Irwin natives open Trafford brewery as gathering place for community

Brothers Chris, Nick and Mike Juricich have shared an appreciation for craft beer for as long as they can remember.

The Irwin natives will set their passion into motion today with the opening of their latest entrepreneurial venture, Wye Beer Co., located on Forbes Road in Trafford.

“Craft beer is something we’re all fans of and have been fans of for a long time,” Chris said. “So it was kind of a natural fit in that regard.”

The brewery shares a plaza with two of the Juricichs’ other businesses, Parkside Creamery ice cream shop and Parkside Perk coffee shop, which opened in October. The fourth-generation restaurateurs also co-own Ginny’s Neighborhood Pizza Joint in Murrysville and Mr. Squeegy window cleaners in North Huntingdon.

The brewery is named after the former Blackburn Wye railroad that ran through the Trafford plaza more than 125 years ago, Nick said. Photos of the railroad, donated by the Trafford Historical Society, line the walls of the brewery.

A “wye” refers to a triangular section of railroad resembling the letter “Y.” Nearby B.Y. Park is also named after the railroad.

The Juricichs hope the brewery becomes a gathering place for families and friends in the community, Chris said.

“I always felt like the Penn-Trafford area especially is so built up residentially, but it doesn’t have a ton of commercial places for people to hang,” Chris said.

The menu prioritizes shareable food items, Chris said, including flatbreads, oven-baked wings, charcuterie boards and hanging pretzels served alongside beer cheese made with the brewery’s amber ale.

The brewery aims to meet the flavor palates of all beer drinkers, said head Brewer Todd Bowers.

“We have a pretty good variety. That’s what I like,” said Bowers, of Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood. “(The Juricichs) were definitely on board with that, like a little bit of everything.

“I didn’t want to start at another place that was just ‘Oh, we’ve got 10 taps, but seven of them are all the same style of beer.’ ”

The brewery will have on tap two hazy IPAs, a traditional IPA, a golden ale, two stouts, an amber ale, a wheat beer and a fruited sour, said Bowers, who has been brewing beer for about six years.

One of the stouts, the Mechanical Mocha, is made using coffee beans — the same variety that is used at Parkside Perk, Chris said.

Bowers also plans to brew a bourbon barrel stout, which will take about a year to produce.

Opening two businesses within three months of each other is only possible through family support, Nick said.

“We’re in a unique situation that we have three brothers that get along better than anyone could imagine,” Nick said, “and we also have three amazing wives to back us up.

“It wouldn’t be possible without (them). Even my dad, he’s involved in everything we do out of a love for us and a love of helping and the excitement of growing a new business.”