Did you know the Poconos are full of wineries, breweries and distilleries? Not just one or two or ten. There are over thirty and counting.
Let that sink in for a moment.
But first, just when did the Poconos become such an adult beverage destination anyway?
Let’s start with the OG, Barley Creek Brewing Company. Back in the early 2000s, we used to stop there on the way home from skiing at Camelback. It was the Poconos’ first microbrewery, opened in 1995.
Around the same time we discovered Sorrenti Winery. Wait, what? The Poconos has a winery and a brewery?! Is the Poconos getting cool?
Fast forward to when we bought our first vacation rental and we started really rediscovering the Poconos. To our surprise and delight, multiple wineries and breweries had popped up seemingly overnight. So much so that there was even now an official Pocono Beverage Trail. Like an actual trail with a map! So, if you’re serious about sampling your way through this trail, be sure to sign up for the free mobile passport to unlock exclusive discounts and rewards along the way.
We love discovering and supporting the small local businesses that make the Poconos such a fun place to live and visit. So far, we’ve tried 20 places for tourism research purposes, of course! And while we haven’t made it to every stop yet*, we’ve definitely found some favorites to share, along with a few tips to help you chart your own Pocono Beverage Trail adventure.
Best Brewery Overall: Barley Creek Brewing Company
Barley Creek is still the king. Great beers, great food, great atmosphere whether you’re indoors or outdoors. This is a Pocono staple. If you haven’t been here yet, it should probably be first on your list.
TIPS: They don’t take reservations, so get there early or be prepared to wait. Their outdoor Pint Size Park & Biergarten is the perfect place for a brew and a bite plus the kids won’t rush you out of there because they’ll be too busy playing wiffle ball, pickleball and cornhole.
Best Winery Overall: Mountain View Vineyard
Mountain View Vineyard is the best winery experience in the Poconos. It’ll make you question, “Am I really in the Poconos right now or am I in Napa?” And we’re experienced in this winery department, we’ve sipped our way through Napa, Bordeaux, Tuscany, the Finger Lakes, the North Fork and the Shawangunk Wine Trail. Discovering this place made settling into our new life in the Poconos a whole lot easier. It’s where we take everyone who has ever visited us in the Poconos. Gorgeous views, vineyard vibes, good wine, good food and charcuterie platters.
TIPS: Always book a reservation and try to get it in the heated covered porch. And if it’s really a special event, book a cabana or a Picturesque Luxury Picnics to set up a special romantic anniversary date or bachelorette party.
Best Beers: Wallenpaupack Brewing Company
Wallenpaupack Brewing Company beers are that good that they’re distributed in and around Eastern Pennsylvania. They have the best beer offerings to pair with perfect pub food. Plus the place has that industrial vibe that you’d expect a brewery to have. These are the brews you’re going to want to mix and match and take home, so you can relive the memories of vacation one sip at a time.
TIP: If you have a large group of 6 or more people and you forgot to make dinner reservations on a busy weekend, you can almost always get a large table here.
Best Tasting Wine: Three Hammers Winery
You know when you go to some wineries and the wine is hit or miss? Three Hammers hits! It’s no surprise that this winery has won multiple international medals and many wines are even rated 90 to 98 points. These are the bottles to take home for a special occasion or to commemorate vacation. Their thoughtfully renovated tasting room and grounds are a lovely way to spend the afternoon.
TIP: They sell snacks and pre-made charcuterie boxes but if you want something extra special for your group, pre-order (48 hours notice) a custom charcuterie platter made by their sister store, Milford Wine & Cheese Co.
Best for a Girls’ Weekend: Sorrenti Winery
Sorrenti Family Estate Winery is the OG winery in the Poconos opened in 1981 actually. My besties came up for a girls’ weekend. We spent the afternoon there alongside a number of fun bachelorette parties. They have a classic rustic tasting room and lots of places to relax in their beautifully manicured grounds.
TIP: On busy weekends, put your name down for a table at their restaurant and pizzeria when you get there. By the time you finish your wine tastings, your table will be ready.
Best for a Guys’ Weekend: Silverback Distillery
It’s not every day that you’ll come across a distillery. At Silverback Distillery, you can sample flights of their award-winning bourbon, gin, whiskey and vodka. Not to mention, it’s housed in a very cool repurposed airplane hangar next to the Stroudsburg-Pocono Airport.
TIP: If you sit out on their patio, you might even catch a few small planes taking off and landing.
Best Outdoor Experience: ShawneeCraft Brewing Company
Now many breweries have cool outdoor spaces, but there’s just something special about ShawneeCraft. We love to go there on a summer or fall evening, sit around their firepit and play some lawn games with the fam. Good brews and tasty Neapolitan wood-fired pizzas.
TIP: Don’t leave without taking a walk towards the historic Shawnee Inn for scenic views and photo ops of the Delaware River.
Best Hidden Gem: Sango Kura
Have you ever been to a sake brewery? I’m going to guess “probably not” because Sango Kura is Pennsylvania’s first and only sake brewery. Not only is the sake delicious and unique, but they also serve savory ramen, rice bowls and Japanese-inspired tapas.
TIP: Their branding is part retro sci-fi and part vintage pin up, so you just might want to buy a T-shirt to go with your bottles of sake!
Best Live Music: The Jam Room Brewing Company
With a name like The Jam Room, they’ve got a reputation to live up to and they do! The whole place feels like an intimate garage rock venue. Their beers have names like Long Play IPA and Sabbath Black Stout. They have the best lineup of local bands. Their aptly named Sound Bites serves up tasty bar food too.
TIP: Check their schedule for live bands and cover bands and prepare to rock out.
Best Date Night: RAW Urban Winery & Hard Cidery
RAW Urban Winery is a micro winery which makes it the smallest but also the most intimate “winery” in the Poconos. Their tasting room in downtown Stroudsburg has that kind of cozy and cool lounge vibe you’d expect to find in Greenwich Village. No food, just the perfect place to start or end a romantic date night if you’re heading to dinner downtown.
TIPS: If you’re loving the romantic vibes, you can order take out and they’ll let you eat it there. Remember to get a growler of their hard cider to go, you can bring it back to refill on your next trip.
Best Beverage Walk: Downtown Stroudsburg
In one afternoon or evening, you can walk from Signature Brewery & Saloon to Bovino’s Brewery to Tolino Vineyards and RAW Urban Winery. If you can and want to keep going, there’s a ton of fun bar-restaurants to check out in downtown too.
TIP: If you’re staying at one of our rentals in East Stroudsburg, take a ride-share like Uber there and back, no need to drive!
Best Brewery Crawl: Lake Wallenpaupack Area
If you’re serious about craft beer tasting, might I suggest a trip to the Northern Poconos? You can stay at Lakelyn Lodge where you’ll be within a 20-minute radius of six Pocono breweries. You can chug your way through The Jam Room, Log Tavern Brewing (Tafton), Hopping Eagle Brewing Company, Wallenpaupack Brewing Company, Here & Now Brewing Company and Runaway Train Brewery.
TIP: Book the Wallenpaupack Beverage Trail tour shuttle service to take you and your friends!
So I hope you’ll be hopping on the trail to discover your new favorite local Pocono businesses to support!
-Krista
P.S. Hopskip Home to any one of our vacation rentals and you’ll be staying close to all of our top picks in the Monroe County area. Then when you’re ready to expand your palate, head up to the Northern Poconos for the Wallenpaupack area breweries.
*Disclaimer: This is our personal favorites list based on our personal experiences, subject to change the more places we try and the more places that open. We’ve tried 62.5% of the trail, mostly in Monroe, Wayne and Pike Counties. We don’t have properties close to the Jim Thorpe/Lehighton areas therefore, we haven’t tried the ones in that area yet. There’s always more to discover! In fact, our next stop will be the newest addition to the trail, Brix Brewhouse in Brodheadsville.
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