West Chester’s Levante Brewing Company expands tasting room hours, brewing capabilities

Since it opened in February, West Chester's Levante Brewing Company has been going big with multiple beer styles, a tasting room, and a seemingly ever-growing brewery.

But later this summer, it'll really ramp things up with extended hours, a grand opening, and the christening of a newly installed 15-barrel brewing system — and co-founders Tim Floros and Eric Santostefano wouldn't have it any other way.

"We hope to continually improve and elevate the craft beer scene, as well as the local community, by producing great beer," Floros says. "We're excited to switch up the scenery and keep things interesting."

At Levante, that scenery switch-up revolves largely around its expanding brewhouse, which will give the fledgling brewery the ability to produce 15 barrels of beer in a batch. Its installation — in a former mushroom-growing facility, no less — is expected to be completed later this summer.

"Until then, we are a true nano-brewery, operating on a one-barrel electric pilot system," Floros says.

But in that sense, Levante has been doing quite a lot with not very much. After all, the brewery does offer growler fills and pints at its West Chester tasting room across seven styles — four flagship and three rotating drafts, which run the gamut from IPA to imperial stout.

So, naturally, more beer ought to mean more opportunities to get it — which is true here. Currently, Levante's tasting room is open only on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Later this month, though, those hours will expand to 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays.

"We will also have food available through partnerships with local food trucks that will be on site," Floros adds.

If you can't make it down to he brewery, though, no worries — Levante brews are available now at Side Bar & Restaurant in West Chester, as well as Downingtown's Station Taproom. However, expect more of a presence as that big system gets online.

No date has been announced for Levante's grand opening, though Floros says it will be held "later this summer."

Levante Brewing Company is located at 208 Carter Dr., Suite 2, West Chester, Pa. 19382. Follow them on Twitter for future announcements at @LevanteBrewing.