Salmon Pants Brewery wants to be the beer destination for people who don't usually drink beer.
The new Allentown brewery, which opened for regular hours on Saturday, Nov. 10 at 100 E. Susquehanna St., focuses on sweeter, unconventionally flavored beers in a bid to appeal beyond the usual hop-heads.
"We do not make traditional beer at all," said Jonathan Rotger, who started the brewery with partner John Patello. "We think of it as new-age beer."
Its offerings so far have included a lemon drop Czech pilsner and porters in flavors like coconut, tiramisu and lychee. Bitterness, prized by many India pale ale-loving beer obsessives, is tone down in Salmon Pants' brews.
"We can't please everyone, so we want to bring in the next line of beer drinkers," Rotger said.
Rotger and Patello, who met through a local dodge ball league, have plans for the space beyond just brewing and serving beer. Rotger is developing augmented-reality games (think along the lines of "Pokemon GO") that customers can play on their phones when they visit the brewery. He expects to introduce them in January.
The taproom will have a rotating menu of three food dishes, with current offerings including chili and a "sloppy Johnny" sandwich. Rotger's mother, Caridad Pizarro, will be the chef.
The owners have purchased farmland in the area near Blue Mountain where they plan to grow some of the ingredients for their food and beers, Rotger said.
They expect to to supplement that with an aquaponic system and community garden at the brewery to produce even more home-grown components. Rotger stressed sustainable practices, and said they intend to install solar panels at the brewery.
Salmon Pants hopes to engage the community by eventually hosting events like hot yoga sessions -- the space already heats up when brewing is going on -- and paint-and-sip classes. Wall murals come from local artists, and behind the bar, guests will find, in addition to the house beers, local wines and spirits.
Salmon Pants Brewery is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday.
Andrew Doerfler may be reached at adoerfler@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @adoerfler or on Facebook.