A Pennsbury Manor Collaboration Celebrating America 250
The idea for this collection began with a conversation.
In preparation for America 250 celebrations, Doug Miller, site director at Pennsbury Manor, approached us about creating a beer inspired by Pennsylvania’s colonial past. That collaboration led us to the Penn family recipe book and a historic recipe attributed to Gulielma Penn, wife of Pennsylvania founder William Penn.
The result was Gulielma Penn’s Special Apple Ale, a limited-release collaboration beer.
As we researched the people, ingredients, and beverages that shaped life in colonial Pennsylvania, we discovered that one beer wasn’t enough to tell the story.
Long before Pennsylvania became known for its breweries, local taverns, farmhouses, orchards, and cider makers were crafting drinks that reflected the ingredients, people, and traditions of the region. Many of these beverages were brewed by women and have faded from memory over the centuries.
What began as a single collaboration ultimately grew into a collection of four beverages: Gulielma Penn’s Special Apple Ale, Penn’s Apple Ale, 1681 Hard Cider, and Alice’s Swankey Ale.
Together, they offer unique connections to Pennsylvania history while showcasing locally sourced ingredients, historic figures, and the spirit of craftsmanship that continues to define our region today.
The Apple Ales
The apple ales at the heart of this collection were inspired by a historic recipe attributed to Gulielma Penn. The collaboration with Pennsbury Manor sparked a deeper exploration of Pennsylvania’s colonial brewing traditions.
Apples were abundant throughout the colony and played an important role in daily life, making them a natural ingredient in many early beverages.
Gulielma Penn’s Special Apple Ale is a limited-release collaboration beer brewed with cider pressed from heirloom apples grown at Manoff Market Gardens & M2 Cidery in nearby New Hope. At 10% ABV, the Special Apple Ale serves as the centerpiece of the collaboration and a modern interpretation inspired by the historic recipe.
That collaboration also inspired Penn’s Apple Ale, a lighter and more approachable beer. Brewed with the same pressed heirloom apples, it balances bright apple character with a clean malt backbone for a crisp, refreshing finish while remaining highly drinkable for today’s craft beer fans.
Together, the two beers offer different interpretations of a beverage that connects us to Pennsylvania’s earliest days: a taste of history, reimagined.
1681 Hard Cider
While researching the role apples played in colonial Pennsylvania, we found ourselves drawn to another historic beverage tradition: cider.
Before Pennsylvania had breweries, it had orchards.
Our first-ever hard cider is named for the year William Penn received a royal charter from King Charles II, establishing Pennsylvania as a colony founded on Penn’s vision of tolerance, liberty, and opportunity.
Made with the same blend of pressed heirloom apples from Manoff Market & Cidery in New Hope, 1681 Hard Cider celebrates both the state’s beginnings and the agricultural traditions that helped shape life in colonial Pennsylvania.
Bright and refreshing, it opens with fresh apple sweetness before lively carbonation carries it to a clean, tart, dry finish. The cider showcases the quality of locally grown fruit while paying tribute to a time when apples and orchards were essential parts of Pennsylvania life.
More than three centuries later, 1681 Hard Cider raises a glass to the beginnings of Pennsylvania and the enduring spirit of the Commonwealth.
Alice’s Swankey Tavern Ale
Our exploration of Pennsylvania’s brewing heritage led us beyond apples and orchards to another nearly forgotten beverage tradition: the Pennsylvania Swankey.
Long before Pennsylvania became known for its lagers, farmhouse brewers were making simple, refreshing ales known as Swankeys. These light, effervescent beers were brewed from readily available ingredients and served as everyday refreshments for working people throughout the region.
Our Alice’s Swankey Tavern Ale pays tribute to Alice Guest, proprietor and brewer of the historic Blue Anchor Tavern. Located along Philadelphia’s waterfront, the Blue Anchor was the city’s first gathering place and the site where William Penn is said to have landed upon arriving in Pennsylvania in 1682.
This historic Pennsylvania Swankey revives a nearly forgotten farmhouse tradition with a modern interpretation rooted in the original spirit of the style. Notes of molasses, brown sugar, and graham cracker lead to a silky, refreshing finish accented by a hint of cooling ginger spice.
Unlike anything else on our tap list, Alice’s Swankey Ale offers a glimpse into a brewing tradition that nearly disappeared from Pennsylvania history.
Image Credit: Library Company of Philadelphia
Taste Pennsylvania’s Past
What began as a collaboration inspired by a single historic recipe ultimately grew into a collection of four beverages celebrating Pennsylvania’s colonial heritage.
Created in celebration of America 250, Gulielma Penn’s Special Apple Ale, Penn’s Apple Ale, 1681 Hard Cider, and Alice’s Swankey Ale honor the people, places, ingredients, and traditions that helped shape our Commonwealth while reminding us that history isn’t just something we read about: it can also be experienced, shared, and enjoyed.
Visit the taproom to experience this limited-release collection and discover a taste of Pennsylvania’s past.
Aristaeus Craft Brewing Co.
2475 Big Oak Road, Suite C
Langhorne, PA 19047
