft beer is mature enough that we don't have to put the equipment in the dining room."

But Reynard said he plans to open the restaurant first, adding the bar will at first stock offerings of other local breweries until its own production gets up to speed.

On the list will be Fegley's Brew Works and possibly Riverhorse.

Though all three also offer craft microbrews, the situation isn't competitive between the businesses.

"It's funny because it's very similar to specialty coffee," Reynard, who also owns College Hill's , said, explaining that big industry is the competition of the small high quality coffee purveyor, as well as craft breweries.

“There's a lot of customers out there we can pull to the craft beer side. (Other ) are not our competition,” he said. "Everybody in the craft beer community has been very helpful."

Reynard noted  and Fegley's both lent their expertise and experience to Two Rivers, offering advice and help with planning and the brewing system.

Once Two Rivers' seven-barrel brewing system is ready to go, it will produce approximately 200 gallons of beer per batch, he said. Each of the bar's 10 taps will eventually serve Two Rivers brews, produced on the premises.

“Once we start brewing, we'll serve only our beer,” he said. “We'll do growler service as well. Folks Downtown will be able to walk a couple of blocks and get fresh beer. That's kind of how it used to be.”

The restaurant will serve 'gourmet comfort food'.

"We're going to use a lot of butter, we're going to use a lot of bacon," Reynard said, adding that the cuisine, as well as the décor, will have a New Orleans feel. "We'll have a gumbo on all the time."

While food is still a few months away, construction is going well and is on schedule.

“The hardest part should be done by the end of the month,” Reynard said, adding that the majority of the structural work is complete.

"We're not looking to create some slick restaurant," Reynard said. "It's a very personal project to me. I'm not a professional developer. We're not going to develop 20 more properties in Easton. We're keeping as much as we can intact. That's important to us."

Two Rivers won't open for a few months, but the new brewery will offer it's over-21 neighbors a second chance at tasting some test beer on Friday, March 16, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the bar area. The event is free.