Right before the Endless Pocono Run section of the DiscoverNEPA Brewer’s Loop hooked east into the Pocono Mountains, we came across Voodoo Brewing Company.

Just as summer started washing over NEPA back in late May, we found ourselves on that short run up 81 to the sunny Electric City. The valley had all but wrung itself out from a damp spring and those first few warm, humid days had arrived. We had thrown down all defenses and allowed our minds to spin through a summer playlist – rolling back the soft top, bare feet in a clear creek, a pink sunset on the patio with a cold beer and a familiar song floating out from an open window.

We were looking for somewhere to chill, to soak in this strange, warm, sunny Tuesday. Moreso, we wanted somewhere that we could, in defiance of the calendar, plant that flag and declare, “It’s summer!” And, what do you know? We found just that right here on the South Side of Scranton at Voodoo Brewing Company.

The Taproom

A German beer hall with a Scranton accent.

Calling the space at Voodoo Brewing Company a taproom might be a bit of a misnomer. By most modern standards, this is an indoor beer hall. The corrugated steel and concrete, L-shaped bar take up one corner of the perimeter. Next to that, overhead lighting beams into the space from a small kitchen service window. Food and beer take up barely a third of the room. The rest, bathing in modern-industrial minimalism, is for gathering, for communing and for ditching the “inside voice” for something a little looser, a little louder and a lot more fun.

Comforting black walls seem to absorb any harsh light while the warm orange-yellow glow of hanging barn lights reflects from the polished gray concrete floor and painted steel stools. Sturdy high tops and tables pieced together from yellow pine pallets welcome hard-earned dents and dings from a thousand thick-heeled pints.

Overall, the vibe at Voodoo is community. It’s a place where conversations swirl up into the thick timbers and steel beams and bounce from rust-tinted brick to heavy, painted ductwork. They float about the space, mingling with the sentiments of local pop art adorning the walls.

On any given weekend, you might catch live, local music or stand-up comedy. They might even have the whole floor cleared for a ring complete with professional wrestlers flying off the top ropes. Of course, if the weather is cooperating, you might find the overhead door tucked into the rafters and a few spots open among the picnic tables and string lights on the comfy patio.

The Beer

They put in the work and then it’s time to play.

There’s work and play. There’s serious and silly. Voodoo Brewing’s tap list exists somewhere in the in-between. First and foremost, they’re true to the beer, the processes, the battle-tested recipes and ingredients. You’ll find familiarity in their standards like IPAs, lagers and Tripels. And with their seasonals, seltzers and sours, you’ll trip headlong into a fantastical wonderland of oddly-colored beers, old, goofy film references and an urge, against all “normal human” instincts, to say, “I really don’t do social media, but I gotta’ post this.”

Our mission, as always, was simple. Line em’ up light to heavy and let’s knock em’ down one at a time. Only in this case, we saved some room at the end for the colorful stuff.

Up first, a pair of American lagers. We all know where these should land – crisp, light on the hops, maybe a few floral or bready notes. The Empty Calories Light American lager came in at 4.7% with the attitude of a light beer and the taste of a true, classic lager. Oh Mama, Voodoo’s traditional golden American lager and tribute to Pittsburgh and the Steelers and Styxx, plays a little sweet, a little more hoppy than most lagers and finishes clean and crisp.

Two IPAs and a Tripel rounded out our tour of Voodoo’s ale program. Their Good Vibes West Coast Style IPA delivered a notable, resinous punch of hops and trailed off into notes of tropical fruit. In all, a perfectly balanced entry coming in at 7.3%.

We then moved up the scale a bit to the hefty Imperial IPA nostalgically named I’m a loner, Dottie. A Rebel (Pee Wee’s Big Adventure). This slightly bitter, slightly sweet bruiser offered a bit of pine and citrus up front and finished with a little reminder that beer is, in fact, alcohol.

And then there was the Voodoo Love Child, a fruited Belgian Tripel clocking in at 9.5%. The cherry, raspberry and passion fruit aging on this one tempered that typical spice kick. Still, in true Belgian fashion, it finished dry and clean and with a little mental note that we’re gonna’ need to take it easy with these.

On to the more colorful options. Their famous Lacto Kooler, a sour Berliner Weisse, strikes a unique balance between sweet and fruity and that natural Berliner sourness. The slime green takes a little getting used to, but it grows on you – especially if you were an Ecto Cooler kid back in the 90s. This one rings in at 5.5%.

Finally, would we even be in a modern craft brewpub if there weren’t a few seltzers on the slate? Voodoo enters that space with their X88B88X hard seltzer series. They come in either Wild Berry Lime with Blue Spirulina or Watermelon Lemonade with Dragonfruit. Both delivered a more natural, sweeter flavor than most seltzers. And they did it with a lighter touch. And when it comes to color… well nothing should be that blue or that pink.

Voodoo Brewing also offers a line of batch cocktails. You’ll find them in little wood barrels lined up behind the bar.  Of course, you can also get premium craft cocktails made exclusively from PA spirits.

The Food

Simple classics just punched up a bit.

Voodoo is just about as well known in Scranton for their incredible menu as they are for their tasty beers. On all fronts, it is a classic pub menu with burgers, sandwiches, wings and flatbreads. They do however, tend to turn everything up a little (say, to eleven). It’s bar food. It’s beer-friendly food and it’s all scaled up.

The giant, handmade Jumbo Pub Pretzel with their signature Good Vibes beer cheese and WBBA mustard is where you’re going to want to start. Of course, you should throw in one of their unique flatbreads or some wings. Sauces – yeah there’s like 20 to choose from. May we suggest the Whiskey Bacon Brown Sugar or the VBC Super-Secret Sauce.

And then it’s onto the burgers. They smash em’ and top em’ with premium ingredient combos like The Smokehouse Burger with braised beef on top of a cheddar smash burger topped with Good Vibes BBQ and crispy onions. Our favorite was the Bacon Jam Burger featuring smoked gouda, Voodoo Love Child bacon jam and a sriracha aoli.

As always, there will be that salad eater in the bunch. And luckily, Voodoo also crushes the greens. Try the Shredded Sprout Salad with toasted pistachios, red onion, shredded parm and a honey vinaigrette. You’ll also find a legit kid’s menu and even a few Voodoo-specific desserts.

We got lucky on a sunny Tuesday back in May when we popped into Voodoo Brewing Company. They threw open the doors, cranked up a little music, dusted off a few pint glasses and poured, so generously, both their beer and their story. And we, as always, drank it right up.

Do yourself a favor, whether you love beer, just kind of like beer, or really just want to hang out in a pretty chill place, get to the South Side and check out Voodoo Brewing Company.

Must Try:

Empty Calories – Light American Lager – Absolute cruiser with light, crisp bready notes leading into very subtle sweetness – 4.7% ABV.

Good Vibes – West Coast IPA – Generously hopped and dank tailing off into slightly sweeter tropical notes – 7.3% ABV.

Voodoo Love Child – Fruited Belgian Tripel – Strong and bold with subdued notes of cherry and raspberry – 9.5% ABV.